The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1914-04-17
LABOR ON SCHOOLS
Policy Outlined by the American
Federation.
MORE PAY FOR TEACHERS.
Thousands of Instructors Of the Young
Receive Smaller Wages Than Un-
skilled Labor-Educational Standard
Low-Concerning Text Books.

skilled Labor-Educational Standard
low-Concerning Text Books.
When an organization has passed the
2,0O0.UOe membership mark the official
expression of its position on matters of
public concern becomes important. even
if for no other reason than for the vot-
ing strength which the organization
represents. And when an organization
of workers who furnish most Of the
pupils in our public schools outlines
policy toward those schools there
should be Il very general understand
ing of that policy.
For this reason the attitude of the
American Federation Of Labor as ex-
pressed through resolutions adopted at
its recent convention in Seattle, be-
comes Il matter of general interest and
public Importance.
Prior to the convention in Seattle the
convention of the Illinois State Fedora
ton Of Labor unanimously adopted
policy which, embodied in resolution
introduced by delegate from Illinois.
received the support of the entire dele
can Federation Of Labor. This broad
ened the scope of the policy outlined
to cover the entire country.
In this resolution a strong protest is
made against the practice in large
schools of placing children to the num-
Der of 100 or more under the care of
one teacher. Such a system is charac-
terized as 'mockery." tending as it
does to subvert the true purpose of the
school by making Of the teacher mere
ly caretaker of the children for a GER
tain number of hours each day. The
complaint is made that the parents
must do the real teaching at home.
while the teacher reviews the work of
the parents"
While magnltcently equipped school
buildings are being erected. costing
enormous sums of money, the salaries
paid to the teaching forces Of these
schools are often inadequate to secure
efficient service. 1t was stated that
there are 3.100 public school teachers
in Illinois receiving less than $500
year, "A wage which compares unfavor-
ably with that paid unskiled day la
Dor Declaring that what is true of
Illinois is equally true Of the entire
country and that salaries paid in a con-
siderable percentage of cases do not
constitute a living wage, the conven-
ton urged that minimum be estab-
lished for all teachers which will as
sure better living conditions and make
it possible to broaden the scope Of their
intellectual and professional activities.
A school system which underpays
and overworks its teaching force can
not secure the services of competent
instructors nor maintain the educa-
tional standard which is required to
insure to every child the advantages of
proper training. In order to overturn
such Il system the convention unani-
mously adopted a resolution to de
mand in the name of the coming gener-
ations that sufficient number of
schoolteachers be employed by our
school authorities to give reasonable
degree of personal attention to each Of
our children intrusted to their care,
thereby enabling teachers to qualify as
a real teaching force and as conserva-
tors of the greatest wealth of our ma
ton. our children" and to declare lin
favor of salary for those teachers
sufficient to secure service Of the high
est standards Of educational value"
The report of an investigation into
the matter Of state uniformity Of text
books was made to the convention,
which showed that in eighteen states
a state commission prescribes text
books for use throughout the state, in
two states the determination Of school
books rests with county textbook
commission. In the remaining states
covered by the report the power Of de.
Gliding upon the books to be used Is
vested in the local school boards or in
the school superintendent individual
ly. The convention recommended and
strongly urged the enactment Of legis-
| lation creating greater uniformity in
textbooks in use throughout the vari-
GUS states. extending the use of free
textbooks and improving their quality
To this end the officers Of the fedora
ton were instructed to draft model
bill to be introduced into the state leg
islature providing for state uniformity
of textbooks and state ownership OF
the copyrights ON books used in the
public schools.-Ethelbert Stewart In
Chicago News.