The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-06-04
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS


 under the hands of teachers and pro fessors and began to follow my own pref ! erences. A diploma is but key to un- lock the door of the house of learning.
  I get pleasure out of sitting In coun- try school, even of the old type, with the simplest equipment and the dreariest surroundings. for I forget the environ nent in the study of the faces of the children as they pour over their books or stand shame-faced at recitation when they miss or bright-eyed as they give the correct answers to the questions of the teachers.
 Now, I am glad that the primitive school building without even glass win dows or desks is being replaced by mod ern light airy ones, well seated. l re- joce in all of the beautifying of the grounds, in the improvement in text books, in the higher grade of teachers, in the more intelligent school boards. in the better supervision of the country su- perintendents, in the growing interest Of parents in the progress of their children, and in the awakened public conscience in the matter of education.
 And yet it is with a wstfulness that face the passing of the od-time private school. I suppose will be set down as an old fogy or senseless critic, bur somehow there is something lacking in the education of boy girl who mas failed to get the more personal touch which used to come when one man or woman taugh tall the grades. realize | it is useless and worse than silly to make such an admission in this day of spe cialism. am sure we will never go l back to it, but all the same I wish my 1 two boys might fall into the hands Of a I teacher like Professor Craven, who left his imprint on the boys of Barbour | county.
 | I am a friend of the public schools. l have stood loyalty by the county high | schools, the agricultural and the normal schools, and the universities at Tusca- | loosa and Auburn. It is with pride that I have watched a growing improvement | along the line from elementary grades on through the higher institutions l be- | leve the best work ever done in their history is being done now. and that those behind the system are forward lock- ing men.
 l Furthermore, I realize that it is impos- sibe to handle hundreds of thousands of pupils without we'll thought out sys- tenn, and that while the personal touch is the desideratum, it is impossible with the lack of funds flor paying a suffi- cent number of teachers. or of erecting adequate school buildings; and that there is small hope of any change, and pa- irons using the public schools must be content to put up with the situation at least until they are willing to be taxed sufficiently to give the proper relief. | Birmingham is justly proud of her schools, but from causes over which the board of education and the superinten- dents had no control. conditions for some time have been against the teachers do- ing what they might have better done with the proper facilities. I am happy that at last it seems through the acts of the citizens in voting for bonds for build l ings and for taxes for better pay of teachers that,we are on the eve of better days This is a matter of congratula- ton both to the school authorities and the patrons of the schools.
 The crowded conditions in Birmingham
 
 calling for tact and patience on the part of both I look forward with pleasure to seeing handsome, well equipped build ings rise on the sites already acquired. took great interest in their selection. and II will be just as much interested in watching the buildings go up on them. have confidence in those upon whom the duty devolves to give to this community the best that the money set apart for the purpose will buy. both as to style of architecture and conveniences.
 The burning of the City Hisk School Twas a great loss, not only in Snoney, but in making it harder to give the pupils Ithe course in inadequate buildings. Then the burning of the County High School Twas also disaster hard to overcome: jbut I passed it the other day and was glad to note that to my way of thinking there was an improvement in the archi- lecture The day is not far away when It will be a great factor in imperial Jeff ferson.
 I I do not think the people as whole lhave realized just what the county high schools mean to the boys and girls or Alabama. More and more of them are pa assing through them. It's a great thing to be able to get the pupils finishing the elementary schools to enter the high schools It means not only more book learning, but a wider outlook on life: but best of all an increasing number of those graduating from them are not con- tent, but find their way to college.
 The putting of a high scnooi at one point in the county has in many instances Iresulted in the improvement of the schools in all parts of the county. l know cases where tyo towns were in : Ice rnpetition for the honor of having a high school located in them: the losing one, not to be outdone, going to work and building one of its own. In this , way many of the towns have built up } schools to take care of their home boys . o,4 cirls helievA in A healthy rfvnlrSr