The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-28

tlfy that neither l, or anyone else there,
 made any charge of graft, hence the chal-
 lenge for proof or retraction must have
 arisen from g. distempered imagination
 that such charge was expected. These
 are the names referred to: Fred l..
 Grambs, T. Williams Mrs. H. F. Wilson,
 Sr., Mrs A. E. Meadow, Daisy W. Row
 ley T. M Thoplason.
 NOT PERSONALLY INTERESTED
 But to set myself right before pro
 ceeding to a further discussion of the
 subject matter which is stirring the minds
 and prejudices, and affecting the interest
 of music teachers, music dealers and pa
 irons of the public schools, let me state
 that I am not musician, not in-
 terested in the sale of music, and have
 no selfish motive or personal ax to grind
 whatever, in the unfortunate existing
 state of affairs in musical circles, no mat
 ter what the outcome may be; but will
 say. as a loyal citizen of Birmingham,
 that l am ever jealous of her interests,
 and take pleasure in promoting her wei
 fare, as well as in this instance to de-
 fend the rights of any class of our peo- ple against discrimination in favor Of those not of our city or state, and l
 shall here and now submit such facts,
 and proofs, as will show that there is something very rotten in Denmark" 1 notice a report III OiiO
 of the city papers, of Mrs. D. A. Echols, of January 2, wherein she states that
 she was appointed by pr. N. A. Barrett to investigate the claims of unfairness and discrimination as regards the action of the board of education pertaining to the subject, and I note that she, after two months opportunity for investga- tion, reports that she finds nothing wrong or worthy of criticism, and I must there &kx@k LNnh0 was very economical in her efforts to learn the facts as they exist Tn the mat ter.
 First I will call attention to a declara- ton of Miss Daisy Rowley, who is known as one of Birminghams foremost music teachers, holding more honors or degrees certifying to her abilities and quahflca- tions, than. perhaps, any other music teacher in Jefferson county, and who, by the way, was in the past a teacher to Miss Leta Kits, musical director Of the jechools, and that Miss Rowley emphatlcal- | ly states that she was informed by MISS i Leta hitts that she must conform to the requirements of taking an exaImnatlon from the St Louis Art Publication society | in order that her pupils should be gwen major credits in the study or music III l the schools Now, it is absolutely true and I hold the proofs, subject to the ex- animation of any and all who may be I interested, that the said St. Louis Art Publication society makes a charge for it's examination of $125, and that it does pro pose to send examination papers 10 any applicant who pays the fee for same, anu ! I further declare, as matter Of common we'll known fact, that such proposltloii opens and paves the way for the most arrant fraud in that it gives opportunity | for a disaualfied and incompetent teach- l CT 10 obtain the services of anyone who may be competent to aid them in answer l ing the questions and problems so pre- scented by the society and to thus ootalh Ia certificate of qualification to teacher, which they may not, of truth, posses. am also prepared to prove that >1 is the price charged for each series oi 10 lessons which cannot be obtained ex- cent through this society, and it is there fore ridiculous for anyone to assert that not more than s16 would be the cost to the pupils to obtain musical educatlot when as a matter of fact, more thaii 80 lessons surely must be necessary to qualify pupil for graduation in music and as an evidence of that qualification thereafter to teach music
 QUOTES FROM LETTERS let me here quote from several let ters which I hold, from music teachers III Jefferson county, in furtherance of snow ino the unfairneSS and dlScrlmlnalloii i against teachers who do not feel inclined 1 to submit to this fake absent treatment method of qualification in the case made and provided by the board of educatlon' First I will quote from letter or date January "A, 1919, signed by Mrs. Amelia Molton Embry. Space will not perInl' ! me as I would like to present her le. fer in full, but make this excerpt: l While I have not lost pupils on ac- | count of the installation of the St. l Louis Art Publication societys system l in the music department Of our schoois' vet some of my pupils have been re- 1 fused major credits because l nave not studied that system think it is deplorable that our city | school officials are discriminating 1 against local teachers and merchants as they are doing, and have been doing, | for some time, and I see no good req son why this system should be installed | in our schools to the exclusion or all 1 other standard and high-grade meth l ods of which there are a large num- | ber.'
 l From a letter dated January 24, 1919, | of Mrs J. W. Freeman one of the most | popular and well accredited music 1 teachers in the city, I submit the fol-
 lowing excerpt.
 | q wish to state that I have lost three pupils who are attending the Ensley High school. These pupils were advised not to study with me unless | I take the course and stand the ex- ! animation by the St. Louis Art Publi-