The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-06
COL. JOHN WRITES ON
SCHOOL SITUATION
Two Things People of State
Should Demand
OF THE LAWMAKERS L
Would Have Compulsory Attendance
Law and Constitutional Amend
ment Allowing Local Taxa
ton for Schools

Wien I read the article, Alabama $
School SYSTEM in Sundays Age-Herald,
| heartily wished that every patriotic
Alabamian would read and profit by it.
The spirit, the argument of that ar
sicle is for a better system of public
schools, affording better facilities TO Ala
bama children TO get the rudiments of an
education, and never have been able to
understand how-any normal person could
object to this or how anyone could hesi-
tate to do all in their power to aid In
this great work.
The principal reason why there are not
more children in school is that we have
no law compelling the parents to send
their children to school, and l hope the
press of Alabama will agitate this ques-
tlon and show the necessity of it till we
get it, and take the young children off
the streets, away from work and COM
pei them TO attend some school.
In concluding your article you wrote:
'The constitution of 1901 was framed by
the rural districts for the rural districts
In particular"
[ kept UP with the proceedings OF the
convention which framed the constitution
of 1901, and have had some experience in
legislating under 1t, and am firmly con-
yinced that it was framed by the corpora
items for the benefit of the corporations.
One of the features of the constitution
that has kept the people from adequately
supporting their schools by taxing them
selves is that provision of the constitution
which requires three-ffths of all the
members elected to each house to vote in
favor of submitting to the people an
amendment to the constitution.
There is strong sentiment of the peo-
pie IN favor of allowing the people of
any county or district the right to vote
for small school tax, and yet a resolu-
ton to submit such an amendment was
defeated in the house in 1907, though 1t
received 81 votes. 1t was defeated for the
want of two more votes, and IL was no.
ticeable that every representative of a.
corporation in the house voted against
submitting this question to the people.
In the session of 1911 1t was again de-
feated in the senate for the want of one
vote This is government by the mi
nority."
The same three-hfths requirement has
prevented the people of several of the
counties from levying the 10 cent" tax
for schools, and in one instance a county
voted twice in favor of this tax by a re-
spectacle majority, but it failed to re-
eeive three-fifths of the votes cast so
that the people of that county cannot
tax themselves to educate their own chill
dren but have to depend on the fund pro-
yioed in the constitution, supplemented
by appropriations by the legislature from
the general fund.
These supplementary appropriations are
about as large now as they can be made
and leave enough to conduct the state
government.
In considering this question 1t should al
ways be remembered that the convention
of 1901 fixed the maximum limit of taxa
tion at s5 cents on the 500 of taxable
property, whereas under the constitution
OF 1875 it had been rs cents.
Your pen wrote: THE truth is, state and
county taxes are apportioned by the
county boards of revenue to suit them
sci, ,es.'' when you meant county boards
of education.
Under the provision which you quote,
TO provide. as nearly as practicable,
school terms of equal Duration" a re-
suit has been worked out, giving the
white children of the black counties far
more of school money than the white
children of white counties, notwthstand-
ing the fact that the black counties have
M x,ntad ia ba
tax. and most of the white counties are
collecting that tax, which is added to the
money received from the state.
The figures from which the Russell Sage
foundation compiled its statistics and
reached its conclusions are incomplete,
and misleading, and do not show large
sums of money appropriated to the sup
pert of the public schools in different To-
calities either by reason of local laws,
or voluntary contributions.
The present superintendent of educa-
tion, appreciatng the injustice done the
people of Alabama, by comparison with
other states in which every dollar spent
for education was reported, very earnestly
anS diligently sought to secure passage
of law which would require due returns
to be made to him of all money used in
L
educational institutions, including the ele-
mentary schools.
Two senators, who were also trustees
OF the university, prevented the passage
of this bill, and when 1t was amended
by striking out the university, one of
them still opposed it, and finally defeat
ell 1t. il5.s..-sss..,.,s.
TiGse are some of the difficulties in the
way of improving our school system, and
the press of Alabama could render no
better service to tile people than by a fair
discussion of these difficulties till the peo-
pie are aroused TO the Importance of re-
moving them and advancing the great
cause of education.
One of these obstacles can be removed
by the enactment of statute compelling
parents to send their children to a school,
when one is open near the child, and it
is eligible to attend. The other-local
taxation for the support of public schools