The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-01-10

to me that the way to remedy this con-
dition is by doing good work and demon
strating its value, rather than by fedora
ton.
As have watched the building up of
the schools in the different towns Of the
state and the increasing of the salaries
Of teachers. have reached the conclu-
sion that these results came very much
more frequently through efficient work
on the part of the teacher or supervisor
than through political organization in
fiuence.v
Principal Green when asked what he
thought of the proposed legislation 70 Sc
cure permanent tenure of office among
teaches in New Jersey, said: Il cannot
see any particular value to come out of
legislation cftthis character. unless fed
Grafton is the end sought after. Should
federation go into effect. with its CON
sequent strikes and limitations Of su
peryision, etc, | can see how it would
be very desirable for the teachers to
be intrenched in their position by law.
But if this is not to SO into effect
cannet see any reason why there is
cause for agitation concerning tenure
Of Office by state legislation. The fact
is that permanent tenure Of Office is
practically accorded the teachers by
nearly all of the prominent municipal
districts Of our state at this time, and
the smaller districts are doing all they
can to keep their good teachers. do
not fully understand what the s.gnih-
canoe of the law would be. but / can
not see how you could permanently bind
board of education by law, unless you
at the same time permanently bound the
teacher as the other party to the con-
tract If teachers are to be dismissed
for cause. that cause would have to be
determined ultimately by the school
board If the courts undertook to SUBJ
stitute the school board in this particular
it seems to me that it would amount TO
one department of government practical
ly usurping the functions of another
Two methods of improving the COM
dit.ons of teaching stand out very clear.
First, to improve the qualifications of
the teacher; second, to raise the amount
of money appropriated for the payment
of teachers. 1t will be admitted by any
fair-minded observer that the qualfica-
tionss of a great many of the teachers,
particularly those holding the lower
grades of certificates. are very low that
their work is commonplace; the drawing
they teach is not the drawing that Is
useful in the ars and crafts the geog-
raphy they teach has very little rela-
ton to the life uses of this subject; their
knowledge. is not practical. living useful
knowledge, but rather the result of role
study, or tradition, and it will besfur-
ther admitted that these teachers tend
to hold back the salaries of the better
teachers, just as cheap labor in any
other department tends to hold back
skilled labor.
with reference to the financial side,
some seventeen years ago it was made
clear that one of two conditions existed
in nearly every school district, in the
state; either the state school tax WAS
being supplemented by local taxes or
the school rooms were overcrowded.
Upon discovering this, the Legislature
at once, and with little persuasion,
raised the school tax twenty-five per
cent. Similar conditions exist to-day,
and it is reasonable to suppose that II
the people of the state are brought to
realize these conditions, they will again
remedy them. The people feel their
school taxes, of course, but they are
sensible, and if they can be brought to
see that an increase in the tax rate will
bring a much greater propostionate re-
turn to their children. they via treat it
as they would treat any other good IN
vestment. If these two results can be
brought about, education will be ad-
yanced. and the conditions of teachers
improved. IF they cannot be brought
about. neither federatioD nor perma-
nent tenure of Office nor any other de-
! vice will be of much account"
SINGLE TRAIN or WHITE LEAD