The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-24
Georgia Supreme Court Rem
derS Decision In Case
SYhlANS CLAIM El5HTS
Wealthy Syrians of Atlanta Will Con-
tribute Money to Aid In Legal
Fight to Prove That They
Are Caucasians.

Atlanta, November 23.-(Special)-
| The supreme court in q decision just
rendered has emphatically laid down
! the principal that no fee of any kind
can be charged pupils in the common
schools of the state.
The question was raised in case
which came from Montgomery county,
where IA children were excluded from
the Mount Vernon and Alley sch DOL dis
tricts because their parents declined TO
pay matriculation fee of $3.50
charged in the schools in those dis
tricts.
Shannon and others parents of the
| children in question, brought mandamus
proceedings against the school boards
| to compel them to admit the children
without charge. The plaintiffs were
sustained by Judge Martin, who pre-
sided, and the supreme court emphati-
cally upholds his decision. asserting
that no fee of any kind can be charged
in the common schools.
Some SEQ Atlanta Syrians have formed
a league, raised a fund and employed
counsel for the purpose of resisting
efforts now on foot in many parts OF
the country, to prevent their becoming
citizens on the ground that they are
not Caucasians.
An Atlanta Syrian named Najour
merchant who married here and has
accumulated considerable property, is
the only one of the number whose
case is actually before the court, and
the district attorney has received in
structions from Washington to resist
his naturalization If the United
States court here should deny his right
to citizenship. it is already settled that
the case will be appealed to the su-
preme court of the United States.
The Syrians of Atlanta own prop
erty to the extent of 100000. They
maintain positively that they are of
Caucasian blood and hold there is no
reason why they should be denied
naturalization.
1t will be up to the governor to APP
point with in the next few days new
board of trustees for the state sani-
tarium.
Surprising to state. although the posi-
ton is thankless one and one of
hard work at best, many prominent
men all over Georgia are anxious TO
become members of the board.
The position pays $3.50 year and
railroad fare, but no other expenses,
and the board has to meet at least half
a dozen times year, in Milledgevilre,
to look after the business affairs and
management of the institution.
Not only that, but every time the
question of appropriations comes be-
fore the legislature, the trustees catch
it from certain members who think
they are spending too much money and
when any charges are made against
the institution the members of the
board come In for their burden of the
criticism, whether justified or not.
Despite these facts 1t Is said that
about so applications are on file for
the 10 places on the board. among them
being the names of some of Georgia's
most prominent citizens II
Under the law the governor must re-
tain at least one member of the old
board-he may retain two and perhaps
three of them-and that leaves him
only nine new appointments to make
at most.
The terms of tho members of the
present board expire early in Decem-
Der.
The state supreme court will begin
hearing argument upon the cases on
the second call of the October term
docket on Monday, December 6, and
will keep steadily at it until the call
is concluded.
This call includes the Middle, Au-
gusta, Eastern, Atlantic, Macon. North
ern, Western, Northeastern. Blue Ridge
and Cherokee judicial circuits, in the
order named. There are lis cases on
these dockets, nearly as many as on
the first call, when toward the close
the court held two sessions day.
Whether the same programme will be
adopted on the second call, that Is two
sessions a day, will depend upon the
rapidity with which the court prog
resses the first week or 10 days.
The court will have to conclude the
second call by the end of December
as the third and last call is sch eduled
to begin the second Monday in Janu-
airy, and this includes the Rome. Tai
lapoosa, Coweta, Flint, Ocmulgee and
Chattahoochee circuits.
The state court of appeals will take
up argument again on Monday. Novem-
Der 30 and continue through the week.