Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-02

70 the r.di.or OF inc Times Di:patcG:
Sir'--ih answer to Miss McI<cnt.ey's
letter in behalf Of cocducation or CO.
ord: tion--which ever they can Sc
cur, i wish TO present the following
faces.
Endorsement" ~ the Teachers AS
sociittioI sounds well. bu, should in
zeal, A.; cary little weight. The fact
that ccr;nin delegates assembled in Sea-,
iitlc whcn cn. considers That their
authority Is bthcr transient or non
existent. | happen to know that such
resolutions nave on all occasions been
far from unanimous. IT is also a per-
tinent fact that the vote In such cases
has been Influenced. if not controlled.
froin above. 1t has even been gently
minated thai teachers opposing this
measure would he ap; 10 find their posi-
tons not quite SO sure. Furthermore
the ma ttcr has been risrcprcScntcd "a
such an cxtc-,; that tho opening OF tho
university TO women has been shown
as IN som" mysterious way an opcn
sesame 10 increase ia salary. The scar
city of teachers mas boon 80 often taken
up that ! snail not dwell or, IL here
The cause OF this is no, lack OF prop-
eriy trained college women. but II is
caused by the extremely small salaries
paid, the inaGcIuacy OF facilities offer
ed IN many localities, ana 10 Tho MANY
restrictions placed on u teachers tiino
outside Of school hours. The teacher
has probably the longest working day
or any profession. FOR. after the school
room ~ closed she With has reports
and outlines 10 make ana hand IN, and
lures ana meetings is prescribed TO oc-
cupS her afternoons and evenings. For
these reasons many tcaclcrs have left
I'll" profession aud entered tho business
world Men who have obtained de-
rr"cs at the university are not teach
ing IN the public schools. and (, is not
reasonable ia presume that women who
have made this outlay In money and
time and energy viii do so. \ univer-
SHY trained woman VIII not teach n.
the small salaries offered aud under
conditions as they arc my Nc should
therefore. only b. training more wo
men t" supply the West ard tho North
iota.
We should advise Miss McKcnncy to
check mp on her expense statistics and
not try TO gage present day expenses
~ those OF four years back wo must
consider ;hom for l@lS-l3ig. with war
time prices prevailing. Decent room
ana hoard IN Charlottesville cannot be
had FOR less than $40 per month 1915
per tcrin). ara in addition to that in
cldcntal expenses must 10" considered
For Virginia students although they
pay no straight tuition fee At tho uni
~ indtricuiatton. iaA"ratory, contin-
gent. etc, amounting Ia no, less than
$50. according To course 81 study pur-
sued. u Is impossible Tor any girl. at
college age. doing regular and hard
mental work TO cut expenses and live
on insufficient food wiinout seriously
and permanently injurimE ncr health.
mcntaiiy and physically
II IS an Insult 10 public Intelligence
these PROPOSED bills must necessarily
call for appropriation with tncm--an
appropriation which can be met only by
Increased taxation and an appropria-
'ion "hich viii Increase rather than
diminish rs time goes
In peace time this was pure folly.
~ w"T tine Il is criminal waste.
No great service to the country's inn
mediate need could b. done by training
which viii hc complete four years
from now. Indeed il sa,ackS very
much OF "Slackerisin'' 10 be urging the
question Of higher educa ton and do
vciop:ucut OF individuality. IL the coun-
try has need OF active practical work
now, in business rather than academic
fields
Finally word about the spirit of
the UNIVERSITY" TO all nf US who know
the university. this IS Very beautiful
and sacred reality. the equal OF which
is found nowhere else in this country.
Can IL be hurt think no more fitting
answer can be given than an account
fore the committee in the senate some
evenings ago. Almost every woman
! had thought that every onc-undcr-
stood what 1t meant to volunteer to go
over there" aHd could appreciate tho
sacrifice and hcrossin Il involved. Yet
when My Evans. delegate from Am
licrsi, spoke OF the University OF Nir-
ginia alumni somewhere in France"
and said that ne was soon TO join them.
he WAS answered by one of our worthy
opponents with scoring sarcasm and
ridiculo. followed in the same breath
with the statement that this person
had been offered more jobs in the past
TWO months than she could fll in a
life time. but had refused them all to
stump the state for this cocducational
bill"--and these Jobs" happened to bs
ones involving civic service and COM
munity welfare. That Is Nthc spirit
which is to be introductd--the new
lamp for Old. Can the two conbine!
Or will the best and truest suffer?
y VIRGINIA WOMAN.
Richmond. Va. February 20, 1918.