Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-03-13

discover that more adequate compen-
sation is one of the chief needs of our
department of education
The surprisingly small average re-
ceived by the-women teachers OF this
state In particular has been empha-
sized by that brilliant champion of
Vermont and Vermont interests. Helen
M. Winslow. in letter to the Boston
Transcript as the basis for argument
for a deserving project She shows
! that the average pay OF women teach
ers in the Vermont public schools Is
ninety-six cents per working day
throughout the year. 1nasmuch as
several months vacation occurs during
the summer, this statement is made
in its most aggravated form and yet
1t serves to demonstrate the compar-
atively small sum of money on which
the women teachers OF this state are
compelled to live.
In the light Of this showing the
question is asked whether II is any
| wonder that some OF the best teachers
are leaving Vermont for tho purpose
Of receiving the larger salaries which
they can command in states that pay
better wages for this service. The
letter continues as follows:
why, statistics show that unelu-
Gated women workers-in factories,
stores and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., MILL
ners and stenographers all receive
larger incomes; even tho street clean
ors of our cities are getting better
wages than that!
"A step forward has been taken re-
Gently, however, In the passing OF an
act by the Legislature granting GER
tain amount of money az a pension
fund for teachers. providing that a
like sum shall he raised by the teach
ers and their friends. not to exceed
10000 year. The Governor has
signed the bill and it has now become
a law. The sum of 5000. 600 Is required
to meet the demands of the situation,
and the Vermont Teachers Retirement
Fund association has gone bravely to
work at their task. This organiza-
ton has been working for two years
to get the bill passed AMI incidentally
to raise money for their 'nest-egg.'
They have succeeded in getting about
$4,000 as a nucleus, and are determined
to make it $4,000 before October. in
state treasury. The state treasurer
is treasurer of this society and the
Governor is the president. other
workers for it are Mrs. Theodore n.
vail. Mrs. Bourke Cochran, Hon. Henry
c. lde date minister to SPAIN, and
others equally we'll known. Teachers
Green Mountain State are straining
every nerve. getting up entertain
ments, writing letters. getting sub
scriptions and doing everything pos
sible to raise money for this cause.
MANY citizens there are possibly
of this and others States who owe
err. Many of us can recall men, and
more especially women, whose simple.
wise, unaffected lives, as we'll as their
efficiency as teachers, were an inhu-
ence in our early lives which lid much
to shape our ambitions into definite
careers of usefulness in one direction
Of Vermonters live outside of the
Green Mountain state who are able
and doubtless willing to help raise
this first and most important $40 900
for the Vermont teachers pension
fund, Let all such put their hands
into their pockets, to speak fgura-
books, to speak more literally. and
send contribution as large as posi-
BILE or as small as may be necessary
to this good cause. At ninety-six
cents day the women teachers of
Vermont cannot lay by anything for
the future but they are all working
for this cause Why should not ev-
: cry loyal Vermonter take hand and
help along this splendid cause?"
} we believe the public-spirited peo-
pie In every community In Vermont
, should become aroused TO the neces-
! sity OF measures TO assure a living
wage for the women teachers, who In
so many instances are called upon to
take the place OF parents and especial
ly OF mothers in training the young
lives committed to their care or of
: supplanting home influences.
1t is passing strange that so many
, parents nre willing to help extort from
this class of devoted public servants
one Of the most important and far
? reaching kinds OF service for the State
, and for society in general at the low
/ est possible wage.
4 For those OF ample means who are
I no longer Interested in our public
/ schools owing to the growing up of
children the opportunity for patriotic
Y service afforded in this connection Is
twofold: the promotion Of better
t wages for teachers and the enlarge