The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-27
PEOPLES FORUM
Schools and Farmers Child

bama; and there is a great clamor
 for the election of the county su-
 perintendents of education by the
 people. In some counties mass
 meetings have been called in
 structing senators to vote for the
 bill passed by the house during
 the January session of the legis-
 lature, because officials who owe
 their appointment to boards for get the interests of the people
 they were appointed to serve.
 This fact is clearly demonstrated
 by valuations for tax assessment
 by boards on property of corpora
 tions, and by other boards who
 fix the valuation on property of corporations as d basis for a rate
 to be charged the consuming pub lie. The records at Montgomery show clearly that the boards were not mindful of the interest of the public, but considered the interest of the corporation whose property was being valued.
 No such consideration was given
 the farmer; his property was ar bitrarily valued. without regard
 to income from the farm, but val
 ued solely as source of revenue
 for the state. If the farmer has been thrifty, energetc and has improved his farm, he is pena1ized
 for his efforts by higher valua-
 tion of his property. Page 51 of
 the report of the state superin-
 tendent of education shows the
 rural elementary schools receive
 only half as much money per
 capita as does the urban schools
 which contrary to the statute law
 of Alabama. Article 10, section
 5 code of Alabama: Contrary to
 the constitution of Alabama. Ar
 tic 1. "All freemen are equal in
 rights. and no man or set of men
 are entitled to exclusive separate
 public endowment. or privilege"
 and contrary to the declaration
 of independence, which in sub
 stance that all men are entitled to an equal chance by the law. Giving the urban school two dol lars and the rural school one dol lar, and giving the urban school eight months term and the rural school eighty days term Is not giving the farmers child an equal chance. The county superintend- ent Is responsible for this dis crimination. as article 10, section 6. requires the county superintend- ent to so apportion the funds as to provide as near as practicable. school terms of equal duration, exclusive of any local funds.
 The Alabama school system Is like Mark Twain's steamboat with a big whistle--progress Is im- peded by the effort to make big noise. Too much of our money is wasted on specialists" in or der to keep pace with the fads of other states. A little more at tention to the maintenance of a uniform and effective system of public schools throughout the state" and less attention to keep ing up political fences of certain would be decided It is rank injus- tice to levy an additional tax on the farmers property for the support of schools and colleges to which the farmers child will never attain except in rare in- stances. as ninety per cent. of farmers children quit school in the seventh and eighth grades. But our educators say we must have highly educated and trained leaders in our educational sys- tenn to keep pace with the pro- gress of the world. All well and good: but Germany had the most highly educated, the most scien- tific leaders In the world, and yet l doubt if any of our special ists would be bold enough to ad- vocate German leaders for Ala bama schools. It is true that some of our leaders. according to Alabama "kulture." are offering their superior wisdom in deter mining what is equitable and fair in the apportionment of our school funds. stating that i've will give the people what is right, but by our superior 'kulture' we will de- termine what Is right"
 The farmer never has failed to vote tax on himself for educa- tional purposes, but he expects his moneys worth and square deal. and believes that if the county superinte endents were amenable to the people, and not to boards, the farmers child will receive a square deal. So far as entering into politics. the average school teacher is better trained in politics, and how to put things over, than some of our best poli- ticians. G. T. McELDERRY.
 Talladega. Ala, April 24, 1923.