Omaha daily bee., 1914-11-27


that makes her kin to every inarticulate,
stumbling, cropping little soul in her
charge, then let the mother teacher be
reinstated I'm her old job.
But II tho mother teachers thoughts
and interests are centered on her own
baby in her own home, so that she does
her work half-heartedly and perfume
torlly, and If she rushes through her
tasks in the schoolroom to get back to
her own cradle, then let her be dis
missed.
The whole question is a question of
efficiency that the school board should
be able to settle on that basis. 1t is a
case where the good of the greatest num-
Der must be considered. and the fate of
the woman teacher should depend on her
record.
The question that has been raised in
this controversy is a most interesting
one, for it involves a big economic prob
lem that we have got to face in the near
future, and that is whether children are
to be a luxury confined to the very rich
or the desperately poor. This would be
a bad thing for the world, for 1t is the
children who are reared in nliddle-class
homes that are the salvation of society.
Many thoughtful people who believe
that motherhood should disbar a woman
from teaching take the ground that the
best interests OF the home and the rights
of the baby to be born are best served
thereby
They say that when the time comes
that a baby is expected the husband
should be able to allow his wife to leave
her profession of teaching and take UP
the profession OF motherhood In its full
tautxv
The man of the family should be able
to support the home in comfort and give
the woman the time ana opportunity to
devote her whole undivided interest, at
tention and care to her child.
Undoubtedly this is the ideal situation.
The only difficulty is that it is impossi-
BILE to always achieve the ideal, and to
those who have the courage to look life
in the eye as It is. instead OF as 1t ought
to be. 1t is perfectly apparent that the
time is fast going by. II It has not all
ready passed, when many men will be
able to provide in such manner for their
wives ana children.
Already the marriage rate has been
cut down enormously because men can
not afford to marry. 1t will so lower
still unless we break away from the silly
old convention that the only respectable
way in which woman can help her hus-
band is by being domestic servant to
him.
Hundreds of thousands of young girls
are fitting themselves TO fill sod paying
situations In the commercial world. They
want to marry and they want ch.l6Sen
hut the only way in which they can do
this Is by keeping on with their Jobs
after they are married, anG helping "a
support as well as create a family. To
forbid this is to doom them TO celibacy
or chlldleSsness.
That a man is rot able 20 make
enough money to support wife AGd chit
dren In idleness and luxury does moi
necessarily indicate that he is unfit e
DO husband ana father. Some OF the
finest, noblest, most intellectual men II
the world lack the talent for money
Grnbbing. These men have brains ant
Drawn and high ideals to bequeath Il
TO their children and It will be a dis
ttnet loss to society II they are doomed
20 remain chlldless because they can
alone and unaided support a family.
As for woman continuing at worl
after she is married and after she hal
children, doubtless that is also a problem
that will solve itself when we reach It
Possibly the advantages OF mother doinI
everything with her own heand for hel
own child is as much OF a myth as tn,
superiority of mothers bread. which ",
have found is not half as good or whole
some as the bakers.
At any rate, most women have mother
or other female relatives who are ampl!
able to care for a child competently
and such things exist as trained nurse
and kindergartens and creeches. Also
the average professional woman woul'
not be away from her child more hour
day than the ordinary mother
away from hers in shopping and goinl
to clubs and bridge whist parties an,
matinees
The added comfort in living and tn
advantages that the wage-earninI
mother could give her children mus
likewise be taken into consideration
Certainly OF two evils II is better tina
the mother should continue in her pro
fession than that the children should b
sent into the factory.
Modern economic conditions hav
ought strange new problems for u
- solve, and none OF them is NOR
vital than this question Of whether
woman must choose between mother
hood and her Job.