Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1926-09-07
ASK TEACHERS
AID MOVEMENT
FOR SCHOOLS
Prominent Spe ak ers
Address Institute ON
Problems Confront
: ing State
(Srecial to The Herald)

iSTeciai 10 Inc neTdiul
HARLINGEN, Texas, Sept. 7.-"Un-
less the special session of the legis-
lature which convenes next week
makes an emergency appropriation OF
at least $3.50 per capita to add 70
the present apportionment, rural
schools will be forced TO shorten their
terms and great harm will be worked
on the children Of the state" said
G. =. Barron, supervisor of rural
schools of the state board OF eduea-
tion in an address at the Rio Grande
Valley Teachers Institute here this
morning.
Mr.. Barron urged that teachers in
every community bring pressure to
bear on members of the legislature
BY circulating petitions and arousing
public sentiment. He stated that the
board of education favored tax on
gasoline production in Texas. Tax
free gas from Texas is competing IN
other states with gas made there
which is being taxed and is bringing
enormous profits to the refiners, he
stated.
A number of amendments to the
constitution and bills which viii be
presented to the next regular ses-
sion Of the legislature were afse
discussed by Mr.. Barron, among
them being a proposal to tax school
lands. so as to allow the counties In
which the tax is collected to use the
funds for school purposes This
proposal is prompted because OF the
fact that many Of the counties OF
Texas are almost entirely composed
Of state and county school lands
Other amendments were to take out
of the legislatures hands the power
to create independent school DIS
tricts. revision CT the law BY which
the state board Of education y now
selected and provision for rural high
schools.
64s Teachers Enroll
A total of 642 teachers have been
enrolled at the institute in session
here, according 10 an announcement
made this morning by institute heads.
or this number 334 are enrolled
from. Hidalgo county and 3OS from
Cameron and Willacy countie~-
II was originally estimated that
700 teachers would be enrolled, but
road conditions as a result OF the
heavy rains have prevented number
~ rural teachers from attending.
Reports here indicate that in some
parts Of the rural sections the roads
are virtually impossible.
Much interest is being manisfeted
in the work of the various sections,
all Of which are in charge of eA-
ports. and the inspirational addresses
by leading educators Of the state are
moving of great value to the teach
ers.
Secretary Ellis Speaks
Declaring that political dema-
gogues have beW using the public
SCHOOLS of Texas for political foot
ball in order to further their own
interests, X. T. Ellis Of TT. Worth,
execusive secretary of the Texas
STATE Teachers Association. urged
the teachers of the state to get be-
hind the associations educational
campaign and help acquaint the peo-
pie Of the state Of the position OF
education in>Texas.
Mr.. Ellis was speaking to the
afternoon session Of the Rio Grande
Valley Teachers Institr<, which
opened it's annual session in the
auditorium of the high school at
Harlingen Monday morning. Teach
ers from all schools in Willacy, Hi
dalgo and Cameron county are at
tending the institute, which runs
through Friday, with two sessions
each day.
IF the special session of the leg
islature had been called for July as
the majority of the people desired,
there would have been enough money
on hand to have provided an appor-
tionment Of SIS per capita" Ellis
declared, (which would have car
ried the rural schools through at
least a six months period
-Insssad Of calling the special
session and arpropriating the funds
on hand. the state tax board met,
and using the available funds, cut
the per capita appropriation to
Sl1.5O in order to reduce the ad
valorem taxes as n political ges-
ture. As result many rural
schools will have but three or four
months term unless additional hard
ships are worked on the people of
the s%arsely settled regions by
special taxes.
Raising Educational Fund
The Texas State Teachers As
sociation is now raising fund of
$50. 900 for n campaign through the
new snnnnrs and BIZ other available