The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1900-02-22
THE SALARIES OF rBAcHERs.s
Another Kenosha County Teachers Dis
cusses Question of Great interest.

the columns of this paper an article
giving reasons why SO MANY school
teachers retire from the profession.
The main point considered was the
small recompense received for the
work done, and the writer stated that
in the end many are obliged 10 marry
for home. Such picture would have
a tendency to cause bright young men
and women, just embarking on the
voyage of life, to view those situations
with rather dismal aspect. Naturally
they will steer clear of a rock-bound
coast and head for other points.
The main trouble with the laboring
people Of today is that many of them
overestimate their value. AS we are
considering special class of 1aborers
(for teacher is in sense a 1aborer)
let us confine our thoughts to their
conditions. We must not hold to the
theory that since man was created
equal all wages shall be equal. Labor,
like other products of the land, must be
bought and sold. In one school you
find a teacher receiving from forty to
sixty dollars per month; in another
from twenty to thirty. Call ye this a
mistake? The first named party is no
doubt receiving just compensation, so
is the second. The only mistake in
such transaction is that often the
scale of wages cannot be lowered
sufficiently to reward the pedagogue's
feeble efforts.
&c 1-.-,xr oil n
the growth of an orchard is to allow
dead trees to remain among the living
ones. The same may be put to figur-
ative use here. ''Poor timber" in a
profession will do more to keep down
wages than ali else combined. AS a
matter of fact, many who profess to
teach are sadly out of their sphere.
One year at the most should be suffi-
Gent to convince one of his ability, or
lack of ability, as the case may be. If
failure, let him withdraw at once
from the profession. But how many
do this?
We see the schoolgirl scratch through
her examination by the smallest mar
gin, and go out into the world to
teach ~ Why has she selected this
particular kind of employment!
Judging from appearance she would
make an A No. housekeeper; the
daily paper contains several ads. OF
''Gir1s Wanted" Then, too, dress
makers are strongly in demand. Why
not learn trade?
| Many girls and boys of today are
brought up to dread work as a cat does
the river. To them no manual labor
is honorable. A piano or organ in a
home is all right, when kept within
proper bounds, DIETER say keep the
girls within bounds.) But we do like
to see the young ladies familiar with
more than one piece of household fur
niture. When children are trained sc
as to look down with disdain on the
young man or woman who hires out to
earn living; when they are taught tc
! look on honest labor as degrading
little need we wonder at so many limo.
cent minds being forever dwarfed by
incompetent teachers.
Having considered the above facts
you are ready to ask what can be done
to remedy the evil. Teachers through
cert fcation are elevated to a plane,
where merit ahou1d be the basis OF
competition. Unlike are they to the
unski11ed workmen who is obliged to
compete with an army of his kind.
The third grade proves too strong a
shield for many of our incompetents.
School boards are beginning to realize
that every creature who holds a Certi-
fcate is not a teacher. This is not the
fault of the superintendent. There
should be law denying more than one
license of this kind to be issued to the
same person.
Poor teachers, as a rule, are the ones
who content themselves with remain
ing at the foot of the ladder. They
are constantly complaining of low
wages, when, as a matter of fact, they
themselves regulate the scale. Our
advanced teachers seldom complain OF
their salaries because their services
command reasonable compensation,
This being true there should be nc
standing sti11''in the profession. Let
everyone push onward to success OF
drop from the ranks. Then our county
shall have a class of teachers second
to none in the state and the salaries
will be commensurate with their
abilities. CONRAD SHEARER.
Orange Cane Sorghum in 2-ga11on