The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-26

the fiscal year ending September 50. 1918. from the state treasury during by admin stration, Sl72.l7i.77, and this does not em- brace slo4oe.Sl expended for the opera tion of that department.
 Local Taxation for Public Schools
 Every friend of education in Alabama knows that the most pressing, the most vital need of our common. schools is the passage of constitutional amendment by which a system of county and local dis trict school taxation can be established.
 In every state where the common schools have made the greatest prog ress a system of local taxation exists.
 Alabama pays more from it's general treasury for the support of its common schools than any state in the union. There can be no permanent progress or deve- opment of our common school system as long as we. reply solely upon the state treasury for it's support and fail to estab- fish a proper system of local taxation.
 Boosting of the large sums he eN- pended for education, when, during the whole course of his administration, did MT. Conner ever advocate local taxa uon for the support of our common schools. Not single reform of our educational system has he ever ad- vooated
 our entire educational system should be advised in the interest of greater efficiency and economy. If Mr. Conner has ever advocated any policy seeking to accomplish these reforms which are so necessary to place Ala hama alongside with the progressive states of the union on the sub lect of education they have escaped public at tentlon.
 With the control that MT. Conner was known to have exercised over his rubb stamp legislature if ne had been the friend he claims to be of the com mon schools he could easily have se- cured the passage of a constitutional amendment proVi iding for q system of school and district local taxation. His messages were silent on the subject.
 Convict Department
 Notwithstanding tho Lacy allley dedication the receipts. of the convict department during the present admin istration have been the largest in it's history.
 .rhe receipts of the convict depart ment during the Conner administration for the fiscal years 1908, 909 and l9l0 were s0,5s3.20; and for the three years of the present administration, 1911. 1912 and 1918, the total receipts are $S,475, ,20s.61, showing an excess Of receipts during the present administra- ton over the former administration of F"cttbias2A.
 Collection of States Revenue
 During the years 1911. 1912 and 913 of the present administration there has been collected s256,3a3.S0 delinquent licenses.
 "Over s100.000 has been collected from foreign corporations who failed to comply with the provisions of our law. penalties which were practically ignored during the Conner administra- ton
 The increase in the revenues of the state has been generalsy due to the col lection of escaped licenses and to the application of business methods in the collection of states taxes
 "A comparison of the two administra- tions shows that the appropriations for education, for pensions and for high ways have been greater than at any for mer period in the states history
 'rhe plain recital of the record con clusvely show that the deficit which inherited was largely created by lack of business methods. the creation of un- necessary offices the waste and extrav- agance of the Conner administration.
 'rhe turmoil, political and business ag- tation and unrest which characterized the four years of his term checked invest