The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-20
Forum Of The People
Revenue for Roads and Schools

To the Editor of The Age-Herald: | At the meeting of number of the Probate Judges and Commissioners and members oi the Legislature and others interested in good roads in Montgomery Nov. 10th, 1924, a second step was taken toward giving Ala bama a system of roads. This convention of men went on record calling on the Gov ernor to call a specal session of the Legls' lature of Alabama, at some future date, to provide means by which additional road building may go on after the remainder of the $25,000000 bond money is spent, and they recommend that another bond issue be submitted to the people authorizing the is suance of $75,000,000 to continue road build- ing in Alabama.
 have no doubt that this special session will be called at such proper time in the near future to consider this matter, so that there will be no let-up in road building in this state The probable source of revenue to support this bond issue will be the auto mobile license, gasoline tax and probable diverting of manufacturing tax from the federal treasury to the states for road build ing. This manufacturing tax is estimated to amount of about $1,500000 for Alabama, each year. There is no doubt that q proper source of revenue can and will be found, the burden of which will not be felt in com parison with the benefits derived from the roads.
 The most deplorable need of the state is
 
 cational department of the state can not and should not hold out any less hope to the boys and girls of the state than high school education at the door of every child in the state. It is of such dire necessity that this be done that our rural school system is today almost tragedy. The peo- pie are leaving the rural communities be- cause in great measure they have no roads and schools. Nothing can keep them con- tent to live there except they have at least two necessities within reach of them.
 Now is the time for the school men of the state to join hands with the road men of the state. When the legislature meets in regular session the state and favored in stitutions of learning have their friends on the ground to look after their interest and their interests are cared for. These state institutions do not get any more than they need and many times not as much but there are no friends there to present well thought out plan for the rural schools, and consequently these schools take what IS left. There should be built in every county hlgh schools so located that every boy and girl in the country can get high school education and spend every night at his home. This Is feasible, and when once the school men and women of the state get together studying It out, it will be done.
 The boards of education have the lmpos- sible task of covering up slX-toot man with four-foot blanket, drawing up the man ln an uncomfortable knot, or stretching the blanket beyond its capacity.
 The school men of the state should ask the governor to include in his call the mat ter of rural education and put themselves to the task of helping to find the revenue the advisabillty and feasibility Of It..
 w. T. HARRIS,
 Judge of Probate. Marion, Ala, Nov. IT, 1924.