The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-13

l voters.
 Alabama and Iowa. l z Not to make invidious distinctions. or 1 to disparage our own efforts, but in order to take our bearings and to gain inspir- adon Tor stlii greater efforts let us com pare these conditions with those in Iowa. state whose population, eal3. .S53 is con- tsiderably larger than that If Alabama l l,s2s,69h but the number of whose children is smaller-6S3,9 900 to 652. .98O Like Alabama, too. Iowa is largely an agricultural state and the area, 55000 square miles, is al- most exactly the same. It was created 1 state in lS46 seventeen years after the admission of Alabama
 "Pupils-Alabama, 2970s5. Iowa, s64. 10
 ieachers-Alabama, 65ST; iowa, 2S. G9i
 4s7e6s.
 School property-Alaoama, s.5OO GOO;
 Expended per capita-Alabama 5l cents; Iowa, s3So.
 Alabama, property per capital, SIP; Iowa. sil96
 s5S59
 "The intimate relation between cduca- tion and weath is shown by these figures In most unanswerable manner According to the provisions of the new constitution of Alabama. thirty slxty-fifths of the entire state levy; g of every s6is of tax goes to the support of the public schools; proportion of the general state tax that is unequalled by any state in the union. But this is not enough. It is not from the right source
 Taxation and Free Schools.
 "A grave defect of the new constitution in regard to education is the limitation that it places upon the right of local | taxation. The power granted to a county | to impose a special tax of 10 cents on the | hunured dollars by three-fifths vote is only word of promise to the ear Thanks to the energy of the state super | intendent of education and his able allies throughout the state a large number of 1 counties have voted this additional aid to the public schools, but this help is en- | tirely inadequate.
 About two hundred anc thirteen mill lion dollars is collected annually for com mon school purposes in the United States and of this vast amount only IS per cent | arises from taxes levied by the state from their general state tax. The vast l remainder Is almost entirely levied by 1 communities upon themselves At the same ratio of local taxation as prevails | ln the west of the union Alabama would ] raise school revenue of five million in- l stead of one million dollars.
 | Truly the crucial point of the situation is local taxation. We may tinker the l machine as much as we may but the mill will not grind without a head of water. The central treasury of no state can possibly meet the tremendous de- ,mands of first class system of schools, | and keen personal interest in the welfare of the school is directly dependent upon | a keen sense of personal cost to the patron. A propaganda of agitation should be conducted until this unwise prohibition | is removed Private ownership turns sand l into gold and local ownership of schools | is indispensable for their welfare and for their greatest benefit to the con- | munity.
 Taxation is bug-bear to many of our people and is the chosen slogan and party | cry of the demagogue. Without repre- | sentation taxation is indeed tyranny: but | in free democratic form of government | moderately high rate of tax is a great blessing. Public parsimony is as blight | ing in it's effects as private parsimony- 1 no progress, no development, but stag | nation and rot. I am confident that the 1 peopH of Alabama can be brought to see | thaa handsome and comfortable school hoVses and better paid and better equipped | teachers are the very best and most | profitable of all investments-an invest ment in children.
 Our Needs.
 l Better teachers, rather than many l who seek the school room as an asylum; better school buildings. affordng at once l better comfort and health and a touch 1 of inspiration to the now stunted ar ltistic nature of our children; better school 1 equipment; better pay; longer terms. bet l ter organization and coordination schools these are few items in the long cat l ologue of the imperative needs of educa- | tional work in Alabama. And to obtain 1 these there must be a tremendous evan | gelistic campaign for tine religion of ed- ucation. First of all, must be reached the masses of our people. and through them their political leaders, who shape | the policies of the government, that in ! turn mould the destinies of the people | and their children
 | President w F. Striplin then made his annual address, MT. Striplln said;
 Striplin's Address.
 II hasten to congratulate you and your | constituency upon the marked improve | ment in the educational facilities of our | beloved state. It should be source of pride to every patriotic Alabamian that l the dark and threatening cloud of ignor- | ance that has hung so menacingly about | us has been burst asunder by system of
 
 strengthened, will widen the rent until | the sunlight of intelligence spreads over our entire commonwealth. Then purity will be the watchword in every home and in public life, and peace and content l ment will be supreme at every freside. but the very suggestion of such an at 1 tainable ideal state calls for heroic action | in building up our school system.
 We must never forget that this is an electric age; a time for doers. Our motto should be Build up, add to. advance The politician must never be allowed to catch us asleep on our oars, else the boat | will be manned by another crew and the treasure used for selfish ends. Let me 1 say and with all the emphasis of which am capable, that the question above all others today is the improvement of our 1 educational system. Let us cry aloud until all hear that the voter that supports any man for office that does not acllnowl- | edge this and promise to act accordingly | is traitor to the best interests of the | future citizenship. We want only such 1 men elected as leaders who are broad and 1 patriotic enough to come out strongly for 1 strengthening the schools, realizing that | in doing this they will bring other i'm 1 proyements. Let us consider some of the l necessary additions to our present school system and we hope to mention only vital 1 ones.
 Taxation.
 1 This is an old question. but is like | Banquo's ghost. ever present, and will | be until advantages are provided whereby | the children of the poor and the children l of the rich. the children of the back