Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-10
Public Opinion on Iowa Subjects
as Reflected in the Iowa
Newspapers.
The News of Iowa From Hun.
dreds of Different Towns
and Communities.
NEW BUREAU NOT NEEDED.
[Duhunna Timpg

dubuque Times.
| State Auditor Merriam asks for
state insurance bureau on the ground
that the auditor of state can not dis
charge his other duties properly an6
still give the insurance business the at
tention its Importance demands He
says the insurance companies in ter
years have paid the state 81, 293,S17.3 In
taxes and $3.50, 05S.90 in fees. the latter
alone being more than sufficient to pay
all the expense of the auditors office
amounting to less than s25, 0G0 per year
| Critics of the proposition believe nc
change will be found necessary beyond
an addition to the clerical force in the
auditors Office 1t is understood Mr.
Merriam will be candidate should the
position Of insurance commissioner be
created.
SCHOOL TEACHERS SALARIES.
[Keokuk Gate City.l
A number of Iowa teachers have gone
TO the Philippines and many more are
example. One reason assigned for this
is the fact that wages of teachers in
this state are very low According to
the report of the national commissioners
of education for the year 1S99-19oO,
Iowa paid the lowest average monthly
salaries to teachers or the state OF the
north central division except South Da-
kota. This state Of affairs does not
comport with the productiveness OF
Iowa soil or the prosperity and progress
siveness of its people. The average an
nual salary paid teachers In Iowa
should be at least as high as in any
other western state. Good wages are
necessary to secure the best grade OF
teaching ability and ensure satisfactory
educational results. They are prefera-
Bile on the score of economy. too. in the
end. School days are lived but once and
the youth Of the state are entitled to
the best teachers and other facilities for
acquiring an education that can be af-
forded them.
Davenport Republican,
State Superintendent Barrett has sub
mitted his annual report to the govern
or, and 1t 10 an interesting document.
go
The report shows that our citizens
pay annually about s9,000,000 In taxes
for the maintenance of schools in Iowa.
This Is surely quite tax. and 1t Is rea-
sonable to demand trained teachers. In
view of this fact Mr.. Barrett recon-
mends the establishment OF another
normal school to AT men and women to
be teachers. He also discusses the sub
ject of wages to teachers. in which he
says:
iowa still continues to occupy low
place among the great states OF the
union in the average annual salary paid
teachers. According to the report Of
the national commissioners OF education
for the year 1S99-1900 we paid the lowest
monthly salaries to teachers of
the states Of the north central division, /
except South Dakota. When we con-
slider our wealth and our productive
soil the showing is most unsatisfactory. |
Indiana by laws enacted this year pro-
vided that the salary paid teachers shall
not be less than amount determined
by multiplying two and one-half cents
by the general average scholarship.
The law has increased the pay of teach
ers. established uniform rate OF wages,
and stimulated teachers to improve
their scholarship"
Superintendent Barrett is right as to |
the matter Of wages. To get the best
results from labor OF any kind it must |
be adequately paid. 1t takes years Of /
hard study for teachers to fit themselves
for positions Of the kind A person
should be paid for knowing how to do
q certain thing as much as for actual
labor employed in doing it. In callings
where people are underpaid there is less
lnducement to become experts. 1t holds
good In everything, and especially in the
avocation of teaching and other callingsI
where people use their heads 1t Is a
mistake for the people of a state to
pay starvation salaries to the men and
employed to teach in the public
schools