The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-30
Believed Will Be One of the
Principal Questions if
Session Is Called
STATE GIVEN LOW
RANK IN REPORT
O'Neal in Statement Calls Attention
to Changes Which Should Be Made
in Constitution-Local Taxa
tion Confronting People

Montgomery. January 29.-(Special)-
Should Governor O'Neal call an extra
session of the Legislature there Is moth
ing more certain than that local tax
alton for the support of public schools
will be one of the principal questions
which he will ask to be considered. 1t
is also certain that he will use his great
est efforts to secure favorable legisla-
ton upon that subject; that provision
may be made whereby the constitution
can be amended SO as to allow the peo-
pie of the state to tax themselves for
educational purposes
Governor O'Neal has always been
strong advocate of local taxation, but
he declares that the urgent need for
such taxation did not make itself so
apparent in his judgment until he had
read the report of the Russell Sage foun-
dation, in which Alabama is given the
lowest rank in all the states of the union
in the general classification of educational
systems.
Having made a thorough study Of
the Russell Sage report, the governor
has reached the conclusion that local
taxation is the only remedy for the coil
dition that confronts the people of the
state
mo successful system of common school
education has ever yet been obtained
through reliance solely on state taxa
tion," declares Governor ONeal, In a
statement he gave out today In reference
TO the Sage publication. This conclusion
was reached, according to the governor.
after a careful comparison Of the educa-
tional systems which obtain in other
states. The report shows that although
the perc~stage of state taxation is higher
in Alabama than in any other state In
the union. being 649 per cent In 1910, the
percentage of local taxation Is lowest.
In his statement Governor O'Nea points
out numerous defects in the states educa-
tional system, calls attention to changes
which should be made in the constitution.
particularly that feature which allows the
distribution of school funds upon the
basis of the number Of children of school
ege According TO the governor this coll
stitutional mandate might not be SO OBJ
jectionable If compulsory education ex
sted. but under it's present operation q
premium Is put upon the teacher TO dis
courage school attendance, .the smaller
the attendance in the county the greater
the amount of money to be paid for the
salaries of teachers
Governors Interview
The following is Governor O'Neal's
statement regarding educational cohdi-
tions In the state:
"The recent publication by the Russell
Sage foundation on the public school sys-
TENS of the United States conclusively
shows that no successful system of pub
lie schools can be maintained by state
10 40 IN of n
ton for public schools is higher in Ala
bama than any state in the union, being
69.4 per cent III 1910, and yet in the ap-
proXimate rank of each of the As states,
in 10 specified educational features. Ala
bama stands at the foot of the list. The
table published on page five of this pub
lcation shows that those states that rank
highest in the efficiency of their public
schools are those states that rely on local
taxation. No successful system of COM
mon school education has ever yet been
maintained through reliance solely on
state taxation. Massachusetts which
ranks second In the list contributed 96S
per cent of her revenue for the public
schools from local taxes; New York,
which stands third among the states, coll
ects 81 per cent and only per cent from
state taxes. Alabama contributes less
through local taxes to the maintenance
of her public schools than any state in
the union; ranking the lowest, contribute
ing only "a per cent; Georgia next, con-
tributing 296 per cent, whereas, most of
the other states contribute from 60 to 96
per cent. When the constitution of 1901
was adopted, it provided that 80 cents out
of every 81 cents of taxation should be
devoted to the common schools. 1t was
then claimed that this would give Ala
hama sufficient revenue to maintain a
splendid system of common schools and
would relieve the necessity of application
to the legislature at each recurring ses-
sion for additional appropriations for that
purpose. As a member of the constitu-
tional convention. 1 opposed the provision,
because experience had shown that wher-
ever the common schools relied entirely
upon the state treasury for their support,
they had failed to encourage that locaI
pride and initiative which is essential to
any successful system of common
schools. If the success of the common
schools could be secured by liberal appro-
priations, through state taxation, Ala
bama should lead all of her sister states.
In 1910 she contributed out of her revenues
over 50 per cent of the total appropriations
for the public schools, and this amount
has been increased by subsequent appro-
priations. Yet, Notwithstanding this lib
eiality on the part of the state, according
to the report of the Russell Sage founda-
ton, Alabama has made less progress
than any other state in the union. Nor
have the confident predictions of those
who urged the enactment of the constitu-
tional provision devoting three mills ont
of the six and one-half mills of taxation
to public schools been verified. The
clamor at each recurring session of the
legislature for appropriations for the
maintenance of our common schools has
only been intensified and the people have
been taught to believe that the only
method by which illiteracy could be BAN
ished, and Alabama secure her proper
rank among her sister states In the mat
ter of education was by large appropria-
tions from the state government. These
well established facts so clearly demon
strated by this report lead to bat one
conclusion. the policy which We have
heretofore pursued has been fully tested
and found sufficient The only remedy
for the condition that confronts us is
local taxation. To secure this remedy,
an amendment of the constitution is nec-
essary. At its last session, l urged in
language as positive as l could COM
mand the Imperative duty of the legisla-
ture to give the people of Alabama the
option by a system of county and school
district local taxation. the right or op-
ton to improve by local efforts their ed
ucational condition. The proposed amend
ment to the constitution was defeated
by one vote in the senate. fully concur