davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-06
GOOD ROADS TRAIN OF FRISCO COMING Will Make Stops in Alabama
 April IS and 19 HOW WORK Is DONE Experts Are Carried Along Who Make Speeches and Give Demonstra-
 tions at Various Points
 Along the Line

The good roads special train operated by the Frisco lines will reach Birming- ham Thursday April IS and will leave the city the following morning to make stops at important places in the rural sections in order more thoroughly to spread the gospel of good roads that is being sent broadcast by the Frisco lines management
 The special train will consist of bag gage car, two coaches and one private car. Several speakers of wide reputa- tion as road experts will be in the party At many places they have arranged meetings at which speeches will be made and demonstrations carried out.
 The Frisco special will be delivered from the New Orleans, Mobile and Chi cago line at Aberdeen. Miss, April lG and will touch Alabama Thursday, April IS. the first stop in this state being at Carbon Hill, Walker county. The train will arrive at o'clock. Thursday morn- ing and a rousing meeting is being planned for that stop. Speeches will be made and a dinner served. The train will leave Carbon Hill about noon for Jas per, where a meeting will be held at 80 o'clock Thursday afternoon. From Jasper the train comes to Birmingham Not much time has been allotted to Bir- mingham as the management understood that public sentiment is very well mould- ed here for betterment of roads and felt that work in the sparsely settled coun- try would perhaps accomplish more good. The train will leave here Friday and go to SulliEent, where at 9:30 Friday | morning a meeting will be held. From that place the train goes to Amory, Miss.
 The train Is being operated by the management in the hope that such in- formation will be disseminated and such facts succnctly told as will lead the people to arouse themselves to the im- portance of bettering the highway con dtions. of the state and counties. The experts on the train have figures to show how very costly are bad road conditions and these will be used as an argument that it would be a matter of economy for each community to have and keep up fine roadways all over the country.
 The argument will also be touched upon thai the rural sections profit more by having good roads than any other sec ton and that good roads are not for automobile speedways, as Is often assert ed by those who do not favor them
 The Frisco train will likely do a great deal of good by promulgating the good roads doctrine. All the officials of the Frisco are deeply interested in the move ment of the train which was fnspire1 by B. F. Yoakum. chairman of the di- rectors, and one of the most prominent figures in the entire railroad world
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-06
WOODLAWN DUMP ID bE ABANDONED CrematOry to Be Erected on
 City Lot NO SMOKE, NO SMELL Construction to Be Commenced at Once-Dumping Grounds to Be
 Filled In and Made Sani-
 tary and Slightly

As soon as the material can be as- sembled the city will commence the construction of a crematory for the disposal of garbage at Woodlawn. This action was decided yesterday at the meeting of the city commissioners, who acted favorably on the resolution of- fered last Tuesday by MT. Weatherly, proposing the erection of a crematory at Woodlawn.
 The work will be under the direction of City Engineer Fitzpatrick, who de- signed the crematory on the Southside and which is being successfully oper- ated. MT Fitzpatrick has constructed a number of garbage crematories for oth- or cities and all have proven q sue cess A striking feature of the Kill patrick plant is that 1t consumes It's own smoke and that it is odorless and easy of operation.
 MT. Gafford appeared before the city commissioners and strongly recom- mended the construction of the plant. He also stated that he had visited the city stables and that they were in q sanitary condition.
 The site of the proposed crematory Is on a lot purchased for the city by the late Frank P O'Brien during his term as mayor. 1t is surrounded by a high board fence. making the crematory and it's operation secluded.
 MT Weatherly stated that the dump ing grounds now in use would be put in a sanitary and slightly condition, ano filled in with dirt and ashes, and thai the owner would put 1t in shape foi building purposes
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-06
OFFICIALS RETURN
Southern Railway Men Have Been in
 Conference in Cincinnati

L. Sevler, general agent for the Southern railway. and F. T. Steele, freight traffic manager for the Ala bama Great Southern railroad. returned yesterday from Cincinnati, where an important traffic conference was held of traffic representatives, of the Ala bama Great Southern and the western freight representatives of the Southern railway lines and connections.
 IL is understood that several import ant traffic questions were settled be- tween the representatives and that re- newed efforts will be put forth to fa- cllltate traffic operations between the sonth and western connections.
 After the meeting the officials made an inspection of the c,ncinnati South ern railroad with Henry Spencer. as- sistant to the president. and Thomas c. Powell, vice president in charge of op- erations
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-06
TWO DIE IN STREET
 DUEL AT BEAUMONT

Beaumont, Tex. April 5.-fn a street duel here today NJ A Mcknight and W. c. Whitney, business men of Beaumont. killed each other. Both were contractors and builders. The men had quarreed over contracting work Mcknight was about go and Whitney about 40 Both leave widows and families Mcknight shot first. Whitney fell dying, but as he sank to the ground he drew his revolver With his last ounce of strength Whitney raised the weapon and fired once, then sank back. Mcknight dropped dead, shot through near the heart. Whitney expired very soon after this.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-06
Real Estate Transfers

Deeds were placed on record yester- hay in the probate office showing the following transfers of real estate, the consideration being 5000 or more:
 s1250-L E. Cook to J. H. Ryan, lots and 1g in block of E. G. Norton s turvev of Roser's addition to Woodlawn.
 s6250-Mrs Sallie k. Masterson to the B. F. Pool Investment company, the east half of lot 20 in block 57 and one foot off the rear end of lot 19 In block H, according to the present survey Of the city of Birmingham.
 s1250-The ". T. Smiths Sons Timber company to Edgar Smith, w. T. Smith, Jr., and Frank Smith, lot in block 59; according to the survey of the Elyton Land company.
 s1250-Robert Jenkins to G. H. Crotwell lot 5 in block 121 in Bessemer.
 s125o-Lula J. Deloney to Emily s. Wer- Zen, lot in block ID, according to the survey of the Walker Land com pany.
 sl250-Mrs. Mary R. Gresham and hei husband 10 Mrs Annie Wier, an undi- vided one-half interest in and to lots | and in block 166 in Bessemer
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-06
PULLMAN OFFICIALS
 DELAYED IN COMING
Understood They Are Planning Free tion of Building in
 Birmingham

Representatives of the Pullman Car tompany who were expected in Birming- ham April l. were detained and will be In Birmingham about Tuesday accord Ing to reports received yesterday by local real estate men who are interested Ill the coming of the Pullman agents.
 It is said fhe visit of the Pullman rep resentatives is for the purpose of loca- lion tentatively outlined for the plant of the Pullman company which will be greeted in Birmingham
 It is stated that the Pullman company has about arrived at a conclusion to erect a building here and will make final plans about the site as soon as possible.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-06

impossible 10 obtain that standard of cul- tNated citizenship to which Alabama Is
 entitled.
 Summing up briefly, let us renew our
 determination to provide for the children
 of this state the privilege of increasing the county rate of taxation for schools with right afterward to vote small district tax for strictly local purposes, both being based on the retention of the present mill state tax, which requires
 the richer sections to help the poorer.
 Then. without waiting for any change in the constitution the legislature ought to pass reasonable statewide compulsory attendance law to be operative only in
 such counties as may. by vote of the people, declare themselves in favor of putting the law into operation. While
 we fully recognize the duty of the state
 to safeguard the rights of property and to guarantee 10 its citizens life. liberty and
 the pursuit of happiness we are mind
 ful of the fact that a state government s
 chief function is the proper training and education of its people"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-06
An Opportunity

We still have some open and desirable territory in Alabama and Mississippi, and shall be pleased to make a liberal prop osition to the right men.
 Write our Agency Depart ment immediately.
 In the Birmingham District we allow full commission to all recognized insurance agents and brokers.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-06
TOday's Programme For the Alabama Edu-
 catiOnal Association

scho auditorium :. Schoolhouse Envronment pr r. education Washhs'oh L. N  Sledd president university Greensboro, Ala Repor Q committees 
 
  adjournment. mo high school building Meeti of Alabama school Improvement assocalon 
  Awarding of New of officers.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-06
Marriage License

The following marriage license was is- sued yesterday in the probate office:
 Raymond Willis of Birmingham to Miss Matte Miller.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-06

disagreeable facts, and I should much prefer to deal in glttering generalities while indulging my fancy in the bright future of Alabama to say nothing of the glorious history which Alabamians nave already made, but the time has come when we should deal candidly with our selves by looking the conditions square ly in the face and doing mans work to improve them. The statement of these plain facts is no betrayel of any secret because they are published broadcast every year through the reports issued by the national bureau of education at Washington. We may talk and write and spend money in our desire to induce im- migration to come into Alabama from other sections to help us develop our wonderful resources. but the one sure way of attracting desirable immigration is to improve conditions in our public schools so that we shall not suffer in comparison with the other southern states.
 Let it be distinctly understood that no cause for complaint can be lodged against our state government, because our annual appropriation and poll tax add ed to the states provision of mill school tax and also $67,000 each year for building rural schoolhouses make up sum equal to about half the states S total income. Our people have come 10 LOOK upon the state government as the source from which all blessings flow Tor the support of public education. Alabama not only ranks first alphabetically but a reference to the last report of the na- tional commissioner of education shows that Alabama ranks very decidedly first in the percentage of its public school rev. enue obtained through its state treasury as compared with it's school money raised locally SeVenty-six per cent of all the money used in this state TOT the support of the public schools comes from our state treasury while the remaining 24 per cent is paid as county taxes, city appro- Drjations and individual subscriptions and tuition fees. In the dependence upon their state governments for public school reve- mes the percentages among the states run all the way from 76 per cent in Alabama to 2 per cent in Massachusetts. Consider ing together all the states of the union the average received from the state gov eruments as compared with local taxes for the support of public schools is found to he 21 per cent If we put together the II other southern states we ind that only 41 per cent of their public school revenue comes through the state govern ments while 59 per cent is obtained locally from county school taxes and district school taxes with a small amount sub scribed by individual patrons. Remember that Alabama's percentage of public school revenues from the state govern ment is more than three-fourths or the whole amount expended
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-06
Assured of Permanency

These schools came about. not by ac- cident or through any whim, caprice or ambition, or from desire to in augurate any new or unique thing: but they came in way which insures their permanency-as an earnest response to an existing demand--a remedy for q crying need-an answer to the heart cry of men and women who are strug- gling under the burden of illliteracy
 'In Rowan. Ky, a mountain and for mer feud county in Kentucky. famous once but for the raising of rackets and Christmas trees, these schools were given last year their first real test as q rural institution. In that county, as in hundreds of others throughout the southern states, illiteracy held one tenth of the adult population captive. A knowledge of such a condition exist ing in A land and among a people that you love, proclaimed as it was by the census of 1900 and manifested by a 
 CONTINUED ON PAGE Ol
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-06
Average for Various States


 Taking all the states of the union to- gether the average amount expended for each person of school age during that year was S16.56. In like manner, taking the Il other southern states as a whole. the average amount expended that year for each person of school age was $6 01. In Alabama the total amount expended for each person of school age was s. 97. Evidently, therefore, our total contribu- ton to the public schools ought to have been increased 50 per cent if we are to lay any claim to being even on an average with the other southern states in making financial provision for our public schools The only southern state which we had the pleasure of surpassing in this regard was South Carolina. The total expendI- lures in that state for each person of school age was s3. 6S, while ours was s3 97. If we consider only the persons who act ually enrolled in school for that year we find our comparative expenditures not much more encouraging. The average ex- penditure throughout the United States for each person enrolled in the public schools was $22. 93. The average among the II other southern states was SS 79 while the total raised in Alabama for sch person enrolled was. S6.A A. Again, if We examine the expenditures on a basis of average attendance the people of the United States taken as a whole spent S31 .65 for each student. The people of the Il other southern states spent s34i for each pupil who attended school an aver age length of time that year, while the people of Alabama expended 9S0 on the same basis It is interesting to note in this connection that our average length of school term for that year was 116 days, while 1t was 120 days for the southern states and 155 days for the United States taken as whole. Alabamians are will ing to admit that ours is the richest of all the southern states, that our minerals are inexhaustible and priceless in value. that our soil is the most productive, and our climate the most delightful, that our men are the bravest and our women the fairest. that our people are the most progressive, and yet-and yet-the actual facts show beyond peradyenture that our total expenditures for our public schools, including all forms of taxes and all forms of contributions will have to be in- creased about 90 per cent before We be- come an average with the other southern states in supporting the cause of public education.
 Facts Are Disagreeable
 .1t is rather painful to lay bare these
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-06
Not Popular in Certain Sections

Now. ! req lize that compulsory school attendance law would not be pop nlar in certain sections of Alabama. On the other hand. a reasonable law on this subject would be gladly welcomed in nearly half the counties of this state. In 4 public school system like ours the coun- tv is the unit of management and regua- tion Each county board, for instance, makes whatever rules and regulations 1t sees dt employs it's own teachers and fixes their salaries. If a majority of the voters in any county want the benefits of reasonable compulsory attendance law they ought to be allowed to have if. How could the people of one county who want such a law secure it's operation with ont forcing it on the other counties which pass a reasona ble law compelling the at- tendance in school of such children as have no good excuse for being out Let the law provide that it shall be operative in any county only when the people of that county at any regular election, de-
 eide by a majority vote that they want it made operative. If our people are cap able of self government they are capable of settling for themselves question of this kind If the people Of county can not be trusted to pass on a question like this which so vitally concerns them and their children. then government by the people is a delusion and our boasted high standard of citizenship is d roaring farce
 All the states but six-and all of these six are in the south-have long ago put upon their statute books a compulsory attendance law. The governmental rec ords show that only 61 per cent of our children actually enrolled in any school two years ago while the Il other south ern states made an average of enrolling e8 per cent of their children. There is only one thing certain about the at tendance of our children even after they enroll in school, and that Is the certainty that they will no go very long. Under present conditions of indifferent school at tendance on the part Of our children 1t is
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-06

Will Cheerfully ray lax
 'If only half the counties and a few of the school districts desire to avail themselves of the privileges afforded by such an amendment to our constitution the rest of the state ought not to ob- ject The people will cheerfully pay an additional school tax if they know 1t is to be expended judiciously for the educa- ton of their own children and their neigh bors' children. A much keener local in- terest will be aroused in the work of our public schools when each taxpayer can trace a part of his taxes into his own community school and into the other schools in his own county. Besides, there is really no other way to increase the revenues for the public schools The state can't do any more than it is doing In fact it can't do what 1t Is trying to do because there seems no prospect of se- curing any part of the annual extra S250 COG appropriation made by the present legislature conditioned upon the ability of the treasury to pay 1t. II was pointed out by plain facts and figures in the be- ginning of these remarks that the total expenditures for each child of school age
 in Alabama is not quite two-thirds of the amount being expended on each child of school age in the average of the re- maining southern states. l am willing to admit that Alabama children are the brightest of any in the union, and l hon. estly believe that our teachers, in pro- portion to the salaries they receive are decidedly the best in the United States :; but even with these advantages our chil- dren. on two-thirds allotment of school money can hardly hope to compete in the race of life with their cousins in the other southern states who each have $6 an- nually, while Alabama children have less than A to pay for their public school
The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-06
The Remedy

"Tbrough a careful study of school revenue laws and expenditures in all the other states it is my opinion that our state constitution ought to be so changed as to permit the people of any county to vote upon themselves not only l mlll tax as now authorized, but any rate not exceeding 21s or mills. School districts ought to be allowed in like manner to vote upon themselves strictly locai school tax of not exceeding perhaps Z mills whenever and only when, the coun- tv school tax involving such district small be not less than mills This plan, you will observe, recognizes the correct prlh-
 ciple of requiring the strong to assist Tn
 the education of the weak. The state now
 collects a mill school tax on all me property within the state and distrlohtes this money to all counties as a per capita basis of children between the ages oi [ and 21 years. Under no circumstances should this state levy be changed. The richer sections of the state like the great Birmingham district and the larger cities are thus made to assist in the education of all the people. In the same way the richer parts of each county should bear their just proportion in contributing to the poorer sections of the county Tn fact children seem to be most plentitui where land values are the lowest. After the state shall have done it's duty alike for all the children within it's border and after a county shall have done it's duty alike for all the children within its border, then a school district, if it desires to do so by a vote of it's people, ought 10 have the right to levy an additional small district tax for it's own schools.
 What reasonable objection could there be to allowing the voters of any county to say whether they are willing to pay an additional tax for the betterment of their own schools? After the county shall have levied as much as q mill tax for use in all the public schools of the coun- ty, what objection could there be in al- lowing the voters of district to say whether they desire an additional local school tax within their own district? Are our people not capable of self govern ment? Will they tax themselves too heavily? Don't they know what they can afford to pay and what they are willing to pay? Amendments to our constitution can be made only when our legislature submits the amendment to the people for their consideration. Are the members of our legislature afraid to trust the peo- pie who elected them? Our present legis- laturc gave consideration 10 an amend ment embodying essentially these ideas but without any reference to school dis trcts. The measure passed the House unanimously except for two votes against it. The Senate. however. lacked one vote of giving 1t the necessary two-tnirds re- duired It is hoped that the same legisla- ture if it should have to be reassembled. would submit to the people an amendment altered in the form already stated. An amendment authorizing the people to say by their ballot what amount, if any, they would contribute to their own schools as a supplement to the state fund would not be open to the criticism that it was taking any rights from the people because