The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-08
HE WITT STORM s PROTEST IF BOWEN
 EDUCATIONAL BILL
"Uniquitious, Brazen And Destitute Of Virtue," Edu-
 Cator Declares
ENSLEY BUREAU l THE AGE-HERALD ! EnsleY. Ala. Aug. !

Ensley, Ala. Aug. 1
 The bill of Representative L. K. Bowen providing for the election of members of the board of education of Jefferson county, was denounced as "iniquitious, brazen and destitute of virtue" by Prof. R. G. Hewitt before the Ensley Associated Merchants Tuesday morning. The association to man present agreed heartily with the venerable educator.
 Professor Hewitt read the bill be- fore the merchants and 1t Is mild description to say they were as- founded as he explained the para graphs which the speaker said would be more properly entitled a bill "to destroy the educational system of this county"
 The bill applies to counties of 100000 population and over, which means Jefferson county alone In this state would be affected by the meas ure It provides that voters in cities having a population of 15,000 or over shall not vote on the member to be elected next year to succeed John ". Minor of Ensley, In other words, voters in Ensley, Birmingham and Bessemer would not be able to vote for the new member of the board un- der whatever circumstances It pro- vides also that three members of the board of five must be elected by voters that reside outside of cities having a population of 15,00o or more. - Ressemer and Birmingham would be permitted to vote for only two mem bers of the board which would be minority The board would be con trolled by three members upon whom the voters of Birmingham and Besse- mer would have no right under the bill to cast a vote.
 There are 54,oO0 school children in Bessemer and Birmingham" sald Professor Hewitt. Outside or the two cities there are 35,000 children. Under this bill the voters represent ing 5400O children would not be able to say whom a majority Of the board of education would De. Tn Birmingham and Bessemer the as aessed property is $l6Z.ooq'ooV, wmiie aas outside of the two cities the assessed vakle of property is $S7'oOO,oOo, Therefore. the biggest taxpayers would have no right or votes lo name three of five men who nan lIe that tremendous amount or money eoing into the education or nearly 96y000 children
 ProfessoE Hewitt, explained also that recently the editor of an eau cational jouRnaI of Boston had pro .nounced the schoGl system or Je1ter- son county the best in America with teachers here second to none Anu this only after aIf exhaustive examl- nation and study of the schools. he ndso exnIained that Montana sent last week to Jefferson county, Ala bama, to find out how the WonoeItul work had come to pass In s tnIS county. "Those destructfonists shaiI not destroy this system, declareo Professor Hewitt, as his eyes snap ned fire and while his whole booy shook with emotion. T tell you thA. I could almost name the men tnal have given birth of this iniquitious
 hiDh ie ness and is an effort to destroy the greatest school system in this great . countrv." He brought home the olre result of the measure when ne pom ed out that John w. Minor or EhsIeS would vacate his office and If he or fered for reelection the voters or Ensley and Birmingham would pc unable to support that man Who never cast a vote except In .he ln terest of our educational advance r,anf and who cannot be controlled by ambitious selfish destructloh- ists"
 Professor Hewitt said the teachers number 500 in the county schools or whom 50 per cent studied every sum mer, at their own expense 10 pet ter their teaching knowledge ana they as a unit were opposed to the measure that Mir. Bowen has drafted.
 The members of the Business Mems association declared they were astounded at the provision or the bill, appointed a committee to enter the fight against the bill when IL . comes up before the educatlonal committee in Montgomery. Ihe thanks of the association was also rendered Professor Hewitt Tor com ing to them and exposing the con tents of the measure of Representa- tive Bowen.
 TO RAISE PARK FUNDS
 C. O. Johnson, chairman or tne civic committee of the Ensley Asso- .ciated Merchants, announced at the meeting Tuesday the park and play ground association had been able 10 arrange for concert Friday nlght at which time a movement Is to De launched to secure $5,000 for the pet 'terment of the properties at Ensley par. The merchants indorsed the movement and instructed MT. John- son to continue his assistance ana call on the association fer whatever aid the members could render He also reported that concert would be given at the negro playground at Council school No. Wednesday night by the Tennessee company band. The commissioners from the city of Birmingham will be there and addresses will be made.