New-York tribune., 1871-01-03
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
FRENCH WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.

SIR: IN an American, am; ana Wnch ichu
an American newspaper, want TO know what am read
ing have taken an interest in the Mount Gems Tunnel
from the very start am glad 1t is finished There Is
no such hole in the ground anywheres eiseat present
But when they describe it, why DO MT they let us know
how long II is and wide 1t H. and how deep down II Is In
figures that aus uns" in America can understand
How much is a meter2 We have long meter shart meter
common meter (and doxolog); but you can't know how
long deep the Mount Gents Tunnel is by any OF
'em
Then again, how much is ktHo0rdnmeF was asking
two of my neghbors to-day, and they both said they'd
be darned II they could tell and asked me khcWi
did Mt Ike to pretend that didn't know; 30 dd NJ
/ said that didn't ,.., -.
"kiograme" in your paper please say nov s HlSd a a
Wat SSin s sa de ~ the t nae and let US
When tho masons on the Tower OF Babel strnck for
higher wages and mixed their tongues up With ours ours
they made pretty mess ot IT, ana h 'e & nnf ese
matter how many kogranInes" OF material 'hey had
This is matter for Congress and solitary and alone
this ball in motion, on any member mouoh' VINO
desires make himself famous:
"Be il Resolred That the Confusion Of Tongues
created by the strike at the Tower Of Babel be abolished
the different jareons which have since prevailed in
Europe and elsewhere under the Of Language,
shall be dispensed with" L. O. C.
tOur correspondent is mainly right bus not
entirely reasonable. News comes to us flying
over the wires from all parts of creation and
we can't always stop to digest and redact II
as we might choose TO do. But we most re-
spectfully refer our correspondent to Nebsters
Quarto Dict onaTy wherein he Will find huo-
gram fully defined as French measure OF
weight, equal to 2 10 pounds avoirdupois, and
Meter as French measure of length equal to
80 2-5 inches (very nearly, being ten
millonth part of the distance from the Equator
TO the North Pole. AS the French system has
been authorized by Congress, every one should
acquaint himself with it'd. Irib.]
SHOULD THE SALARIES OF MALE AND FEMALE
TEACHERS BE EQUALf
To the EdftOr Of The Trfbun6.
SIR: II seems to me there is fallacy in all
the arguments have yet FOR making the salaries Of
the female teachers equal to that OF the men. We have
comparatively few male teachers and most of them have
families to support while the great majority OF the fe-
male teachers young ladies in their teens who board
gratuitousy at home and spend helr Income on ufess'
Some OF them, am sorry 10 say are very lheloent'
owing their appointment 10 political influence, ana N
tending to marry the first opportunity they care moth
Ing for the profesiOn, and will do nothing to elevate w.
Of these girls can live far more cOmInrtaDy
salary Of $1,000 year than married man WIN sey
eral children 10 support can on twice mat amount IN
aton observe, too, that recently, when the Board OF
| Education the salaries of teachers they de
crease their numbers by raising the average OF bHs 70
6 tf IaTr asfee to Excess mere tyro in her
teens often having teach from 100 70 l6O Would II not
| be better, in view OF the tremendous competition,
| 10 furnish q respectable living 70 300 women,
| than an elegant 90 half that number
| II would be better for teachers themselves, "a "A
class and far better for the schools Cannot some pan
b. devised To- dctan longer in the schools with
ont ccbacyi Experience is worth as much
in teaching anything else. The three or four ante
nuptia years that most girls now spend IN teachnS arc
sinpv an apprenticeship. The State gets but little for
it. money Why not demand of all teachers hereafter
they shall ne graduates Of some good Normal school
then them 500 for the hrst three years,
with an annual increase thereafter till they reach max
imum Of 81 OOf This would give us experienced teachers
aud put a end 10 that envy and dCOrd which prevails
in 0r schoOle. This making discrepancy OF salaries
solely in regard TO grade Is INV sc aud unfair: III
requires Just much ability 10 teach In grade as
another Under the old system OF routine promotion IL
might have useful but now when teachers are too
often promoted by political influence instead OF merit, IT
Is productive ~ harm than good Why ore person
should be par ,2oD0 year 20 do the work. ana another
$500 dress up and do nothing, never could see But
| II is the New York system. IN TRUSTEE.
| Neig- York, Dec. 81, 1870.
[Our correspondent does not meet the ques-
ton Of salary fairly. The point is not what
can the lady-teachers live for, but what do
they earn 7 He is clearly right in protesting
| against the assignment of one hundred and
sixty or even one hundred pnpils to one
teacher lie is right and wrong in his pro-
posal for a sliding scale of salaries, based on
years of experience. Experience should count
for something but what should count for most
! is the qualification for the work-whether
! gained by experience otherwise.-Ed.1