The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-01-16
GOV. BRANDON GIVES
OUTLINE OF POLICIES
Further Progressive Steps in Cause of Education
Pledged Against Commercialization of Sabbath
Day in Alabama-State Must Live Within It's Income.
Wants Office of Tax Adjustor Aboshed-Pleads
for Proper Care of Unforunates in State Institutions

this hour upon one who followed
your teachings and give him the in
spiration from your splendid serv-
ice to follow carefully those teach
ings (which you impaired, and let
not his feet stray from the paths
of reetitude and right.
Pledge to Democracy
Being a life-long democrat, 1 be-
lieve that the best government comes
through an organized political par
| ty, who represents the highest ideals
of government. Whatever Alabama
is today, she owes to the democratic
party. Through its organized force.
the state was released from car
pet-bas rule" and the supremacy of
the Anglo-Saxon race was firmly es-
tablished as the dominant control
| ling forces in the destiny OF our
commonwealth. What we are as a
state, and as people, is directly due
to the organized responsibility of
the errors, II errors there be, but
we can correc, the errors and profit
by our past experiences. The demo-
cratic party promulgated a platform,
and on this platform, you gentlemen
of the general assembly and myself,
were elected. and it is our duty then
to carry out that platform and re-
deem every pledge to our people.
As governor, God giving me
strength. I SHALL so far as in me
lies, redeem those pledges. And
feel confident that all officers, leg
islative and state. will cooperate
with me to this end. The tax values
on property now assessed have. borne
the burden for years; they have bes
promised reduction. How Is this to
be done?
First: Economy in government
must obtain; overhead and unneces-
sary expense should be prohibited.
All Implications and unnecessary Of
fees should be abolished.
To this end, / shall recommend
to the Legislature that the office Of
the tax adjuster be abolished that
| the board Of control and econ
omy be abolished; that the board of
registrars be reduced; that a care
full survey be made of every depart
ment of the government and all du.
plications removed; all unnecessary
employees be dispensed with; salaries
be cut where the service will not lie
impaired, and reduce the government
expense to the minimum cost. When
this Is done, then,
Second: Property which has here
should be placed on the tax books,
in order that one class of our citi-
zens should not bear all the bur-
den.
Educational Program
1 have specific recommendations
on this line. The education of our
people must continue; mo backward
step should be taken" This is our
pre- reelection proclamation, and we
are committed to it's fulfillment.
| The most important thing which
we will have to deal with, is edu-
cation. An educated citizenship is
the greatest asset of any common
wealth. We We shown in the past
that we desire a system of educa-
ton that will carry the school to
the remotest corner of the state. We
have a school tax of three mills; a
county tax of three mills, and in
some instances. a district tax of
three mills. for elementary schools;
and vet, with this tax. in some COM
munities, only a five months school
exists. This should not be; all our
schools should be open and free for.
at least seven months in the year.
The first moneys spent should be
| for education. Our system should be
carefully scrutinized, and every I'M
necessary expense clrtailed: every
duplication abolished, and from the
elementary school to the university.
our system should be so related and
connected as to make one Harmonious
whole To do this will require ex-
haustive study, careful investigation.
| thorough knowledge of our entire
system. and the cutting down of eve
ry expense that is not justified in
order to administer the funds to
the most possible good. The schools
are but our factories that turn out
the finished pro iuct of manhood and
womanhood.
Additional funds are necessary TO
equip these factories; to keep the
machinery in motion, and turn out
/ the finest product of citizenship that
any state can boast of.
The country school must not be
neglected, for from our elementary
schools must come the high school
and college students. They should
in the beginning have thL foundation
! properly laid upon whi>n t. super
structure is to be raised. , he work
is begun in the elemsntar schoo,
and the whole is f.nithed IND the