The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-13

public Instruction. an Office, IN Inc iHiHu
OF tha speaker, second In Importance ana
| responsibility to no other In tho STATE,
| and applies to every official down 10 the
| local trustee.
Has Low Rank.
virginia ranks very low among the
| states in the total amount of money
spent for public education. Yet there "
| satisfaction in the fact that there are
! very few States in which as large
| per cent OF the whole amount raised LOT
public education Is spent for the pay OK
teachers.
| The cost OF administering the public
| schools OF Virginia Is low. and u ioi.
lows, as It rightly should follow, tnat
| tho teachers receive the pcneht. oui
weakness rests in the small aggregate
amount raised for public school purposes.
On much has been said on the subject
of teachers salaries and 80 many statls-
tics used, that 1 have decided to dis
pense with them. But II 1t were neces-
sary I could give comparative figures
on the subject that should cause our
people, from the citizens Of our proud
capital to the inhabitants OF the hum
blest hamlet in tho Commonwealth, TO
blush with humiliation.
The State has wisely taken upon Its
shoulders the task OF educating Its citi-
zenship. In doing this she is supposed
to have intelligently considered the cost,
and We meet the condition to-day not as
an experiment or as field for mission
airy endeavor. but as business PROPOSE
ton, TO be handled in business way.
The question in my mind Is, Do we want
to raise the salaries OF teachers? I am
confident that we will agree with the
spirit OF the proposition. But. when &C.
cupying the position OF trustees Will we
pay any more than we have to pay? Ny
friends. we don't do II IN any other
business, and I hardly think we would
do II In this.
When we expect salaries to be raised
by the voluntary act OF those who pay
them. wer are expecting something that
seldom occurs II we wait for teachers
salaries to be raised in this manner we
are building our hope upon sentiment
and not upon business principles.
Our trouble Is that the profession in our
State is full of Indifferent, incompetent
so-calied teachers who burden the pro-
fession with cheap competition and make
II impossible for the efficient teachers to
secure what they deserve. We cannot
always hold the trustee responsible
for employing worthless teacher. He
must depend largely upon what others
say. and I have heard it inumated that
testimonials are not hard to get.
Are Called Crafty.
or all tho crafty individuals none ex-
cells the thoroughly incompentent teach
err. He knows his weakness and he
knows he must live professionally by
tho practice OF other arts, and I have
observed that ometimes the most worth
less persons in the class room was the
most difficult person to drop. When We
raise the standard of our teaching force
by eliminating this class we will de-
stroy this cheap competition. and make
It possible for the qualified teacher to
command a reasonable salary. 1t Is my
opinion that when we keep the supply OF
available teachers about equal to the
demand the salary question will largely
solve itself. We need to protect our
qualified teachers and to drop from the
LIST of licensed teachers those who are
not qualified.
But we cannot dismiss the subject just
here. Our schools have suffered because
In the selection of teachers we have
acted not upon the principle OF how much
the teacher was worth, nor yet upon tho
idas of service she was expected to rem
der, but in answer to the question FOR
what salary would she be willing to take
the school, Wise economy is not alone
commendable, but necessary; but when
tho proficiency Of the school Is sacri-
feed for the saving OF few dollars.
there Is no economy. Such an effort at
economy misses the mark and becomes
the most extravaganza parsimony. result
ing In the practical loss Of the entire
Investment.
I recall on one occasion, when advocat-
ing the increasing of salaries In q certain
locality. was asked by a very excellent
md influential gentleman, why In
crease the salaries when In all probab'll-
ty we would employ tho same teachers
after the increase as we 40 now"' This
gentlemen Is not alone In his conviction;
may of our most high-mlnded citizens
have the same view
Should Be Well Paid.
But in all Difference to their opinion.
granting that we do employ the same
teachers, the principle Is fundamentally
wrong. We are taught that the ''laborer
ia worthy of his hire" and any other
principle has no place in the teaching
of our public school. or in the employment
of those who are to teach in our public
schools.
And IL perchance some of our ladies,
through domestic or other considerations,
are denied the privilege of leaving home
to seek employment where their services
may be appropriately recognized, 1t Is n
sad commntary for any community to
impose upon their unfortunate position.
But do not subscribe to the belief
that we will employ the same teachers.
We will in many cases employ the Same
persons, but II they arc the proper per-
sons to teach, they will profit by tho OPP
portunity afforded by an Increased salary
and cease to be the same teachers they
were when deprived of these opportuni-
ties by the smaller salaries. Again, we
would enrich our teaching force by at
taching hundreds OF efficient men and
women whose hearts are In the Virginia
schools, hut who have been forced to seek
other and more favorable fields OF labor.
Those who are at all conversant with
economic changes, know that tho cost
of living has increased enormously dur
Ing the past few years.
This increase Is felt by people In every
walk of American life, Salaries are be-
Ing raised for every class of workmen
in tho country, This Ia no philanthrophio
outburst, but simply an adjustment Of
conditions to meet the necessity of the
tines. II 1t la necessary for others Is II
not th4 most nccessarw for tina teacher.