The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1911-02-23
And Provisions of Yesterday
Inadequate for Today
Says Report.

The report of State superintendent
OF Schools N. P. shawkey contains
much valuable matter. 4 especially |
calls attention to the fact that the
provisions Of yesterday are made
quate for today We therefore APP
proach the legislative season with
numerous needs, more indeed than
can he given consideration in the
brief period allotted our legislators
for the important work they have to
do. In the hope that may be able
to assist our legislators and other
students of our educational affairs
TO ready grasp of the leading facts
about our educational work of the
past two years. have set forth the
statistics concerning that work some
what in detail in a series of tables
to be found in this report. These
statistics tell the story of a period Of
growth and progress of which we
may feel proud but they also speak
eloQuently of needs for some of
which at least It is hoped that the
ensuing legislature may provide.
Among these needs it is hard to de-
eide which is most urgent or most
| important, but l am taking the lib
erty to name a few Of them on the.
theory that it is better to take few
and finish them than to work at a
large number and leave them all un-
finished.
An Increase in Salaries.
l. l recommend an increase of at
least $500 per month on the mini
mum salary for teachers holding
first and second grade certificates.
The requirements for certificates and
the demand for broader service. on
the part of teachers, together with
THE increased cost of living call for
better pay for this class of our pub
lie servants, a class that has been I'M
derpaid through all time. have not
asked for an increase for third grade
certificates because the teachers
holding this class are usually mex
perienced boys and girls who If sue
Scessful at all will in another year OBJ
tain higher grade certificate.
Horace Ham once said: "There isn't
money enough in the world to pay a
good teacher, but piece has never
been coined small enough to pay a
poor one"
\ 2. A small increase in the pay of
county superintendent. To do their
duty county superintendent must
spend a large part of their salaries
in travelling expenses. Their duties
and responsibilities are becoming
greater all the time and / am glad
to say that their interest in their
work has increased. 1t is sometimes
argued that they do not do as much
as thcT should. That is true in a few
cases. but the ones who are greatly
in Ii majority should not suffer for
iGw poor sticks. AS class they
arc doing much for the educational
work OF the State and will do more.
Production Tax Oh Gas.
3. A production tax on gas be-
cause it is just and right. This tax
should be largely if not wholly de-
voted to school purposes because of
the need of greater revenues in the
construction of an educational sys-
tenn that will fully meet the demands
Of rich, powerful and growing State
like West Virginia. The West vir-
ginia Educational Association and
about fifty county Institutes adopted
resolutions during their sessions in
1910 favoring the tax.
4. Non-partisan or bipartisan
boards of education. Our schools
must be non-partisan as well as non
sectarian because they belong to all
the people and all the people belong
to them. To lapse into condition
where our public schools would be-
come the prey of a political spoils
system would mean the darkness of
despair for a democratic form of
government in America. To avoid
the possibility of such a condition
even in local sections, our law should
be changed so as to provide for
dual political responsibility for the
local administration of school affairs
in case such administration cannot
be provided for independent Of party
organizations entirely. The success
of the bipartisan and non-partisan
boards now in operation in a number
of the cities Of the State is sufficient
TO warrant the law requiring district
boards to be- constituted. This is
one of the wise things that the Iegis-