The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-03-30

electoral board. Is, Vi XIII j- II. j
TO chang and improve the basis ''l Is, 9 :
pay Of division superiri tendel1tss.
$40 increase the salary OF tho state
superintendent
Dr.. Mitchell's Address.
DR.. IS. 8. Mitchell, OF Richmond
College, spoke briefly. congrattulating
the commission and the public upon the
gathering there present a nd upon Inc
varied classes OF citizens Interested In
the movement. He referred with espe-
cal satisfaction to the fact that tic
Governor OF the State is foremost In the
great work Of promoting the cause Of
education, ard actively enlisted In this
movement We're the members of the state
Board OF Education. There were present
also presidents and professors of secta-
irian schools. of schools of all kinds. busl-
ness men and professional men not IN
the interests OF any particular school
or denomination buttn the broader work
of advancing tho cause &of general edu-
cation and stimulating desire for y.
He directed attention also to the iact
that the present educational revival in
the State was not the work of the younger
men, hut, Judging by their gray hairs OF
the older genera ton Of the State He
referred in most complimentary terms 10
the presence of Dr. Frazer and his I'M
portant. share in arollsing Interest IN
the cause of educational advancement
He took an optimistic view OF the pros
meet for educa tional revival in the State.
A Plea for Better Pay.
Governor Montague introduced. with q
highly complimentary reference to his
services IA & home and abroad. Dr.'C. D,
McIver. Of Greensboro, n. c., who has
done notable work In that State pr ~,
McIver spoke for more than hal { an
hour making a highly entertaining
speech which emhrac ed& some Very good
showing that the public school teachers
and superb tendents were being paid such
ymeagre salaries that they could not de-,
vote their whole time and thought to the
work Of their profession. He took up the
rerort OF the Superintendent of Public
Instruction and read thererromg figures
AS to salaries paid teachers. showing that
there had been pra ct1cal ly no increase u,
thirty years. This, too, Is In the face of
the fact that the achers at the begin
ring OF the public school system In this
state were Crude and inexperle
whereas now they were well trained and
equipped, and In many cases had years
experience. He drew parallel between
the pay Of convicts and that of school
teachers. showing that the convict really
fares better In remuneration than the
teacher, The superintendent Of the peni-
Tertiary receives more than the snpern-
tendert Of public instruction.
Cannot Live on Salaries.
3t He showed. too. that the county super
.lntendents received such small salaries
that they could devote very little of
their time to school work. having to work
at other vocations to make a living.
He was not finding fault with them,
Some of them We're very fine and
throughly competent men, and all Of them
were probably giving more than value
received. The person who teacher for four
months and dltcher for the rest of the
year, is a ditcher, not teacher said he.
DR., NIcIver took the average salary paid
to teachers and showed how utterly In
adequate It. was for mem to live on and
attend normal In the summer, and
still have anything left with which o3be
a social being or to improve herself by
recreation or travel or further adllcation.
The teacher. no commended, should no Of
equal standing and influence In the conf
munIty with the lawyer the doctor and
any other man In the community outside
the sphere of their professional training,
This could not be expected when they
wore paid such pitifnlly, inadequate snla-i
ries for their responsible work, Dr.,
McIver disclained any Intention to crit,
icise this State His own was behind
Virginia, He paid a fine tribute to Viz
gina and expressed his pride In the e.
irinus history and traditions Of the ST. \
n T'. = '