The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-02-05
PAY OF TEACHERS NORTH AND
SOUTH


We had the impression from what
We had seen from time to time in
Northern papers bearing upon educa-
tionaI matters that the North was far
in advance of the South in the educa-
tional advantages it gives its children
! Most of the Northern states are rich
and can we'll afford TO provide liberal
| ly for their public schools. Great was
our surprise therefore TO see it stated
/ in Harrisburg dispatches to the Phil
/ adelphia Press that the female teach
ers in the public schools in many of
! the counties of Pennsylvania are paid
! less than Office boys in cities earn, less
than is paid to day laborers, and less
than the wages of the average servant
! girl.
/ Hundreds of the female teachers in
that great and rich state are paid less
than 81 a day and many of them get
no more than II cents a day. Some Of
the counties do not tax themselves at
all for educational purposes, depending
/ wholly upon the amount they receive
from the state school fund, Georgia
and other Southern states are often
| criticised for the unsatisfactory condi-
| ton of their public schools. 1t is not
an unusual thing to find in newspa
pers published at the North articles
condemning the South for not raising
more money for school purposes. and
especially for not providing better
schools for negroes. These critics do
not seem to know the backward con-
dition of the public schools in some of
the Northern states, or if they do
they are careful to say nothing about
it We prefer to believe, of course,
that they do not know.
The state of Pennsylvania, for in
stance, is far better able to provide
schools for her sons and daughters
than Georgia, for the reason that the
Civil War left her rich while it left
Georgia poor to the verge of poverty.
Besides, Georgia has a large popula-
ton that pays practically no taxes.
We refer of course to the negro pop
ulation. Georgia is handicapped in
educational matters by this vast black
burden. In Pennsylvania there are, of
course, many poor people, but the
great majority OF them pay taxes,
though the amount may be small.
Pennsylvania, however, is one of the
very wealthy states of the Union. She
has great cities and millions upon mill
lions of dollars of railroad and mill
property within her limits. Under the
circumstances it would seem as if she
would have the very best public
schools to be found in the whole coun-
try, schools whose teachers were fair
ly, if not Literally, compensated for
their services. 1t is a surprise, there
fore, to find that the teachers there
are little if any better paid than those
of Georgia, and, if the pay of the
teachers is any evidence of the condi-
ton of the schools, Pennsylvania
schools are no better than those of
Georgia.
After all is not the South. taking into
consideration the fact that it was
ruined by the Civil War and that it
has large non-taxpaying population
to educate. doing better for its sons
and daughters, as far as providing
them with the rudiments of an educa-
ton, than the North is? Let those who
are interested in the matter get the
facts and make the comparison.
Some of the newspaper of Pennsyl-
vania are stirring up the Legislature
in regard to the public school system
of the state and the hope is enter
tanned that there will be an improve
ment in her public schools and an in
Grease in the compensation of her pub
lie school teachers.