The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-07
TEACHERS ADOPT RESOL UTIONS ON SENATOR BANKHEAO
Senator Underwood Tells of Constructive work of Late Colleague-Slade Speaks
 on Religious Education


 Before the assembled teachers of Birmineham two addresses were deliy- cred yesterday morning in the Jef- ferson theatre by Senator oscar Un- cerwood and pr. William Franklin Slade.
 The exercises began at g o'clock ith music furnished by the high school band while the teachers were 1rrivins. l.. O. Sanaers, principal of the Pratt school. presided.
 Resolutions were adopted eulogiz- ing the late United States Senator John H. Bankhead.
 Senator Underwood was introduced by Dr. J. Il. Phillips. superintendent of education for Birmin gham.
 The senator told of the constructive work fo his late colleague, especially ir regard to education through the ia eilities developed in road building, 8 question in which Senator Bankhead had taken the leading part He said that Senator Bankhead had been the greatest factor in the development of rural education in Alabama through ais sponsorship of the road improve ment movement. bv which hundreds md thousands of boys and girls had ,een able to reach school regularly and gain the nucleus about which to 9evelop their education,
 At the conclusion of senator Under- vood's speech. Dr. Phillips announced
 lat because of the icy temperature of
 ne building that any teacher who
 ould not stand the intense cold might
 save without embarrassment. He said
 hat as many of them had but re-
 ently recovered from attacks of in
 luenza they ought not to risk a re- lapse in the unheated building.
 Taking advantage of the offer, about half of the audience quietly withdrew during the exercises Saturday morn ing.
 Dr. Slade. who is here with the In terchurch World Movement workers, conducting the department of religious education. spoke. iD part. as follows
 NATIONAL EMERGENCY
 "Ihe national emergency in educa- ton is grave danger to the country, but Americas greatest peril is the spiritual neglect of childhood The rublic school system produces so- cially minded citizenship and efficient democracy. Like mindedness of the people makes possible collective ac- Tivity. Social solidarity is produced in the democracy rhe penalty for Failure to produce social solidarity will he disruption of democracy.
 The war revealed many defects in bur public school education Among dhe outstanding problems are rural Aducation, adult ilIiteracv, the supply and training of competent teachers. physical and health development and the equa1izing of educational oppor- 1unities
 Fortunately. the Smith -Towner bill, row pending before Congress supplies the solution for these problems. Seven and a half million dollars is ap- bropriated to overcome illiteracy the same amount for Americanization, s5o.0o0 for the euuarfzing of oppor- vunities and the increase of teachers salaries, $20,000 900 for physical edu- ration. including health and sanitation. and $15,ooo, 900 for the training of teachers.
 Moreover the Smith Towner bill, when passed. will establish for the First time in our nations life na- fiona1 policy of education with a de- partment of education and secretary of education in the Presidents cab met. Since ss9 the Secretary Of Ag- aiculture. who has the oversight of the raising of hogs. has mad a place in the cabinet but the United States commis- sioner of education. who has the over sight of the education Of the boys and girls of America has been denied a seat there. The work of education has Irot been regarded as important enough l1o take all of his time. so that he has divided his time since Alaska was pur- chased from Russia between the chill ,dren and youth of America and the reindeer of Alaska With the passage If this bill there will be erected the most effective public school system fhe world has ever seen. No child shall be damned to illiteracv bacaiise