The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-07-28

| (Exclusive Service The Survey Iress BureauD
 l When, anyone speaks of Mir. Rocke-
 fellers gifts to education. most people
 think of his donations to colleges and
 universities. Yet MT. Rockefeller is
 benefitting thousands of school chil-
 dren through the "Hookworm Commis- sion" Besides receiving treatments
 and medicines all children are taught
 through the schools how to help in the
 sanitary crusade. The only way for a philanthropist to fight the hook worm was through the health boards and l public schools.
 Private giving which does not enlist schools cannot reach all the children. Benefits that public spirited people
 would like to give to children are post poned because though school superin- tendents see that definite things are wanted In their own schools, they know that taxes are now so high that added millaee will make a burden hard to be borne"
 Are schools 10 remain unprogressivs and inadequate for lack of improve ments, successfully tried in other cit ies, on the ground that there is danger of lessening the taxpayers responsi- bility If private gifts are received by schools?
 , There are one or two communities where so much has been done for for | schools by rich estate-holders that townspeople will not supply even run
 ming expenses. This reflects on the eff 1 nciency and methods of the givers and
 mot on the desirability of outside ln terest in schools. Few superintendents have suggested that there are infinite
 numbers of ways in which outside giv- Ing can convince the citizens that cer-
 tain changes and additions to the school
 system must have public support.
 ..-sll ,1rx 1yf. .tr,t ttx
 of beneftting "all children under 6 | years of age lies in the public schools | She asked the Bureau of Municipal Re- | search how s18,000 or S20,000 a year
 could be bequeathed to do the most 1 good in her city. or to benefit the
 schools of the country. The bureau put ] these questions to the men and women who know the. answers--the superin- 1 tendents of city school systems. l From 142 cities the replies told of | school needs to meet which would re-
 quire lump sums of over $3,000,000 and | yearly maintenance equal to. the income 1 on S7,5O0.000. This tremendous sum is built up from many small needs-$5.000 ] for playgrounds. $2o0 for playground apparatus s100 for musical entertain :
 ments, s1.00O a year for special care of sub normal children. S50.000 to build
 and equip ten kindergartens, $500 d
 year for relief or scholarships for needy pupils, money for open air schools, gymnasiums, etc.
 Superntendents in cities of all sizes have listed the most vital needs of their l schools, most of them so fundamental i that taxpayers must--so superfnten-
 dents say-eventually support them.
 Superintendents believe that no private 1 giving. either large bequests or small
 donations. should be spent on tradition
 al maintenance. but they do feel that only through private outside interest will they be able to demonstrate ef- ! fectively to the taxpayers the need for Improved school conditions. new equip
 ment. new buildings. progressive meth ! ods. etc
 1 Critics urge against this. proposition | that taxpayers meet the needs of the | schols just so far as they understand them. Let superintendents awaken their communities and have the needs
 met by taxation The suggestion Is