The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-08-16
For the Good of
 the Community

survey of educational condi1ons in Ala bama. Ten thousand dollars were appro- priated to defray the expenses of the com mission.
 The United States bureau of education. by request of the commission, loaned sev- eral of it's experts to the state to aid in the work. June IT, Commissioner P P. Clax- ton, of the bureau of education, submitted to the department of the interior report of the survey, which has been printed by the federal government for distribution in Alabama and elsewhere
 On the subject of taxation, which has a direct bearing on education, the report says:
 ''The crux of the matter is how to read- just the states unsatisfactory tax system how to equalizes taxes among the rich and poor; and how to enforce the revenue code fairly over the state.
 Figure 1 '(referring to map incor- porated in the report) shows graphically the increase in the states actual property valuation and it's assessed valuation A glance at the figure indicates that the total resources have increased satisfac- tofily for several decades, and especially so since 1910. It is in fact, rapidly out stripping the growth in population BUT THE ASSESSED VALUATION HAS NOT INCREASED IN THE AME PRO- PORTION
 At no time since 1880 has the as- sessed valuation reached the 60 per cent of it's fair and reasonable cash value, and AT THE PRESENT TIME (1919) TT IS SCARCELY MORE THAN ONE THIRD OF THE LEGAL REQUIRE MENT"
 The map referred to shows actual val ues have increased from S400 00O0,00O in 1880 to S6OO,OO0,O0O in 1890; S8OO,- 100000 in 1900; S1 800, 100000 in 1910; S2,100,00O000 in 1912, and to $3,000,- 100000 in 1918, whereas the increase in assessed valuations has been from S1OO,- 100000 in 1880 to S250, 1000, 900 in 1890; $400,000,O00 in 1900; S425, 100000 in 1910; S650,000,0O0 in 1912, and S7OO,- 100000 in 1918
 Continuing the report says: "The aver age wealth per inhabitant in the state is $1,250 on fair basis valuation; on this basis the total resources available for each child in the state to 18years of age (the normal attendance age) would be about S4,000 as against S894 per child on the present assessed valuation. This means that if the property were assessed at 50 per cent of it's real value the present tax rates would produce more than SPA for the education of each child 6 to IS years) instead of the present amount of less than S7"
 Then in it's summary the report con- tains the recommendation for
 Taxation to the legal limit for school support in all cities which have not al- ready reached this limit.
 Provision for the increase of property assessments until they shall at least reach the percentage of value provided for in the statute on the subject
 The commission, empowered to inves- tigate educational conditions in the state and to suggest remedy for improving them, thus pointed the way.
 One million dollars of the increased revenues Governor Kilbyis asking for are intended for the schools. Of the other. million, $800,000 go to the highways
 The governor has accepted the recommends tons of the commission insofar as they refer to improving conditions He has ignored their sug- gestion as to the method of raising the increased revenues