The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1918-12-14
THE EVENING HERALD is sor.

THE EVENING HERALD is sorry for the con.
dition which makes it necessary for us to carry
in today Issue the official announcement of
The Abandonment Va The 1918 convention of the New
Mexico Educational association. Albuquerque had
made elaborate plans for the entertainments Of the
teachers Of New Mexico during Christmas week.
Our consolation is thai, we will have the opportunity
next year 10 extend our hospitality to the vigorous
and loyal little army Of men and women who are
spreading the doctrine OF Americanizaton through
out this state, in their daily work in the school rooms.
Albuquerque disappointmcut at the abandon
lnent OF the convention II, however. the least serious
factor in the necessary postponcmcnt. There were
TO have come before this convention a number of
questions which vitally affect tile future of cduca.
tional efficiency in New Mexico, questions which
cannot be left undetermined much longer.
One of the principal of these matters is that of the
pay of teachers. Secretary Lane, in his annual re-.
port, delivers u wonderful sermon on the necessity
Of a broader, more thorough educational system
throughout this nation one which will eliminate
that 10 per cent of adult population who cannot
read the laws made for their government; which
produced 100000 men out of an army of 2,0O0.0O0
who could not read their orders. In the course of
this indictment OF America s educational ineffi-
ciency and neglect, Mr.. Lane asks:
What should be- said Of a democracy IN
which one Of the sovereign states cxpendN q
grand total Of IS per year per child for suN-
teining ITS public.school system?
What should be said of a democracy which
cxpcnds in a year twice as much for chewing
gum as for school books. more for automobiles
than for all primary and secondary education,
and III which the average teachers salary IL
less than that of the average day laborcrG'
Mr.. Lane may not have had New Mexico partic-
ularly in mind when he wrote that indictment. Prob.
ably he had not. But he strikes very close to and AZ
the conditions here; as regards the average annual
expenditure per child for education, and as regards
the salaries paiu 10 teachers.
We have on our statute books at present a law
which fixes as the maximum which may be paid la
teachers of certain grades a sum which will not per-
nit n blanket Indian To live in decent comfort ac-
cording to his modest standards. at the prices and
cost conditions of today. The idea of talking about
advancing educational efficiency and educational
standards in this state when we limit the salaries
tina, can he paid to the primary and secondary
school teachers to $50 and S60 a month, Is simply
silly.
We frequently hear from taxpayers the demand
that we put a check on further education cxpcndi-
lures that we are gong too fast and too far IN
spending money for schools. We hear from others
the wall that our national government left us. dur
ing our territorial years, to work out our own edu
cational salvation, while the congress c%hccrfully APP
propriated millions for the olucatiOn of distant Fill.
ipinos. That true. But it does not absolvr us
of our responsibility To build up an efficient educa-
tionsl system here and to eliminate our own Hitter
scy.
The State Department Of Education has not Suffi-
cient funds with which 10 carry ont the bare, neceS-