Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-12-27
BIG EDUCATORS
DISCUSS TEACHING
Judge Deemer and President
Mclean Say It's Not a Pro-
tession In Iowa
NOT YET DleNIFIEo BY LAW
Merely Employment or Temporary
Avocation-Better Salaries and
Women Should be Compensated
Equally With Men superint.nd-
ents' Department Discusses Interest.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Dec. 27.-At the session
of the State Teachers Association al
the Plymouth Congregational church
this morning. the question "Shall We
Have a Teaching Profession in Iowa q
was vigorously discussed withou
gloves for four prominent officials ant
educators Of the state. 1t was tn.
concensus of opinion that the wording
of the question was stated correctly
and relieved those discussing 1t of TIN
unpleasant duty of proving that up tc
this time teaching has not been a pro-
fession in Iowa. Used as a stepping
stone to law or love, medicine or mat
rimony," said Judge H. E. Deemer, Of
the supreme court Our program
committee has refused to join the Choir
US of our popular Ananias Club, sing
ing. In all things that are good, Iows
affords the best" said President Nc.
Lean, of the State University.
The paper by Judge Horace E. Deem.
er was the first of the four on the sub.
ject. He said in brief:
Save in the colleges and some of the
secondary schools of the state teach
ing has been a mere employment O,
temporary avocation. Three or fou,
years of hard exclusive toll are moi
necessary for admission to law or med
icine and as a result have driven young
men away from teaching as a stepping
stone to these and direct to the office
or class room. AS a stepping stone
to love or matrimony teaching still
has it place. 1 would not make cell
bates of those who would instruct the
youth, but If we are to have a teach
ers' profession upon the present wage
scale the devotees thereof must ad-
jure matrimony
There is much to be said in favor
of paying women the same salaries as
men for the same kind and quality of
service, but more, / think, from an
economic and sociological standpoint
to contend that they should not be
based upon what is necessary and
proper to support family. The public
is interested primarily in homes and
marriage should at all times be en-
couraged. Long ago it was determined
that man should be the bread winner
aud women the presiding genius of the
hcme. Women, then, who look forward
TO marriage as all do, and who do not
expect to have the support of families
upon their hands, should not be COM
petitors of men either in business or
the professions. to such an extent as
to reduce salaries, either to the basis
of individual support for the present
or competence for the future. No one
has heretofore looked forward to mar
rying much wealth with a school teach
er, nor have many Of us made our
choice with the hope that they will fill
the larder with the proceeds OF a
school warrant. While the ex-
preston may not meet with your ap-
rroval l am fully convinced that from
the standpoint of public policy, if we
are to have teachers profession,
women should not be paid the same
salaries as men. No matter what the
business or occupation, women should
not be tempted from marriage by the
allurements of gold nor should they
be permitted to enter into competition
with men to the extent of reducing SAL
aries to the standard of needs of a
single man.
"There should be both men and
women in the teaching profession.
Women with their mother instincts are
better adapted to teach the very
young, but there is a question whether
higher schools are complete success
even for girls when presided over en-
tirely by women. The rural districts
could not under the present system pay
a professors salary to teacher Of
from eight to forty pupils of all grades
and ages. There is a time coming
when there will be men in the rural!
schools but it will be after they are
consolidated and the dreadful waste
observed now in the maintenance Of
small schools is stopped.
"There is a clamor for the introduce
tion of manual or industrial training,
of the elements of agriculture, domes-
tic science and practical branches. 1t
will never come under our present sys-
tenn. especially in the rural districts.
Salaries paid are too low to justify
one eouipping himself for the work. In
the near future we will have it, how
ever. and when it comes we will have
teaching profession"
President George e. Mclean, of the
State University, contributed to this
topic of teaching as profession by
of the educational system
of Iowa with other educational sys-
tens. and at the outset declared that
the subject demands outright frank
ness.
when the program committee say:
"Shall we have teaching profession,
they concede that there is none" said
President Mclean I'VE have many
great teachers but. no organized pro-
fession One cannot compare the edu-
cational system of Iowa with other ed
ucational systems, for we have no ed
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