The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-27
AC|PCO STRONG FOR
 EXTRA SCHOOL TAX
Need of School Facilities Pointed Out at Meeting
 Held Last Night

One of the most largely attended and enthusiastic meetings of the s-mill school tax campaign was held at Acipco last night. The hall was crowded and the speakers were applauded in the most vigorous fashion.
 The speakers were S. J. Bowie and pr. w. G. Harrison, both of whom presented the educational needs of the city and county in an eloquent and impressive manner And their audience was sym pathetic, because no school facilities ex- ist at Acipco and the people feel the need. In all the wide territory stretch ing between Thomas and North Bir- mingham with its many industrial plants and it's hundreds of children, there is no school building whatever, and this is one of the serious needs of Birmingham that will be met when the 3-mill tax is voted
 MT. Bowie described the overcrowded condition of schools in Birmingham and throughout the county, and showed the imperative necessity of providing addi- tendance law becomes operative next fall, bringing about 10000 additional children into the schools.
 SHORT SCHOOL TERM
 He showed how the school term had been gradually shortened in the rural districts as the children mastiplied. and the school funds failed to increase cor respondingly, and he said that the term would have to be cut to five and one- half months unless relief came in the election of next Tuesday.
 Dr. Harrison spoke of the relation of education to progress along every line, and urged his hearers to do their best to give the children of Jefferson county the advantages that they must have if their oportunpities are not to be circum- scr1bed. He showed that money invested in education is put where it brings the largest returns.
 The campaign for the 3-mill school tax Will close with rally at the Cunning ham school in East Birmingham Mon day night, when S. J. Bowie and others will speak.
 EXTRA. FUNDS NECESSARY J. R. Hornady, chairman of the com- mittee of a thousand which is waging the campaign for the 8-mill tax, said last night: The supreme importance of pro- yiding additional funds for school pur- poses has been urged in every part of the county, and we are confident of the result; confident because of our faith in the vision of our people and in their willingness to do for their own what wisdom and good conscience dictates
 However, we are not without opposi- tion," continued MT Hornady, "and no friend of educational progress should be led into false feeling of security. The opposition Is at work quietly but per- sistently, and some very novel sugges- tions are being made to confuse the voters and create apprehension For instance, report is now being circulated to the effect that if the cleo tion carries next Tuesday, both the city and the county can proceed forthwith to levy school tax of mills, making 6 mills in all.
 This wild rumor is too ridiculous to re- ceive serious consideration, but it may deceive few, and 1t shows how neces- sary it Is for the advocates of better educational conditions to keep busy until the last moment giving the people infor- nation as to the real issue which is to provide a levy of 8 mills-no more and no less-in order to take care of the rap idly increasing needs of a great school system that has been starved far too