The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-10-25
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

fear that our people do not fully reai- ize just how the war has made it in creasingly difficult to find teachers for our public schools in Alabama.
 
 We were making great strides In an educational way in the state and getting a splendid organization The personnel of the teachers was rapidly reaching a high standard which meant that the department of education was in a posi- ton to do aggressive work to wipe out the stigma which had so long rested on Alabama on account of it's illiteracy.
 
 Sprght Dowell has a tremendous prob lem on his hand and he ought to com mand the sympathy and the help of every right thinking man and woman in every community in the state. He has aims and hopes that cannot be realized in these war times unless there is a new consciousness created in regard to the prime necessity of keeping our schools up to the high water mark.
 I have no word of criticism for the men and women who have been tempted by higher wages and greater opportuni- ties for personal advancement in quit ting their desks They are human and the pay of the teacher for the service rendered has been pitiably small. But 1 do commend to the love and affection of the communities in which they serve, the men and the women who have put aside their own chance of money making to stick by the public schools.
 I have in mind at present only those | who are in the employment of the state l realize that there are others in pri- 1 vate and denominational schools who ! are also making sacrifices. But just now l want to say a few things about ! the public schools of Alabama. for I haven't time to take up the problems university or Auburn, as much as I would like to present their calls upon the citi- zens of the state for better support. l
 1 The other day I heard Dr. w. P. Wilks Of Albany make a stirring plea for edu- cation. You see the new governmental | arrangement by which boys can enter our colleges and get clothes and tuition and pay while getting ready to serve Is bringing the need of an education home to our boys as never before, for those who have been shut out on account of the lack of proper preparation are be- ginning to realize the mistake which they made in not finishing the high school.
 Dr. Wilks, who is one of the most scholarly men in the state. spoke of be- ing brought up in a neighborhood in Alabama where the old type schoolhouse ! of pioneer days was still being used. Those who travelled in the country a quarter of a century ago remember the ore-room, unpainted school building, with glassless windows. The whole dismal picture comes before me.
 It was in such room that pr. Wilks began. He quaintly said that he sup posed the reason his legs were so lona that as a child he sat on high seal and his lower limbs must just have dont their best to try and grow so that they could touch the floor. He accounted fol his slight stoops that the bench he hat sat on was without back, and he won dered that his eyesight had not beel ruined by trying to study in poorl! lighted room.
 I am glad that we have made mucl improvement in recent years along tn, line of improvement in school building and that there are now dotted all owe the state comfortable school houses il which children can be properly taugh without any fear of injuring their eyes making them round-shouldered. or undul ! adding length to their lower limbs. hope every man and woman who see 1 lrnis will see to it. if it has not alread lbeen done. that their children have comfortable and pleasing looking plac