Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-06-02
school Teachers victimtsea.

Not long ago the public school teach
ers of New York City were kept watt
ing many months for the pay that was
Justly due them from the city, and were
reduced to the most painful and morti-
flying financial straits. The teachers
OF Oakland, Cal, are now going through
a similar experience. When the school
board last year submitted its estimate
OF the sum necessary 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 superintend-
ent and a committee OF citizens are
appealing for voluntary contributions
from the parents and general public, In
order tnat the SCHOOLS may cot be
closed n the young men and women
who were almost ready to enter the
University and the Normal School be
Obliged to wait a year. The san IRAN
cisco Call says.
San Francisco and Oakland present
a view of municipal administration
that should teach and exhort.
FOR years in each city an annual de-
fclt has appeared at the end OF zach
year. IL is sometimes partly provided
Tor by shutting OFF street lights. but
usually 1t Is made up. or partly made
up, by compelling the school teachers
10 work a month or two without pay.
We are not aware that it Is ever pro-
posed that any other city employees
shall give their services 10 the public.
The pay earned by the teachers is the
least for service rendered in any &C.
partment OF city administration. 1t
goes mostly TO women. who have the
slightest means of defence against M
position, and therefore are not formid-
dc in the eyes of the practical politi-
clans who run city government.
In San Francisco il has beer the
regular thing to meet deficits by max
ing teachers work for nothing. There
is a constantly accommodating debt to
the teachers which will probably never
be paid. The situation Is d~isgracefdf
to both cities"
For the sake of both pupils and
teachers, ii Is TO be hoped that the sum
needed will be raised. But the lesson
ouSHI HOA w pdSa ~unHDtittu, Inc mo
ney ~wrongfully withheld goes mostly
to women, who have the slightest
means of defense against imposition,
and therefore are not formidable In the
eyes of practical politicians who run
the government" Is tne genial OF the
ballot a mere abstract grievance, In
yolving no practical h~ardships?
The Governor OF Pennsylvania lately
cut a million dollars out Of the school
appropriation, which was already In
adequate. A year or two < the city
of Providence, r.. l.. was seized with a
spasm OF economy and did the same.
Such instances are the first
place where the average city govern
ment tries to economize is on e
schools. Blu 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 n~ationalities 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
but on election day one thousand
Dutch mothers went to the polls,
school ballot in hand, and the high
school was kept open.
II half the voters Of every city wers
mothers. would the practical politl-
clans" care to offend them2
ALICE STONE BLACKWELL