The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-25

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 and population. The people of those 1 counties and in fact of all the counties
 in the state, many of them, will become i the adopted sons of the imperial city. I It is only therefore caring for it's own
 when it shares its great wealth with the
 poor communities which cannot under present conditions properly provide for l the education of their own children. 1 "The same conditions apply to that territory around Montgomery and to that territory around Mobile.
 NO, the people Of Alabama will not
 change that section in the present consti- l tution, which collects 30 cents on each l $100 worth of property for the public 1 schools and distributes that money thus 1 collected among the rich and the poor l alike as the basis of an educational fund for the promotion of the public schools. 1 That three mill school tax now fixed in
 the constitution provide about $i.5l00J0
 annually as basis of support for all our public schools. A change which ought l to be made in the constitution should be | that of allowing any county by vote l of its people to supplement the state fund 1 by a county school tax of mills or nny part thereof as the people of the county might determine by their vote; and Also change in the constitution should carry the privilege to each school district through a vote of it's people to supple
 ment the two funds thus provided by levying a district tax for the local school or schools.
 Every citizen Of Alabama perhaps will readily admit that our public schools,
 though wonderfully improved in the last 10 or 10 years. are not yet as good as they ought to be nor are the terms in she rural schools as long as they should
 be. Likewise, most any citizen will admit that more money Is necessary for the r,,1b lfn heightened and the schools themselves improved
 "The only difference of opinion then among people would be the method of obtaining additional money. Whatever is raised the people have to pay, and dollar of taxation is just as burden some if it remained in the county treas- ury or if it stopped in the treasury of the school district. The paramount question to determine is the right basis of distribution after the money is coi- lected, admitting that our public schools must be supported. If the rich commu- mites are not to assist the poorer com munites then why not go further in this theory and say that each man must educate his own children or let them go uneducated?
 "The ideal basis and plan for sup porting public education is to have pro- visions which require the state first 10 do it's part for all it's people, then have each county to do it's equitable part in providing a county school fund. and
 let these be supplemented by each dis trict doing also it's part-each as 1t is able and as the necessity requires. Beyond the three mill school tax pro- vided in the constitution is provision allowing the legislature to make direct appropriation which now amounts to Ss50,OO0 annually for the support of the public schools. The wisdom or the un
 wisdom of maintaining that additional appropriation would be a question for debate after the counties and districts were allowed by change in the consti- tuition to contribute by their own tax I levies in the counties and in the dis tricts to supplement the three mill state school tax which must in all circum- | stances be maintained.