Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-11
BRAVE TEACHER OBJECTS
TO HANDLING OF MONEY
BY A SPECIAL COMMITTEE

ct appeal to the teachers here as
sembled to defeat the passage of section
seven of the constitution, providing for
the management of the finances of this
body by a committee, because it sells
this association body and soul to COM
mttee: It Is unbusiness like unsafe I'M
With this dramatic fight against the
passage of the new constitution granted
by congress to the n. Z. A., and which
came up for adoption yesterday noon,
Miss Elizabeth Shirley, a Los Angeles
school teacher of Montebello. made a
sesational single handed fight. against the
of yeas" with not dissenting mo" told
her that her fight had been in vain.
Miss Shirley's speech came like thun-
derbolt from clear sky. The much
did not appear, and on the faces of the
Zine" men sat a faint smile of content
Routine business was disposed of, and
the constitution, whose adoption 1t had
been thought would rouse the champion,
Miss Haley, to do battle, was placed
before the convention Question had
already been called for when Miss Shirley
asked permission to speak.
Wanted No Boss
She was granted the floor and began:
az rise to take exception to section sew
en-, regarding the finances. l see the
funds of the association will be in the
hands of a board of trustees. The money
belongs to us. 1t is the teachers money
But after we decide that we want some
thing done the board still has the ultl-
mate decision on it. We leave the in
itiative and referendum in the hands or
an oligarchy. / stand for democracy
I stand for national educa tlonal asso-
citation of the teachers, by the teachers,
for the teachers. Pass this constitution
and the National Educational association
will not be the masters of their own
money We will have erected an oil
garchy under whose huge legs, we may
peer about to find ourselves dishonorable
graves.
United Statesmen California. California
is kindergarten compared to some of
the eastern cities. The CRATER has bought
school boards, superintendent and even
association. But yesterday one of them
took his seat high in the councils of ed
ucation.
How can we teachers teach our pupils
business principles when they pick up this
constitution and see that the teachers of
the country could not manage their own
finances, but had to leave them in the
hands of a committee?'
Majority Upholds Rule
The vote was taken. THE ayes have
1t and the new charter granted by the
act of congress has been adopted by the
business meeting of the active members, -
declared President Schaeffer.
part
~ was not trying to be a disturbing
element" she said. 1T was simply a case
of doing my duty as 1 saw it, and stand
ing by democratic principles
Il do not know Miss Haley and never
heard of her until the last few days.
belong to no organization. I am a plain,
sDery y6 o, common mi os school teacher who
the purity and maintenance of democratic
institutions at heart
Secretary Shepard, although opposed
to the plucky teacher, congratulated her
on her game fight, and expressed the hone
that she would stay by the associa tion
and devote her energies to its upbuiuding e
The rest of the convention passed off
with scarcely an incident. When the
nominating committee read E. G. Cool
yoclferous. Arthur Chamberlain, dean
of Throop, Pasadena, was nominated for
treasurer, and met with like reception
from the local contingent. With no OBJ
nosition for any office, Secretary Shep-
ard cast the ballot for the ticket Pres
ident-elect Cooley was given an ovation
and was forced to come to the platform,
where he made brief speech. The IL
linois delegation rendered their honored
comrade reception at the Alexandria
hotel last night from $3.50 to u o'clock
rojdnieht DR.. Cooley, in addition to
thsnlsing the convention for the office.
expressed lhs appreciation to his oppo-
nents who had stepped out for him-"men
with claims as good at least as my own"
Unanimously the association put itself
on record as favoring national unlver-
sitv at Washington. w. .. thompson,
president of the Ohio state university,
offered the resolution that coIiinlttes
be appointed to further the cause, ana
that $500 be allowed them Tor carrying