Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1907-10-24

This week has been tlckllsh time
in the financial world. The Knioker-
booker Trust Company Of New York,
a $4,000, 900 concern, failed, and
several big companies went down with
it. Yesterday the Westinghouse
Electrical Company, one of the largest
manufactures in the United States,
went into the hands of receivers at
Pittsburg, and three financial institu-
tions connected with it closed their
doors. The situation in New York is
very grave, though strenuous efforts
are being made to restore confidence.
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REFERkIEG to an editorial in last
weeks REGISTER concerning the can.
didscy of NJ. O. Tough as State Su-
perintendent of Schools, Mr.. Lough's
paper, the Fairmont West Virginian,
says;
"Mr. Snyder is not fair enough to ad-
NIT what the principal Of Shepherd Col
lege reports, that he has bright pros
poets for the best year in the history Of
the school. He says the school never
had better teachers than this year and
that he appreciates the interest the
Board Of Regents has shown in him
and his school and feels much encour-
aged in his work. Mr.. Snyder is all
right-in some ways"
The REGISTER would not quench
the optimistic spirit of the principal
of our school, nor does it desire to
make any unfavorable comparison Of
the present faculty with those that
have preceded it. But the scheme of
which Mr.. Tough is the professed au-
thor, namely, to advance Marshall
College and the Fairmont Normal at
the expense of the other four normal
schools. is so outrageously unfair that,
in our opinion, no man who supports
it is fit to have authority in school af-
fairs, and we think that Mr.. Tough
will discover what the people think of
it if he has nerve enough to seek sup
port anywhere else than Huntington
and Fairmont.
The last Legislature made largely
increased appropriation for the benefit
of the normal schools, with the idea of
securing more and better teachers.
Every cent of this increase, we under.
stand, has been devoted to the Fair
mont and Huntington schools by the
board Of which Mr. Tough is mem
Der and secretary.
From circular now before us, issued
over the name of "President" L. ].
Corbly, of Marshall College, we find
evidence showing how the Board of
Regents is pampering two schools and
starving four others. The circular
says that the title Of principal" of
this school has been changed to "presi-
dent" and the salary increased from
81, 800 to $2,500l The same thing
has been done at Fairmont, while in
the four other schools the plain title
of principal" is retained and their
salaries are fixed at 81 500, The sal
aries Of heads Of departments at Hunt.
ington have been raised to from ST.
600 to 81 500 and the heads are called
professors. The heads of depart.
ments in other schools get from $700
to $900l Eight assistant heads of
departments at Marshall College are
paid $500 year-more than heads of
departments in other schools receive.
We submit that it is utterly unfair
to pay teachers of the same grade and
same ability and same work $500 or
$500 more at Huntington and Fair.
mont than at Shepherdstown, Glen
vile. Athens and West Liberty. 1t
is unfair to give an increase of many
hundreds to the old teachers at two
schools and not one cent to the faith
full members of the faculties of the
four others. A head of a department
at Fairmont or Huntington is proba-
bly, not one whit better teacher than
the person occupying the same posi-
ton at Shepherd College, yet he gets
double the salary.
We rather think that Mr.. Tough
will find some difficulty in explaining
these matters to the satisfaction OF
at least four important sections of
the State. Indeed, whether he shall
he a candidate OF not. opportunity
will soon be given for explanation, for
we understand that the legislative
committee to investigate the expen-
ditures of State boards and institutions |
expects to go fully into this matter in
the very near future. |