Arizona weekly citizen., 1886-07-10
The school Question Again.

ED. CITIzES:- May he allowed to say few words on the school question? For the last twenty years have been resident of this place and it has been my good fortune to raise family of 'our boys and limited number of girls, some of whom have from time to time attended the public schools of Tucson.
 I confess. cir, that have not always given the attention to our public schools that should have done. In fact, 1t Is only within the last year O: two that l have visited the school at alL Before that I formed my judgments from what I heard from the children or from par ties On the street.
 thInk l voice the sentiment of every true citizen of Tucson when l say that public schools should be kept up to the highest possible degree of excellence. Parents who have children can not but realIZs that Il k worse than useless to lay up wealth for them If they are not educated to make right use of lt, And m education as in everything else, we ought not 10 expect good article unless We pay good price for It. But there are parents, sir, who would fit their son out with handsome fortune. S2O0 suit of clothes, slO0 diamond ring, and twelve and half cent educa- tiOn. And then they wonder that they maxe failure in life! I do not know of a tirst-cliss school any place where boy or girl can be sent year for lees than four or five hundred dollars. YeI there are parents who send from three to SIX children to the public schools and then complain If they are taxed ten dollars a year for school purposes. But the ones, sir, who make the most com Dlaint are those who do not send to the pubic school at all. They have have had their day. Their children have either passed the school age or they are sent elsewhere to continue their studies. But these persons own houses, or lands. brother property on which they pay tax and If It were not for the pubic schools that tax would be q few dollars less This Is what hurts. Some people can not be made to see that good schools and churches have more to do with rBIs- ing the value of real estate in com munity than any other one thing. Is 1t not true2 l am aware that many peo- pie come to our city to remain but 0 short time. In few years they will go to the east or 10 the west where they will iDyes, In prop erty and spend ;be rest of their lives But these persons are always ready and willing to support the public schools in orler that their children may be able to take a respectable standing in other schools when they shall have gn Oppor- tuniiy to do so.
 Now just word as 10 salaries of teachers. Most Of the teachers are ladies. Not to count the three or four years of expense and hard study that l these ladies have spent ID preparing for theIr work, how much think you can one Of them save m year? Rent, board. books &c, VIII at least amount to S60 month. This leaves 6 net income of perhaps SiOO a year while ID the same time S6CO returned tO the community that gave it. And not one lady out of ten has a constitution strong enough to stand teaching for five successive years.
 Two thousand dollars for the sacrifice of a noble wOmRn's life, No sir the teachers are not paid too much. There may be more teachers employed than are really necessary, but SlOO a month ID this western country is not too much for the serylces of any good, faithful teacher.
 And, sir, while I say this, would at the same time inform you that I have no daughters or lady friends who are candidates for position in our pubic schools.
 hope that the new Board of Trus- tees may not think that their first duty Is to reduce the salary of all teachers ''2O per cent" but that they will employ just enough first class teachers to con- duct the schools well, and then pay them a reasonable salary. Let it not be said that our children are growing mp m community where every third house is den of vice and where We employ tifteen-cent teachers and preachers at even less price.
 PRO BoNo PUBLICc.