The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-24
GUNNELLS SPEAKS
AT UNIVERSITY
Address Before Students of
Summer School
BACK TO THE FARM"
Speaker says Teachers should Adopt
This Slogan and Preserve the
Stnte's Grentesr Asset, the
Boys, and Girls

| Superintendent of Education Gunnells de-
livered an address before the University
OF Alabama summer school for teachers
today that afforded a comprehensive re-
view of educational conditions in Ala
bama. He declared that the teachers
should adopt the back to the farm
slogan and preserve unimpaired the states
greatest asset, the boys and girls.
Superintendent Gunnells stated that It
was the last time he would address the
teachers of Alabama officially, and he
wanted to present some figures showing
conditions during the past year.
He said in part:
THE teaching force in Alabama shows
ali increase among the white male teach
ers of per cent and of white female
teachers an increase of III per. cent.
The number of negro teachers has been
Increased during the year per cent
among the males and per cent among
the females. -
1T may be observed that Alabama
keeps employed in this working force
educating her white children more than
1000 men and about 1000 women. The
negro teachers number a little more
than 200, about 1400 of them being
women.
Teachers Well Equipped
THE most gratifying feature with ref
e1ence to the teachers themselves is the
evidences of earnest effort on their part
to equip themselves for more efficient
service. The number of white teachers
holding first grade and life grade GER
tif1cates shows an increase over last year
of 10 per cent. The number OF white
teachers holding second grade certificates
shows an increase over last year of %
per cent whereas the number of white
teachers holding third grade certificates
has been reduced . per cent from last
year The net increase in the sum total
of white teachers is per cent over
last year. The negro teachers appear to
be improving along similar lines. The
number of negro teachers holding first
grade and life grade certificates was tn
creased II per cent over last year. Tho
number of second grade teachers was in
creased 30 per cent and the number OF
third grade teachers was reduced per
cent.
THE average length of the term of the
public schools for the whites during the
year was 12s days, as compared with LIB
days last year. The average length o.
term of the public schools for the ne
groes was 90 days. as compared with
s5 days for last year. !.
Salaries Paid Teachers
The average salaries paid white teach
ers was $60.6 for the men and 345. 65 for
the women, these figures being an In
crease over last year from $57.0S and
s4s. IS, respectively. The average salaries
paid colored teachers were Is for the
men and s24 for the women, compared
with s2s q for the men during last year
and s23 81 for the women.
ut is interesting 10 note that the in
creased efficiency of the public schools
reduces each year the apparent neces-
sity for private SCHOOLS. The number of
private schools for white children dur
ing the year was reduced 80 per cent,
while the number of private schools for
negro children was reduced "a per cent.
Tuition and incidentals paid by the
patrons of the public schools during the
year show a decrease amounting to
per cent among the whites and Is per
cent among the colored, indicating an
increased dependence upon the state on
the part of the public In proportion as
the state increases it's expenditures for
the public schools. The items of tuition
and inoidentals paid by the patrons OF
the white schools amounted to $685.
'o37 while the negroes paid $27.1n.
Increase in Values
Special attention is called to the fact
that the value of the public school houses
in Alabama was Increased during the
year by the amount <of $21a,448 for the
white schools, while the negro school
houses were increased in value by the
amount of 81 ,e25 The valuations of the
school houses In which the common pub
lie schools are taught is $4,217.0o0 for
the white schools, 1880 for the negroes.
Thus it will be seen tina. the values Of
the public school houses for white chill
dren increased during the year $1,000 for
each day not counting Sundays, while
the increased values of the negro schools
went forward at rate of one-third that
amount. During last year two hundred
and twenty-nine school houses for the
whites were decided to the state, re-
ceiving state aid either In building new
houses or in improving old ones. The
number of school houses, all told, for
the whites shows decrease Of Is per
cent, indicating that the commendable
work Of consolidating the schools has
made decided progress during last year.
The total number of schools for negroes
was increased per cent. The num-
Der of houses used for school purposes,
though not school houses SLOWED de-
crease of As per cent among whites
and a decrease OF 10 per cent among
the negroes. el
1.-The most remark able increase Of all
the items is shown In the rcentages
of increased values of seats, desks and
other school supplies. This increase In
values among the white schools was 81
per cent, while the colored schools show
ed an improvement equally commend
able.
Appropriation Increased
THE state appropriation-the general
fund--was increased 1856. 900 over last year,
the sum total for the year being about
one and three-quarter million dollars. In
the poll tax for last year there was
an increase of $143670 over the previous
year. The income to the schools from the
tax levied by the counties which have
voted the one mill tax was increased
SCI, 500.
Combining these several sources OF
income 1t will be seen that the teach