Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-03-30
Professor Nicholson, Mount
Vernon, Discussing Perplex-
ing Questions
PENSIONS
TEACHERS s
One of the Questions Raised is Whether
Such Scheme is Feasible in lowe
Campaign of Education in Each
County Strongly Advocated-other
Matters of Importance.

Des Moines, March 30-Professor
Thomas Nicholson, of Mount Vernon
who has been named by Superintendent
Barrett as chairman o. The committee
of the educational council of the State
Teachers Association, having in charge
the topic of teachers compensation, has
worked out d plan for the investigation
of this topic, which promises to result
in arousing the greatest interest on the
subject of teachers wages, the pension
ing of teachers, better support for the
schools. and like subjects.
Professor Nicholson is sending out a
letter to members of the committee of
the council in which he urges that in
the first place the topic should be taken
up, handled vigorously and disposed of
in one year, instead OF being dragged
along for three years, as has been the
custom. He urges. too, that the topic
is of sufficient breadth to employ the
energies of all the twenty-one men,
bers of the committee, and that the
chairman should not be compelled to do
the major part of the work. He then
outlines his plan for securing complete
data on the subject of salaries of teach
ers. He says tables should be secured
making comparisons with the wages
OF teachers in other states England and
Canada. He says the average term of
service of superintendent and princi-
pals should be obtained, and an in
quiry should be made why strong men
like Cooper, Warner, Sessions, Willard
and others leave the state or leave the
profession
1t is suggested that an investigation
should be made to bring out compare
son of teachers salaries with the wages
paid skilled mechanics, clerks. law
yers. doctors and ministers. Inquiry,
he says, should also be made as to the
social standing of the teacher here as
compared with other countries.
Professor Nicholson further raises
the question whether any scheme of
teachers pensions is feasible for Iowa.
An important inquiry he maps out is,
what can be done for the rural schools,
and how more efficient teaching, better
compensation and the like can be Sc
cured. He asks If the transportation
system is succeeding, and if not. what
notifications will make 1t succeed
One of the unique suggestions of
Professor Nicholson is COR campaign
of education in each county. II sug-
gest as starter the following" he says.
Try to have next year iii some leading,
accessible town in each county a gen
eral educational rally, as for instance at
Marshalltown in Marshall county. Ne
vada in Story county, Newton in Jasper
county, and so on. These might be un
der the direction of the state superin-
tendent. the county superintendent
and one or two city suuerintendents in
each county. BY special invitation try
to secure every member of every school
board in the county. and a goodly
number of the leading and influential
men at this meeting. Have men of
sufficient Importance to command at
tention. Present in popular form the
results of this investigation. Have pre-
pared beforehand a series of brief,
readable articles embodying in popular
form the facts elected 10y this general
investigation, and furnish them to all
the papers in connection with these
thus uniting press and plat
form in a campaign Of education. /
think it could be arranged to have the
turnout the counties quite
largely preach the Sabbath preceding,
or some Sabbath near this date, on
some general educational subject. If
this scheme is not feasible, whit can
be done in any other direction to arouse
public interest and to secure more in
telligent cooperation in school matters
and better support for our public
school system ."