The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-13
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENCE
 FROM DISBURSING TEACHERS SALARIES

the present Legislature. He suggests that all friends of education who can endorse the measure write to their county representatives urging them to support the measure. As one of the friends of education in Jefferson Coun- ty heartily favor the object of that bill to secure more intelligent, more efficlent and closer supervision of the public schools of the State.
 The present school law provides that the county Board of Education shall have entire control of the public schools within their respective counties and shall see that the teachers perform their duties The present school law also provides that the County Super intendent of Education shall be the chief executive officer of the county board and that he shall see that the rules and regulations of the county board are enforced.
 I beg to call your attention to the following item from the report of ths committee of the Jefferson County Teachers Association. adopted unani- mously January 26 last:
 That all salaries of county teach- CTS be distributed by the County Treas. urer."
 The relation of the County Super. intendent to the County Board of Ed ucation ia the true basis of the plea, the logical basis of the plea for his appointment by the County Board of Education instead of his selection by popular election. Now in order that the County Superintendent of Educa. ton may become the official executive officer of the county board In reality as we'll as In theory. instead of mere treasurer and paymaster, as he has been in the past. we believe he should be relieved of the care of the schoo money. released frem the duty of pay. ing school teachers and stripped of thu nameless, intangible but more or less potent influence that hangs around the paymaster.
 Let the school money be paid out by the County Superintendent upon the warrant of the county board of Educa- tors. If this is done. the County Su. perintendent will become a new crea. ture, educationally. ht, ready and will ling to perform efticiently and profes- Sionally the duties of executive offceF of the county board. The rural schools would then be placed. so far as su- pervision is concerned. on the same basis as the city schools. The super intendent would then be selected upon his merits. regardless of politics"
 The City Superintendent does mol disburse school moneys. No one thinks Of changing it. Why not adopt if as nearly as possible to the needs of the county schoolsr'
 We believe that the removal of the school moneys from the bands of the county superintendents and their dis. bursement by the county treasurers will do more to lift the ofico above
 bad politics" than any other provision that could be incorporated in the pro. posed measure. It Is claimed this fea. ture will provoke opposition to the measure and endanger it's enactment al the present session. We are frankly of the opinion that this bill will awaken more apprehension and provoke more just opposition without this provision than with 1t. Let our county super. intendents be teachers Of high profes. sional attachments. qualified to pro. mote and direct educational progress in Alabama. Let them be elected by the County Boards of Education. whose executive officers they are, but by all means let them be relieved of the of flee of treasurer and paymaster of pub- lie school moneys
 We sincerely trust that the able and patriotic body of which you are hon. orable and distinguished members may become the authors of 8 new era in the history of the public schools of Alabama. 1T. p Rurruss
 Birmingham. Ala. Feb. 9. 1907.