The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1917-02-02
VFhmt Are WD Going TO WO About lta

VFhmt ARE WG Going IO WO About Ati
nor ca Advocate.
we read in the newspapers, and
must believe that IL liz true that this
country il now passing through the
greatest age of prosperity il has ever
known. True, indeed, is the fact that
possibly never before have such ex-
0rbitant prices been asked for the
necessities OF life. But we may dis
regard the advanced costs of bread
and meats or all kinds Al, ~ we have
HmAdy th@ present era Of prosperity De
nnt fictitious one, fOr expense does
mot count when there is an equal or
greater increase in prOtit
$O much fOr the commercial world
@t large, but what Of those who To-
tiently train TIM youthful mind up ro
the point where IT. may go forth ana
successfully cope with present day
men and methods? Does the High
School teacher get his proportionate
share OF the wealth now lowing SO
freely in this great country OF ours2
No, he certainly does not!
A mans success in life Is governed
by so many external and internal
forces His family, the locality in
which he resides, his friends, his
mode or living, his teachers, all these
exert their direct influence. but IL
there one of these forces which has
any more to do with the shaping of a
mans destiny than his teacher And
since this country is now admitted VAN
he the greatest amid most powerful,
both intellectually and morally Of all
nations, does IN not reflect well upon
the forces governing our people, and
propoftionately upon tine teacher
The High School teachers Of today
are better qualified than ever before.
As civilization advances, SO must the
teacher. And when a pupil graduates
from High School today he has all
ready some very definite ideas Of
business.
With all this additional knowledge
and with all these new qualifications
required Of the teacher, he must be-
content I'D plod along for the same
SALARY, Or for IA nominal increase of
ffftE lnr a hundred dollars gained by
years Df service
Take for example tine average High
School teacher who receives 81 CHI
seven hundred dollars as princely
reward for l1is years or preparation.
Imagine the feelings OF this teacher
when his pupils start out i'm life, after
graduation, by receiving ten or twelve
dollars per week. In a short while
they are raised; in a year they are.
sometimes making more than their
teacher is. Is it to be wondered at,
then, that these boys should look back
to their teachers and say: Why do
they continue To plod i'm the same old
rut? Why not get out into the world
and have their views brOadened byA
the feel of some real" money inA
their pockets 2' And why not2 What
iHducement is there for anyone to
devote his time tO teaching others tO
make good in this business world
when he himself must ever remain aH
financial failure by remaining aI
teacher? The greatest financiers OF
today were but yesterday pupils in the
hands Of an underpaid teacher. And
tie one great consolation left for the
teaching profession is to be able to
point to some real successful person
and say, Il was direct means to-
ward that end
liz we are to hold our place in the
world OF commerce; If we wish to
continue at this high pinnacle of sue
cess which we have now attained,
then the future generation must re-
produce TILL brains of Tine past. If w
Nhe teachers should suddenly feel that
they should gD forth in the world,
abandon their loWly positions, and be
successful, what then?
ANONYMOUS.