The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-08-19

and from the state superintendent of ed- ucation about the extraordinary expendi- lures in Alabama during the last year or two for new buildings. With great pride 1t has been stated that the state has been spending an average of s1000 a day ex- cluding Sundays, or total of s3500O0 per annum for new school houses and repairs on old. That may be better than has been done before; I suppose 1t is, but the state of Minnesota built during the year 1908, 245 school houses, valued at Sb547,S63 While Alabama was spending 5000 day for school houses Minnesota was spending $4500 for the same purpose Here Is sum for an Alabama school boy: If Alabama provides for 113 days schooling and spends 5000 day for school houses, while Minnesota provides for 145 days schooling. with free text books. and spends s4500 for school houses, how long will it take the Alabama boy to catch up with the Minnesota boy?
 So far as I can learn from the Alabama reports, there is no provision for free text books in that state, but I shall not bur den this article with statistics on this phase of he question. Any experienced educator knows that this is vital ques- ton in elementary education, particularly among a people so poor and backward as the people of Alabama. But the lack of public libraries Is another serious hin- drance to education in Alabama. In his latest report the state superintendent of education states that here are 349 li- braries in the public schools of Alabama, valued at s5O13O Minnesota has 5S47 li- braries, valued at s617,S6S. But the lack of adequate and commodious housing for the schools in Alabama is well illustrated in the following comparative statistics
 Estimated value of all public school property
 so ooo ono -,o oo, Minnesota .............. 19,43S,S62 2S,297 420 Nebraska .............. 10,2s1,55S 13,951 6s9
 The value of school houses in Alabama
 is hardly one-sixth the value of the school houses in Minnesota; the true val uation of all real and personal property
 in Alabama is more than one-fourth the value of all property in Minnesota. The value of school houses In Alabama is a little less than one-third the value of school houses in Nebraska the true value of all real and personal property in Ala bama is a little less than one-half the value in Nebraska. What blessing 1t would be to the children of Alabama, and to future generations, if those who make and administer the laws would do as well for them as has been done for the chil- dren of Nebraska. And, with it's wonder ful resources the growth and development of that state would be marvellous.
 In closing this review of the public school system in Alabama, it would be unjust not to acknowledge the efficient work that has been done in a few schools of the larger towns and cities. And no one with any knowledge of educational matters in the south can be ignorant of the great work that has been done in Birmingham. The present opportunities in Birmingham may not be equal to the demands of it's rapid growth, but the pub lio school system of that city has been an incentive to the struggling schools of Alabama. and there are few men of our own times to whom the people are more indebted than Dr. Phillips. He has been the pioneer and the pathfinder of the common school system. of Alabama.
 w. H. SKAGGS. Chicago, August IS, 1910