The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1901-08-02
NO.. 81
SCHOOL TEACHERS
VICTIMIZED.

Not long ago the public school
teachers Of New York city were kept
waiting many months for the pay that
was justly due them from the city,
and were reduced to the most painful
and notifying financial straits. The
teachers Of Oakland, Cal, are now
going through similar experience.
When the school board last year SUBJ
mitted its estimate of the sum neces-
sary for the public schools, the city
council deliberately cut the estimate
down to an inadequate amount. Two
months before the end of the school
year the money was all gone: and now
the school superintendent and COM
mittee Of citizens are appealing for
voluntary contributions from the
parents and the general public, in
order that the schools may not be
closed and the young men and wo-
men who were almost ready to enter
the university and normal school be
obliged to wait a year. The San
Francisco "Call" says:
"San Francisco and Oakland pre-
sent view of municipal administra-
tion that should teach and exhort.
"For years in each city an annual
deficit has appeared at the end of each
year. 1t is sometimes partly provi-
ded for by shutting off street lights,
but usually it is made up, or partly
made up, by compelling the school
teachers to work month or two with
out pay. We are not aware that it is
ever proposed that any other city
employees shall give their services to
the public. The pay earned by the
teachers is the least for service rem
dered in any department Of city ad-
ministration. 1t goes mostly to wo-
men, who have the sli ghtest means OF
defence against imposition, and there
fore are not formidable in the eyes of
the practical politicians who run city
governments.
"In San Francisco it has been the
regular thing to meet deficits by max
ing teachers work for nothing. There
is a constantly accumulating debt to
the teachers which will probably never
be paid. The situation is disgrace
full to both cities"
For the sake of both pupils and
teachers, it is to be noped that the
sum needed will be raised. But the
lesson ought not to pass unnoticed.
The money wrongfully withheld "goes
mostly to women, who have the slight
est means of defense against imposi-
tion, and therefore not formidable in
the eyes of practical politicians who
run city governments" Is the de-
nial of the ballot a mere abstract
grievance, involving no practical hard
ship.
The Governor of Pennsylvania lately
cut a million dollars out of the school
appropriation, which was already in
adequate. A year or two ago the city
of Providence, R. l., was seized with
spasm of economy and did the same.
Such instances are common; the
first place where the average city gov
ernment tries to economize is on the
schools. But where women have the
ballot, the last thing on which they
are willing that the city should econo-
mize is the education of the children.
Mothers of all nationalities want their
children educated. A year or two ago,
in the little town of Holland, Mich,
where the settlers are largely Dutch,
an effort was made to close the high
school through misplaced economy;
but on election day one thousand
Dutch mothers went to the polls,
school ballot in hand, and the high
school was kept open.
If half the voters of every city were
mothers, would the "practical politi-