The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-28

day to superintend the building OF the
government roads in Lauderdale county.
the south will regain her former material
supremacy and rival the most prosperous
states of the union in wealth, in indus
trial and educational development.
The state of Alabama today pays more
from her state treasury for the support
OF elementary and high schools than any
other state In the Union. 1t has been es-
timated that we expend over 20 per cent,
whereas the states that have made most
advancement and progress In elementary
education contribute not over or 10 per
cent for this purpose. Yet, while Leading
all the states In the union In the amount
of state appropriations for the common
schools. the percentage of revenue derived
from local taxation Is less in Alabama
than any of the states of the union with
the exception of Louisiana and Mississip-
ui The necessary result of this policy is
that appropria tions now made for the
maintenance of our elementary and high
schools constitute such a severe drail
upon our state treasury as to make 1t i'm
possible to provide adequate equipment
for our normal schools and higher insttu-
ttons of learning 1t is only in those
states where local taxation is relied upon
as the chief source of revenue for elemen-
tary and high schools do we find the high
est educational development and progress.
The remedy then is to amend the consu-
tuition so as to authorize local taxation
for the support of our elementary schools
and relieve the state treasury Of the enor-
nous drain upon It's resources, which our
present system entails.
"The people of Alabama, under the sys
tenn which now exists. are denied the
privilege of contributing locally to the
support of elementary schools. Such a
system tends to prevent local effort and
lessen local interest, and Is contrary to
the principles of local self government
on which our constitutions are based. Lo-
cal taxation will give more adequate
equipment, better schools and better
teachers will stimulate local pride, will
create that feeling Of self reliance, inde-
pendence and cooperation that constant
end vigilant interest, without which the
highest educational development of the
state is impossible.
''It will secure larger attendance In our
elementary schools and enable every man
| to give his children the advantage of a
| high school education at home, without
the expense of sending them away to a
boarding school, or denying them the in
| fiuence of home life and environment.
The present inhibition of our constitution
against local district taxes for schools de-
creases effort and makes 1t practically
| impossible for a community, Dy its own
effort, to raise its school above the min
fmum requirements. 1t has been truly
said that every elementary school to be
| successful must spring from the life OF
| the community which it serves. Remove
| tho constitutional barrier that now checks
the progress of our elementary and high
! schools, and the growing interest In the
| cause of education will increase in intens-
ty until Alabama takes her proper rank
| alongside the most advanced states of the
| union. With the proper system of local
taxation. the $600.000 or s700,0O0 which the
state now voluntarily appropriates. in ad-
dition to the mill tax levied by the con-
stitution, could be used to advance tha
interests of our higher institutions of
\ learning.
| Should Reorganize System
| 1--WE can make no proper progress In
| Alabama until our entire educational
system is reorganized. both In the interest
of efficiency and economy. All of our ed
ucational institutions should, as far as
possible. be brought together into one ed
| ucatIonal system and organized so as to
prevent duplication Of effort. of plant and
of energy. We should divorce our COM
mon schools and higher institutions Of
| learning from the baneful influence Of pol
itics, and by securing legislation to make
the appropriation for cur higher institu-
tions unifcrm and permanent, we could
prevent the lobbying, log rolling and po-
ltjcal activity which, under the present
system, Is now required Of every official
of every higher Institution Of learning In
| the state We can make no real or last
| ing educational progress and development
| In Alabama until we recognize the funda-
mental fact conolusively shown by the
experience of those states where elcmen-
| tary education has been most advanced,
/ bon E.
| tenn of relying upon the state legislature
and the state treasury for the mainten-
ence ard support of our common schools.
Until we adopt q system OF local taxation,
the state will be liable to make such ap-
propriations to the university as It's
wealth and increasing populatlon 50 I'M
peratively demands.
"T would have a university for Ala
hama instead of a university of Ala
bama I believe we can proht by the
experience of some of the progressive
states of the west, which by system
known as university extension work
bring the state university into closer
contact with the masses OF the people,
The system of university extension
work. now so successfully practiced by
tha University of Wisconsin and other
leading universities in many OF the
states would not only bring the uni
| yersities into closer contact with the
/ paOple. but WOuiu coHhpioeCiy aHsWcI
The unfounded charge that the univer-
sitv extends its benefits and favors only
~ the privileged few. 1t would give
| all classes of our people the inestimable
| hanadts To be derived from the lectures,
| advice and counsel of a large body Of
| trained educators and specialists In
everv branch of human knowledge, in
dustrv science and art But the pur-
nnsa of tho university Is not only to
| nnar to the youth of the state oppor-
,untttes for higher education. but TO
maintain. at the expense of the state. a
hodv of men who VIII devote all their
| lime 10 study, research and investiga-
lion In every branch of human learn
| inr In the great universities OF Ger
manv some of the professors attract no
students TO their lectures Subjects
taught NAV not appeal to the average
student. vet these professors are main
taiped and supported because their la
hoys studies and Investigations, the
sum Of knowledge on the particular
.uhtect that they have specialized. is
increa sed and they compile and store
IN for future use the results of their
studies and research.
"There was time when education
Was considered necessary. only for the
nrAna aration of the privileged few for
i.adership. Under former civilization.
where the aristocratic idea prevailed.
the masses were left In ignorance and