The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-01-27
ACTION IS TAKEN
To ELECT COUNTY
SUPE TENDEN TS
Favorable Report Is Given
Bill to Reduce State High
way Commission to Only
Three Members
STATE CAPITAL BUREAU |
THE AGE-HERALD I
MONTGOMERY. Ain ian. &c


Determined to pass a bill which
will provide for the election of coun-
ty superintendents of education by
direct vote of the people, the house
of representatives Friday afternoon
took from the adverse calendar the
bill of representative Henley which
proposes the abandonment of the
system of electing the srperinten-
The vote was SO to Sc.
With the exception of the prelim-
mary business. the house devoted the
entire day to discussion of the pro-
posal. Throughout the debate the
charge was made that the people had
demanded the right to name their
county superintendents and that a
failure to grant this right would be
violation of the trust put into the
members of the house by those who
suffrage sent them to Montgomery
However, the session developed
note or warning from many of the
members against the disruption or
the system of public education which
was established in 1919 by the adop-
members were given the further
warning by those oppose to the bill
that Alabama had made greater pro-
gress in education during the past
four years then it made during the
preceding 20 years.
Arguments made no impression on
the house. 1t had been known In
advance that a majority were COM
mitted to the selections of superin-
tendents by direct vote of the people
and that the bill would be taken
from the adverse calendar while sew
eral members voted to place the bill
on the regular calendar who VIII
vote against it and it's passage.
Those favoring the change probably
will have sufficient vote to put the
bill through the house, Only 81
votes are necessary and the vote Fri
day showed nine greater than clear
majority of the members.
Many of those who spoke in favor
OIL the Dill uecldTeu lildl the StdbS
abandoned the principle of the demo-
cratic party when it enacted the law
giving the board of education the
right to name the county superin-
tendents Those opposing the bill
answered that the people still have
the right to name their superinten
dent since they select the county
board of education at the ballot boxes
and the county board selects the SUI
perintendent.
Branded As Undemocrntic
Representative Henley started the
fight when he made motion to take
his bill from the adverse calendar.
He attacked the present system ana
declared the people now have no
authority over their school system
and that trustees of schools have no
duties to perform. Other addresses
in favor of the motion were made by
Representatives Burton of Cham oers'
Hall of Bullock. st. John of Cullmah'
Adams of Blount. Long of Butler,
Cook of Wilcox and l.. *. Bowen or
Birmingham.
Mrs. Joseph G.ewilkins of Dallas
the only woman member of the house.
made the second speech of her legls-
lative career in opposition to the
motion. Replying to a statement OF
Mr. Hall of Bullock which said that
she had an opportunity to represent
the women and children of the state
Mrs wilkins declared that she came
| to Montgomery to represent as pest
possible all the people and not the
women and children exclusively. Sne
pleaded for the continuation of the
present system and insisted tnat
vote to keep the bill on the adverse
calendar would be vote for the pest
interest of all the people while d
vote in favor of putting 1t on the
regular calendar would be one In an
swer to the request of few
| Other addresses in opposition 10
the proposal were made by Represen-
tative Patterson of Morgan, Hodgsoh
of Baldwin. Fite of jefferson, ASH :
craft of Lauderdale, Goodwin OF
| Montgomery, Lewis Bowen Of JET
ferson, Rountree of Dallas anu
Culver of Etowah.
Culver's Argument
Representative Culver closed the
debate with the plea that the edu-
cation committee which adversed the
bill he sustained. lie said thorough
consideration was given to the pro-
posal and all persons were given an
opportunity to be heard and after
elaboration the committee reached
the conclusion that the continued
(Continued ON Page r'wo)