The Green Forest tribune., 1903-08-22
THE WAGES OF TEACHERS.
Good Instructors are not Paid Enough, Says Supt. Hinenon.

State superintendent HlnemOn of the department of public in- struction has addressed an article to the Arkansas Democrat in which he says:
 Leibneitz once said, "Entrust me with education and in less than a century l will change the face of Europe" The public school is indeed the hope of the country. The question of the efficiency of the schools is or should be the supreme ques- tion in every locality. No char acter of work requires greater skill, larger preparation, or more varied attainments than teach ing. Scholarship first, knowl- edge of children, an intense de- sire to better humanity, strong, inspiring personality, and willingness to put ones whole life into the work express in a small degree what should be re- quired of those who engage in the education of children. Hearing lessons is not teaching; keeping children still is not dis eipline; the memorizing of sentences is not the acquisition of knowledge, the punishment of disorder is not essentially the development of character. Suc- cessful teaching requires high art and great ability.
 When we travel on a train. we like to think that there is a train ed engineer at the throttle; when we make trip on steamer, we want a skillful pilot at the wheel; when our property is at stake, we seek the best legal talent; when our bodies are in pain, we want the advice of the most skillful physician.
 What shall we do about the training and educating of our children, those who represent our hope, our lives. our all? Good engineers, good pilots, good lawyers, good doctors are we'll paid. So with good carpenters, good brickmasons, good stone- cutters and those who are skilled in the manual trades. What of good teachers? To do their work well requires long prepara- tion and expert training. It is a lamentable fact that year after year many of our most efficient teachers abandon the work for other callings that they may reap larger returns for their efforts.
 The cost of living has increas- ed at least 30 per cent in the last few years. This has led to a corresponding advance in wages in practically all departments of industry except teaching. Re- gently teacher in a we'll known high school, a man of thorough collegiate training, resigned his position to work in a factory simply because he can get higher wages, and thus provide better for his family. Good furniture is desireable, but good citizens infinitely more SO, and a teacher first of all should develop the spirit of good citizenship among his pupils.
 There is, however, growing tendency to recognize the dis criminauon against teachers. One community which has paid hitherto about S75 per month for nine scholastic months offered S2,0CO year to prominent and professional teacher to take t.4arge of the schools this year.
 Certainly good school prin- cipal should be paid as much as good bank cashier, yet quite d number of the most promising young teachers of this state have given up the work of teaching to take various positions in banks in the state. The banks have gained but the children of the state have lost immeasurably.
 To retain good men and good women as the teachers of our children, We must pay salaries commensurate with the ability and worth of the teachers Otherwise the schools will pass into the hands of incompetents, and as Judge Draper, first super