Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-10-08
NUMEROUS KICKS
Occupy the Time Of Yankee Teacher
in the Philippines.
Some o. Their Woes as D,taiIed By Milne
Soy'-Thcir Assignments.

| pines are interestingly described in
| lc''ef 10 the Journal by Fernald n
/ sawyer formerly OF this city. In !
also are the assignments of tha Moi,
'"a'hers. The letter reaches us inst
month after it was mailed.
Manila, p. l., September 4, 1901
ruitors kennebec JournaI:-We hay,
now been in Manila for nearly NV
weeks and have had 4 good opport,,n;t,
W see quite little Of the place which
presents 50 many striking features I.
one coming from the United States
where the walled city is unknown
ana White speaking of the walled citv
IL Is well to remark that the Americana
with their ideas OF Improvement hayc
doomed the city walls to ~ early J..
moval much to the regret of tho Sn, ,
lsh residents and indeed many lovers
or the picturesque, but there can be no
question but that they are y great III
convenience To business and 70 the D; e.
SieSS OF the city along industrial and
sanitary lines. so whatever our opin
IONS may be as TO the beauty of the walls
ana their worth from the aesthetic
point of view they must eventually
give way to The march OF business in
tcrcstS.
| can write only a little on the beau
ties Of Manila now for my time has
been largely taken up i'll the Office here
ana then the interests. of the teachers
are such that they will claim about all
the space can take UP at this time.
Many people came out here to teach
with the idea that ", rything wa going
smoothly and that we would find the
whole expedition a sort of picnic on n
grand scale. and now that we are
brought face to face with the real con-
dition of affairs there is a great out
cry. There are many things of WkiC n
the teachers can without doubt offer
complaints both just and to the point.
and then on the other hand there are
all sorts of complaints which are
neither sensible nor worthy Of con-
sideration.
First there are q great many teach
ers here who are receiving 5000 and
$1,000 per year who have had years of
experience and proven their worth
even rosgning first class jobs % come
out here. and then there is another
class who receive their appointments
later or in different ways that are re-
ceiving from $1,000 to $500 and many
Of these men have not only never
taught a day in their lives but are men
just out of the college or Normal school
and have had no training in dealing
with the world. Many Of the men who
are receiving the smaller salary CON
tend that there is no justice o" fair
ness in any such system of wages. still
there is no question but what each of
them came with the distinct under
standing that they were TO receive the
smaller salary so while il may be gall
ing To some experienced teachers to see
a feather Drained boy getting $500 or
$500 year more than himself it is still
a question as to whether he really has
4 right to complain on that score.
There is one point however on which
We can all complain with justice. and
that is the business methods in vogue
here Barracks Wer" provided for Us al
government expense and the govern
ment had also fitted out a restaurant
on the grounds and given the contract
ID All Gong to furnish meals to us Tor
$40 gold per week. 1t might be well
to say here that this rate is not eX-
horbitant here for table board where
everything is strictly first class. but
the board furnished US Il not even
third class and the service is abSn-
lutely the worst | ever saw anywhere.
Now this same Chinaman furnishes
much better board at his down town
restaurant at 81 per week, AMI 80 the
teachers have asked to settle up ana
60 away. This was refused for long
time by the Division Superintendent
in charge unless we left the govern
mcnt barracks. Thus he practically
told us that we must leaNe the
barracks provided by the govern
ment at government expense or pay an
Cont $40 per week for board worth
pcrhaps at prices here about ," H' a
little more. certainly not 81. Many
left but at last an appeal to MI Al
kins0n gained the privilege LOT Us 81
staving in The barracks and boarding
where We please. The business pollcE
of this matter was condemned not oNly
by the teachers but by many oil the
division superintendent.
Another cause Of complaint with
many is in relation to the assignments.
The division superintendent ha't'
think il is quite generally colceuc'''
consulted their own conNenlence3 ~ lHe
assignments rather tnan the dcSii III
The teachers. Then they say that IL
was too much bother II straisHieh "u'
all the REQUESTS made. and 50 we were
assigned as they happen"l. I" az i'''''
This has occasiored much d'Ss'' 'N-
faction and can hardly help 'auSlHs
friction. and may result IN some ieSlS
nation. for DR.. Atkinson mad a""i''e''
a Very strict rule about chahSih-'
from one province to another II 'i'''
The present assignments may DC rN-
nected to hold as posted except III NJ
stances where the department. MAJ ",
cida an changes. 1t is not !or ne 4"
e,v ,h,r This rule is not necessary eN''i
,bouob it docs result in hardship %
many of the teachers look upon II a.
being 4 little too military III cha IS i
Parhans the greatest cause q ''i''
,loint which the teachers nave 7
which is undoubtedly well Groofoeo =
based On the order recently
which roraids Us the comm Till. 1
nriyilec.s. Nearly all q Us "r't
,,,njehad circulars which said that
teachers had commi;s2fN P.l'i-
l. ees ?,,d nearly all Of us cane
= : a.. could have tn -