The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-12-14
Nav Have Good Result

IA we gather from the interview given by
Attorney General Samuel w. Williams, printed
today, he puts the blame for the tuition charged
teachers at the Summer normal schools on the
general assembly primarily. He seems to think
that body should have appropriated Tor the
normal schools enough money TO PROVIDE the
teaching without cost to the teachers Tor tui-
ton. We are left doubling whether he thinks
the State should pay also the expenses OF the
teachers attending. However that may be, 1t has
beer a question not of what the State ought to
do anc would like to do but of what she could
do. Carrying the second or third heaviest state
debt in the Union. trying to he honest with hef
creditors, to make some provision for her Vef-
Grams and to keep abreast of modern progress
and requirements, she has been forced to shave
very closely and to dole out her dollars as they
were absolutely needed and stretch each OF them
MS far as possible. Presumably II is for that
reason that the assembly has required the teach
ers to ray part of the cost Of the summer nor
mails Neither State teachers could expect
the instructors to leave their homes In their va
cation time and work at these schools for moth
ing, paying their own expenses. II the state d'a
not provide the money TO pay them, 1t was neces-
sary to get It from somebody else; or have nc
Summer normals; or give them with inadequate
instruction The average teacher would rather
pay for competent teaching than receive poor
or scanty teaching for nothing. The supplement
collected to the State appropriation was neces-
sary to prevent what was appropriated from be-
ing wasted. Poor training or mere pretence OF
/ training for teachers Is worse tHan noHes anu
that is what the State found would have pro-
vided.
/ Doubtless the teachers have felt they were re-
ceiving value for what they paid. Most OF them,
so fal rs general observation could discover, en-
/ toyed and profted by the Summer morals Yet
we agree with what take TO be the opinion OF
/ the attorney general, that the State, now In
financial condition easier than heretoforeh should
relieve the teachers of part If not ALL of the tut
/ tior charges or. better yet so increase their
salaries that they meet the school charges
without pinching themselves Either plan would
relieve the attorney general of his grievance
II lis not quite easy to understand what the
attornsy- general wanted done what he wanted
his fellow members Of the board of education to
| do He does not show where there has been
waste or extravaganza or over-CharEo for ser
vice. He does not even suggest that the division
superntende dents. heads of schools and mem
bers of the faculty of the University OF Virginia
who did work for the Summer schools should
have been conscripted and required to give their
| labor without charge. He does not indicate how
these people were TO be paid while the State was
not giving enough TO pay them. If he intends his
lutterances as an appeal to the public and the gen.
er4l assembly for more State money for the Sum-
mer normals better pay for the teachers his
position is clear enough and likely to be strongly
supported If he intends attack on the State
school board or the school system or the manage
ment of the normals. he seems to have expended
some steam and got no motion.-Roanoke Times