The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-02-09
Congressman Reilly For Equal Pay Of
 School Teachers
Urges League at Annual Banquet
 to Adopt it as Slogan


 marks at the Teachers League ban quet in New Haven. last night, by proposing that as Gods first thought was man, and second thought woman, and second thoughts are best, that all the men present stand and drink toast to the ladies.
 MT. Reilly then said:
 ''If I had been asked to speak at a suspect that I might be somewhat qualified, for I was at one time a near-teacher. I always felt there was a relationship between the two occu- pations-a sort of fellowship of slav- cry and underpay.
 we have not so many women in the newspaPer business as you have never see justice nor fairness in mak- ing woman read proof. and read it better for ,,S fs or 6e s1o hs,S week whils sIs Neither can I see the justice of pay ing a woman teacher only S60 a month for doing work for which a man teach CT is paid $120. Equal pay for equal work is your slogan.
 ''The great state of New York has adopted it, to it's everlasting credit May the day soon come when Connec- ticut will follow the example. The ac- cident of sex should not be handi- cap to. the brainy, progressive success full teacher but it Is yet it creates no halo around the heads of those who appear to enjoy taking everlast- ing advantage of that handicap.
  work is not the only matter Of inter est that confronts your organization. The matter of retirement on a pen sion of superannuated teachers is a
 sSThe na tional congress is TOW en- crossed with the considerat tion of retirement bill for civil service em- pIoyes of the government and I be- lieve 1t will before lone become a law. both as a ma tier of justice and econ omy. hut students of the suh4ect are Ho% fG ,af nYllx hIT- manity but real economy in such assure. success to your efforts along that line in this state as well as to similar efforts in the nation.
 sfTt is a ma tier of congratula tion that during the past week the United States Senate has voted in fav"r of rnert of a children's bureau in the denartrnAnt of commerce and labor. and while a 1ahn- dapartnnent may have just jurisdiction with sorne things cornected with the child prob lem. I believe it would he much het- ter to have that hureau connected with the great department of edu"a- ton under the able direction of th' t most progressive educator, Commis- sionAr C1axton.
 "And speaking of progressivere brings me to the considerable of a few thinos that as merely former near-teacher I hesitate to discuss in this presence. but I give tnem 9 to to- you you own ideas and others the thou"hts or those much better qualified to present them.
 ucato and a strong possibility for the highest office in the gift of the Am erican people, progressivene;sIsI ;II IS biIe hGe others are moving. The day of stand ing pat is past. not only in politics, but in everything else. includlng eds uca tion and teaching. and that IS salo with due respect to the excellence Of many things in the days and years that are gone. The teacher niI slt w9o 5o,II9 IS and out before being politely put pls inly told to do so.
 Teachers are paid to get results; for what they claim to be able to do. but for what they really accomplish.
 Teachers are no longer exempt from the standard of money measure, ment. You are paid. maybe not what you deserve. to do a certain thing, namely, improve the child. and you If vou do not no teachers league will long save you. It will be the scrap heap for you.
 be paid for what you accomplish. II is the teacher. not the position, that will draw the money.I Teaching. has tionaI aspect. and there are hard. i headed businessmen on your schooi boards.
 knows that anyone who has book can give out and hear lessons. That is not teaching: that's counterfeiting g. and counterfeiting Is not popular in teaching any more than in money. The successful teacher must be pos- | sessed Of and use. such personal in- fIuence as will awaken the energies of the child to daily success These are the forces that awaken mankind in generaI-encourae cement, insptra- tion, compliment recognition, sugees ton and praise. Un1ess~ teaching starts desires for knowledge it is a failure.
 s'It does not help matters to lay a | failure to causes outside the teacher's | power The fact that the teachers g | power is not strong enough to offset ] those causes is a matter for correc' 1 lion not notification. If your pupils fail you fail-''