The San Francisco call., 1897-10-16
THE AID OCTOPUS
GOES TO SCHOOL
Walks Among the Children
Like a Ghost That Will
Not Down.
In Spite of Teachers Com
plants 1t Extols Soap and
Baking Powder.
An Advertising Evil That the Pen
sion Association Oannst
Drive Away.

An advertising octopus has come forth
and taken possession of the schools, re-
naming in spite OF the protests of nearly
all the teachers. The educators do not
object to any particular firms methods,
but to the system of using the names of
teachers.
There Is a rule of the depar tment that
forbids the distribution of any Kind of ad-
vertising matter in the schools. This law
is said to be religiously obcyed, but there
is more insidious form of using the
names of the schools, and this the teachers
have not been able to stop.
Among other grievances there is we'll
known business house that has for some
months insisted that it Will give liberal
donation to the teachers pension fund at
certain intervals, and it has advertised
this fact continuously in spite of the pro-
tests OF the pension association that the
method OF the donation is Objectionable
10 the teachers.
Those who most vigorously opposed the
advertisers were: Miss Hunt of the Girls
High School, Miss Kate Hod dgkinson of
the Lowell, Miss Kate Conklin of the
Starr King, Miss Agnes Manning of the
Webster Primary and Principal Joseph
o Common.
The particular scheme that has invaded
the precincts OF the educators is set forth
IN well-wriIten pamphlet, accompanied
by coupon, the two going to the pur-
chaser OF every cake of soap or other
article OF household or daily necessity.
Alter setting forth that the teachers of
this city have wisely followed the example
OF other cities by providing a fund, the
pamphlet n question states that it is 10
be regretted that no adequate way has
been provided for main tainlng the proper
fun0. Inc nT01octOTS of tine tisip
scheme therefore say that they hav= solved
the pro blem in way TO aid the teachers
and advertise their goods at the same
time. To this end they ILLUSTRATES:
We propose to provide a continuous addition
to this fund by giving with every package of
the goods mentioned on page 4 A TICKET
which, ii returned to us by the teach ers qpe
nlu redeem in cash for the benefit of the
TEACHERS ANNUITY AND RETIREM ENT
FUND. The tickets vary in value according
TO the cost and selling price OF these goods.
The money will b. paid monthly into the
City and County Treasury, where the Annuity
Fund Is taken care of and paid out under the
protection OF the law.
We do not, OF course, pretend that this is
simply donation On the contrary, it is a
business proposition. Wewant to increase the
demand Tor these goods. We believe il will
paw u 10 divert 10 a good cause and 10 the
public benGft thousands of dollars that would
else so INTO the usual channels OF advertising
We believe that the people OF San Francisco
not only like "Fine goods at fair prices" but
will like them all the more when by using
them they can do something Tor the benefit Of
the teachers, the cause OF education, and
therefore the PUBLIC GOOD-in which eyery-
BODY has share.
The firm that does this advertising is
one of the Oldest and most respectable in
:he city, and it has already sent Treasurer
Widber $165 for the fund. The plan OF
operations to which the teachers are OBJ
iecting is set forth as follows in the same
pamphlet before mentioned:
To increa'e the interest in this matter
among the 1rlenGs oil the teachers, prize will
be given to each OF ten teachers having re-
ceived the highest number OF ticket points at
the end OF the school year. This is not to be
a reward for services rendered us as no sery-
ices are asked, but prize for greatest popu-
larity as shown by the mum Der of tickets sent
to them by the people.
Moreover handsome souvenir present will
be given 10 every pupil OF the successful teach
Recognizing the fact that the plan might
be called in question: or lead to abuses the
advertisers prIut the following as an evil
dence of good faith and as caution To the
children:
CAUTION.
In order that no thing about this project NAV
give any one cause for com planning aoout
abusing the schools tor advertising Drr
pose - we request those VINO send these tick
cts to the teachers through anv of the pupils
10 send them In sealed envelopes once n
month only, and to caution The pupils TO de-
liver them outside OF the school premises
To make The chances more even we have
divided the schools into ten groups, contain
ing an average of about 100 teachers each
The teacher in each group receiving the
largest number Of points will receive n priZe
equal to third the cash value of ali the
tickets sent in by the teachers oil that entire
group.
We shall not en- courage or even conn
tenauce anything whatever tn at can he
construed into an abuse of the School
Department or that will tend to intcr-
fere with the efficiency of the service
or lessen the dignity of the profession.
But the war between teachers and ad
vertisers goes on without a single victory
to the credit OF the teachers. who say they
see no way to stop the use of their names
by the business house in ouastion or hv