The Dickinson press., 1895-06-15
Justly Indignant.

Justly Indignant.
Mr.. EDITOR: In the last issue of
the "Recorder," I'see an article com.
menting on the management of the
Dickinson School. While I am not a
taxpayer in said school district, I am
a teacher of the county, and when the
salary of a teacher and his .ssix hours.
a-day.work"is spoken of slightingly, 1
think any teacher, who has pride in
himself and in his work, has a rig hit
and a privilege to resent such an arti.
Gle. In the lrst place the Editor Of
the Recorder says that a salary of
$500 per year of nine months is too
large, compared with that paid the
principals of the Mandan and Bis.
marck schools, and that the latter
schools have more teachers and more
pupils. Now, though Mandan and
Bismarck are corporated towns, I al.
ways thought that Dickinson claimed
to be more active, more wealthy, and
more forward than u old time sis.
ter cities, and hence could afford to
cut loose from their apron strings and
lead the way by having a first class
instructor, who can only be had by
paying at least a fair salary. MI. Car.
ter says: eve consider 1880 per year
too great a price to pay for aprincipal
of the Dickinson schools, considering
the fact that the school year consists
of nine MONTHS" ETC., and he then
speaks of the six.hours. a.day.work.
Oh! Mr.. Editor, what an error for q
man, supposed to have the learning
that the editor of the Recorder has,
to fall into. This is excusable to
some extent among the uneducated,
who think a teacher begins work at
Q a. m. and has it finished when the
door is locked at 4 p. M. But, oh,
what a mistake for any man like the
editor of the Recorder, to make!
Let me say a teachers work is never
done. unless it be of a teacher such as
he wishes to engage. And,next,did not
the Recorder learn enough of politi.
cal economy, to know that all sala.
ries for work where, by nature of the
work, the man of whatever profession
is obliged to be idle in the line of his
profession for several months of the
year. that such salary is computed
by. and must be supposed to be paid
for the year and not for nine months
or a fraction of the year! These are
questions of common sense, as we'll
as political economy.
Again, 1 see the Recorder advocates
paying a teacher, tor hard work rem.
dered-brain work, worry, and prema.
ture grayness; not six.hours.a.day.
work, but nearly "a hours a day work
advocates paying for such work in
deprecated warrants, simply because
they bear s per cent interest. If the
the teacher would hold these war
rants for the 8 per cent, and was
forced to borrow money with which
to live, he would have to pay on the
borrowed money IL per cent, and thus
be forced to lose 4 per cent or else
lose S per cent by cashing his war.
rants. 1 suppose, of course this
would nearly satisfy the Recorder, the
only thing lacking to give full salts.
faction, probably being to decrease
the teachers salary.
The fact is, that nowhere, at least
in North Dakota, is a good teacher
paid in proportion to the learning and
experience required, what a man or
woman in any other profession, re.
quiring the::same amount of education,
is paid. And l say this without any
fear of successful contradiction. The
teachers work is Il noble one Let it
not be depreciatedlwith the six.hours.
a.day.idea. And l certainly cannot
think the Recorder "voices the senti.
ments of the majority of taxpayers
at least when l know the majority of
the taxpayers of Dickinson arr III,
ted people who take pride in their
school, and in being the foremost
town in western North Dakota.
Yours Respectfully.
A TEACHER.