The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1908-03-15


triets, aysraginx thirty-yeven squsrs.
districts There are large trsctg OF
Land In Texas that are not settled Five
sixths OF the school children live IN
the settled districts. The local tax has
been voted In 3,217 distrfcts. "A Two
thirds vote is required to carry the
local tax. There 70 s2.7to.ooo annually .s.y
contributes thus to the support OF the
schools. 1he total from all sources =
The question Of the qualifications Of
county superintendents took up good
part OF the remaining time of the con-
ference. The reports OF state super
intendents being all in. more general
Discussion was had.
The GENERAL Discussion.
Professor Wickliffe Rose. of Fennes-
see agent for the Peabody Fund, con-
gratu1sted the South that one-han OF
the total revenues goes to the support
Of education and 50 per cent Is devot-
ed to the public schools. The county
appointments. therefore manage the
largest business authorized by the
state. For the Improvement in the
standard. he suggested that the uni
versity should have q chair OF educa-
tion, fer the training of superintend-
ents. The qualifications Of man seek
ing the position OF superintendent
should be passed upon BY, popular vote.
Beside this, II q popular election Is
to decide. then the ! candidates must
be limited to the ccuntry. whereas IL
the county auaiifed to fiji the ONCE
properly. No Republican. for example.
no matter how well qnaiiacd. would
offer for the place IN Democratic
county. Thus. we see. that there j.
politics In the management Of the
schools; and stheresought to besno poll
ties IN it. The office Ii considered as
perauisste .of the political party hav-i
ing the majority in. the county.
Mr.. Joyner said that great I'M
provement Had been brought about IN
North Carolina. BY having an annual
meeting or county superintendents. and
making attendanee mandatory. The
people read the reports and saw where
there was progress In educetion. ana
that that progress was In. those coun-
ties that had progressive, auauneq SUI
superintendents OF. the same sort More
over, the old, fossils had to. sit In these
meetings like bumps on the dog. WINE
the men who knew were, discussing.
means and smsthods; and they began
to drop out Many of the old fossils
were dropped out by popular action
Their Incompetence was demonstrated
by the report made ct these annual
meetings. Another way was to bring
into high light and emphasizes the im-
portance OF having qualified superin-
tendence. The necessary thing is 70
give COED salary, SO as to attract the
right sort of men
DIR. Powers said that 1t was the ex-
perience in Mississippi that the people
selected better men for superintendent
than the boards had done. Public sent
| iments has Improved in that state ana
there is q demand for better super.
! intendents. This body does not want
| to saw. and Il should not say that the
people are not competent to select
| proper superintendents. He said the
| conference should make the suggestion
| that each state should enact that TWO
years residence Is net necessary for a
man to run for once. One year 10
long enough. A person who has been
brought into county with the we"
Of making him superintendent. VIII re-
| uuire a years residence to familiarize
| himself with the schools. The candi-
dates should not be limited to the state.
| II we are 10 have new ideas we must
reach out and get them wherever they
are to be found.
! Mr.. Otis Ashmore, Superintendent Of
Public Schools of Savannah, Ca, said
that one OF the best ways he had found
Of improving the standard OF education
as wen as Of superintendence, was 20
kvisit the rural school get the parents
ITO attend, and to give them a good
| talk on the value of education. An
, aroused interest in the school Is the
| best influence for attainment Of better
educational methods.
Mr.. Aswell said that; in a parish Of
Louisiana there might be 200 white
and 5000 colored children OF school age.
but the attendance was not in such
proportions. He advised that the school
! fund should be apportioned in such
county not upon the basis Of the NUM-
Der OF chilcren of the school age. but
on that Of attendance. In this way
those seeking an education would be
better provided for.
This remark showed the discussion
drifting away from the question OF su'
perintendence, but Mr.. Aswell. brought
It, back with an Illustration. He said
that the state School Boards, hndine
| the superintendent in certain parish
Incompetent, removed him. There wal
in the parish an Immediate outburst o.
popular indignation. Meetings were
held and the board was impertuned Il
rescind its action. In the meantime. tn.
new superintendent took charge and il
a years time so thoroughly improves
the schools that the same people whit
had protested against his appointment
are his most enthusiastic supporters
good superintendent, said Mr. Asweh
is missionary. II we want to max
speedy tprogfess in education In tn
south. and get a full return for tn
money expended we must have men
the FIRST class. With business ability
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