The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-04
TROUBLES OF THE TEACHERS.
MIR. AsHMORE SAYS THE STATE AS
ISOLATION Is ALL RIGHT.

The Trouble at brunswick Proceeded
From IA DisgruntIed Member and
Greatly ExagEerated-The Teach
ers Paid Their Dues, the AuditO-
rum Debt Wiped Out and IA Bal
ance on Hand-The Meeting the
largest in the History of the As
sOciatIOn-The Legislature to BE
MemOrIaIized on Several Lines.
Principal Train and Prof. Ashmore OF
the High school and Principal Wilson of
Chatham grammar school returned yester-
day from the meeting of the Georgia
Teachers Association on Cumberland Is
land.
Mr.. Ashmore was asked about the con-
flicting reports concerning the troubles Of
the association sent out from Brunswick
Nearly everything" he said. that has
been sent out from Brunswick to the press
rejecting upon the credit and good order
of the association is utterly without foun-
dalton in fact. and proceeded, so far as
can learn from only one single disgruntled
member, Who in an unfortunate hour of
disappointed ambition, committed himself
to some statements which are calculated
to injure the commendable cause for which
the association is organized. 1t is true
that the hotel for the first day or two
was taxed to its utmost capacity to care
for the great crowd of teachers, but this
was only temporary and was soon adjust
ed. When arrived Saturday there was
room for all and everybody was in the
utmost good humor and during my entire
stay upon the island did not hear single
word of complaint or dissatisfaction"
What about the report that the finances
of the association are in bad way and
that the teachers did not pay their dues.
simply this: Last year the association
erected an auditorium for its meetings
with the expectation of paying for 1t in
two or three years, or perhaps more, just
as churches are built by the subscriptions
Of members. Last year the debt was re-
duced by subscriptions TO about $3.50. At
the meeting this year, up to the time
left $1,O36 had been collected over and
above the unpaid subscriptions of last
year. This is more than enough to dis
charge the entire debt"
las to the report that the members did
not pay their dues" said Mr.. Ashmore,
'it is simply preposterous, as any one can
a
can get the benefit of the reduced rates
to the island and at the hotel itself he
must produce his certificate of member
ship. 1t is considerably to his interest
therefore, to pay his dues. / do not really
believe there was a single teacher who
left without paying.
Saturday morning, / paid my own
dues and my certificate is numbered 222
Many others of course paid after that as
| they came in on every boat"
THE meeting was an important one in
| many respects said Mr.. Ashmore. I'm
| the first place, there was a complete re-
| vision of the constitution, made neces-
| sary by new conditions of the time and
work of the association. Under the new
constitution only teachers and school Of
| ficers are eligible to membership, where
| as, under the old constitution any per-
| son interested in education could become a
| member. The new order Of things excludes
| book agents and many others who are
| not really identified with education. Sew
| eral important recommendations were
| made to the legislature. Among them
was one looking to a more thorough prep
/ aration on the part of teachers for their
| work. There seemed to be very hearty
response to the demands of this recon-
mendation.
Another recommendation, which was
finally adopted with some opposition, was
| one requiring each county, exclusive of
| local systems, to raise by local taxation
] an amount for educational purposes equal
| to that appropriated for that county by the
state. DR.. J. L. NJ. Curry, agent of the
| Peabody and Slater funds, made a stirring
| address on education. He was much
pleased with the work of the association
and in proof of his high estimate of it's
| aims and purposes, he assured us that he
| would set apart enough money next year
| from the Peabody fund to run a teachers
| institute for two weeks at Cumberland.
| Altogether" said Mr.. Ashmore, the
meeting was the largest and the most
| successful in the history of the associa-
| ton, and. despite the bad temper of one of
| It's members, it is gratifying to the friends
| of education to know that the teachers of
| Georgia are overwhelmingly in favor of
better schools and of uplifting the general
educational interest of the state