Los Angeles daily herald. [volume] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1873-1876, 1874-06-21
Salaries OF School Teachers.

III clinton, llllnoIS, the taxpayers
are taking steps for reducing the sala-
ries of school teachers to maximum
with other labor. This. is wise step.
School teachers, male and female, are
absorbing all the money in the coun-
try. We do not know school teacher
who has been at the business six
months who is not q bloated aristo-
crat, and an inflated bondholder.
They over estimate their services and
are paid entirely too much money.
Those Illinois pigheads have dug out
brilliant idea. They are wise
wise as owls-and deserve the thanks
of the nation for having the courage
to strike blow for freedom from the
thraldom of school teachers. We
never happened to pass through Clin-
ton, Illinois, and we do not have the
honor of an acquaintance with elm
toms leading citizens, and we are glad
ST it, but we will bet Los Angeles
orange against " sucker pumpkin that
not single man signing the call for q
meeting to reduce the salaries of
school teachers has the amount of
common sense and education requisite
for teaching a primary class in coun-
try school. "Reduce the salaries of
school teachers to the maximum of
other labor" The thing is simply i'm
possible. Those salaries are below the
minimum now. Why, as class,
school teachers are the hardest worked,
most abused, least appreciated and
poorest paid public benefactors the
world frowns upon. Educators are re-
garded as people who are paid hand
some sum for doing nothing. The
young man or young woman who
takes district school and performs
labor that would have made HER
CULEs tremble, is paid his or her mis-
cradle pittance of salary in that
grudging spirit which plainly says
"You have not earned this money,
but we give it to you in charity.' In
cities the same feeling is manifested,
though in lesser degree. 1t is moth
ing that person shall devote the best
ten years of life to fitting himself or
herself for the profession of school
teaching. 1t is nothing that they
wear out their patience and impair
| their health in the endless struggle to
overcome the natural dumbness of
bullet-headed young ones. They must
not expect larger wages than is paid
the plow-boy or the dairy-maid.
Those Clinton, Illinois people know
no difference between the person who
teaches their children and the man
who cleans out their stables. Human
ity runs to stomach as naturally as a
crab travels backward. A man will
spend five dollars per week on beer
and whisky and think he gets the
worth of his money, but when asked
to pay g tag Of enc dollar per month
to support the district school, he
growls out that the money is thrown
away. Millions for the stomach but
not cent for the head. School teach
ers salaries are SO low now, that men
and women who have sense enough
to teach school, only remain in the
school room until an opportunity for
something better offers. School teach
ing is profession, and there are COM
paratively few who excel in it. Poor
school teachers, likepoor doctors, poor
lawyers, and poor editors, do not earn
even the small pay they receive, but
good school teacher is invaluable to
the community receiving his or her
services, and deserves better salary
than is usually paid. Our schools
would be better taught and our chill
dren better educated if teachers were
paid better salaries than they now re-
ceive. When people learn to regard
school teachers in the light of bene-
factors-as the moulders of the rising
generation-and not as public chari-
ties, we shall hear no more about re-
ducing their salaries to the maximum
of the farm laborer. This, however,
will not happen until there have been
a number of venerable funerals in and
around Clinton, Illinois.