The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-09
Nearly 1900 Crowded In High School Auditorium for
 Opening Session
HODGES MAKES APPEAL
 FDR HIGHER CLASS WORK
Sam Will John Delivers the Address of Welcome and Superintendent Mur-
 phy of Mobile Schools Re- ! spends FeIicitously.

With nearly 1900 delegates crowding the aisles and filling the seats at the High school auditorium, the twenty-eighth annual session of the Alabama Educa- tional association was called to order yes terday afternoon at 3 o'clock.
 As announced by Secretary Griggs, the attendance was far greater than ever be- fore in the history of the association. The feature of the afternoons session was the able and eloquent address of President P. w. Hodges of Greenville. It was an appeal for a continuance of the battle against ignorance. He advocated health education, biscuit perfect and whole some not impure and murderous,' and he declared that written across the wan faces of the multitude is ''the tragedy of the kitchen"
 He urged the teachers to a crusade against puerile vices, to be ever vigilant in the prevention of the white plague. His discussion of taxation and its neces- sity was minute as we'll as interesting.
 Mir. Hodges minced no words in con demning the elimination of the Bible from the schools and spoke with vigor for better moral education. The two sub jects which will receive the indorsement and backing of the association, compul- sorry education and qualified county su- pervison, were handled with gloves off, and when the speaker had concluded many insisted that it was the greatest address every made by president of the association. It is reproduced in full in another part of todays Age-Her- aid.
 The meeting was called to order by Dr. J. H. Phillips, and Dr. A. P. Montague led in prayer. Col. Will Sam John then delivered the welcome address for the Birmingham Board of Education.
 Colonel John used only a few words for his welcome, and confined the rest of his hours speech to discussion of the duties of teachers.
 He began by a discussion of the ap- propriation of $1,8OO,OO for education by the last legislature, and insisted that 1t is not patriotic for any teacher in Ala bama to divert pupil into schools of an- ther state. He explained the constitution al provision that 30 out of every 65 cents levied by the state must go toward edu- cation, and sad that Jefferson county gives S100,000 which does not come Ddch, but is used by the weaker counties.
 He advised the teachers to fight for the 10 cents tax in their counties and urged them to see to 1t that the boards of revenue are given the power to help the public schools. His condemnation of lack of originality and too much effeminacy among teachers was vigorous, and he urged them to cast aside unwholesome books, to teach the children to sing, and to keep the Bible in the schools.
 Superintendent $. s. Murphy of the schools of Mobile responded in a gracious manner and thanked Birmingham for her hospitality. He spoke entirely to his subject, promising that the teachers would proclaim the greatness of Bir- mingham and hoped that their stay would be as pleasant to Birmingham people. as your welcome has been unstinted to us.'
 Mr. Murphy paid a high tribute to the teacher, as the greatest power for good next to the preacher; gathered here, not for money, for pleasure or for honor, but standing for the perpetuation of our pros- perity and civilization"
 After announcements Superintendent Phillips introduced President Hodges and gave him a gavel from the High school manual training department. President Hodges then delivered his annual address