The Washington times., 1919-01-15
DC. TEACHERSPUSH
PLEAFOR MOREPAY


| committees Of the teachers unions Of
the District has sent q letter to the
senate subcommittee on the District
Dill emphasizing the need of mor+
pay.
The letter was signed by the chair
man OF the legislative committee
mrs. Mary Brennan Inkster.
Mrs. lnkster recently appeared
with other Washington teachers be-
fore the Senate subcommittee. Shs
emphasizes the fact that this year,
registration OF nine entering students
, at the Normal School as against
ninety last year indicates a crisis.
Ask Consideration.
Following is the letter:
Il am enclosing to you a copy OF
statement authorized by the fede-
rated committees OF the Teachers
Unions of the District of Columbia
1t comprises the present salary sched-
/ ule. the proposed estimates of the
Board OF Education, and the esti-
mates which the teachers state will
, restore to them the purchasing pow.
er Of their salaries as given then,
| by Congress in 1oo6. We respectful
ly ask your careful consideration oi
these estimates when this matter Is
presented to you ythe. Appropria'
tion Committee.
ter Of simple justice to q group oi
people who cheerfully and gladly
did their share-and a very active
share IL was--in the recent trying
{ days of the war and as q matter OF
good business sense In order that
the talent now employed in the
schools may not be further depleted
teachers are still leaving daily
ninety-five left during October, &C.
cording to Mr.. Thurston. super.n-
tendent of schools, in q speech made
before the Chamber Of Commerce or
December 10.
Crisis In System.
There Is crisis in our whole ma
tional school system. 1t Is beins
manifested here in Washington
Teachers have left, and are still leay'
ing: young people are not enterins
the Normal School, one of the kest
plants of its kind in the country tive
years ago there was an entrance
| class OF ninety: this years registra
ton was nine); young men and WON
en- coming out of college are not IN
tering the profession of teaching be-
cause the remuneration Is so muct
more attractive in other lines OF
work. Yet the schools have been :ht
bulwark Of our country and they
must be made q stronger and strong
er bulwark.
"The schools have been the onl.
melting pot in the nation. They mus
| become a greater melting pot thar
ever. so that IL can never again b,
said that tens Of thousands OF native
born children are taught the history
OF America in a foreign tongue
AT all times the safety of a repub
| lie depends upon an educated ant
trained people. But at no time is D
as important as ii is in these day.
after a great war, when the yer,
been dislodged. We need now. NOR,
trained experts, men and women witt
broad and constructive vision anC
building power. And yet to such ex
perts, to such men and women o.
power and vision, the Governmen
now pays less in a majority Of easel
| than for the routine clerical worl
done by boys and girls who have les
| than a high school education. More
| over, the clerk becomes more skillful
| more an efficient machine as he con
tinues at work: on the contrary. tn
teacher is more and more depleted b!
the act of teaching, Of giving out in
formation and inspiration, and mus
needs have a period each year, first
Of complete mental rest, when tn,
mind can lie fallow for a while, and
second, a new period of taking in, o
new learning and Inspiration for tn
next years teaching. And all this re
quires an adequate salary.
Pay Not Adequate.
| Now, gentlemen OF Congress, tn,
present salaries are not adequate
| They are not more than half ado
quate. The present salary must b,
Increased 10 per cent in order to re
store its purchasing power. Mr.. Lane
the Secretary of the Interior, in a re
port published in the Outlook on De
| cember IS. 1918. put the case yer!
succinctly when he asked the follow
ing question: What should be sale
Ct a democracy which eXpends in .
year twice as much for chewing gun
| as for school books. more for auto
mobiles than for all primary an
| secondary education, and in which tn
| average teachers salary is less thar
| that OF the average day laborer?
| The present salaries, because they ar,
| inadequate, will not hold the presen
teaching force; standards of require
ments will be lowered-as has beer
done during the war in order to keeI
| schools open; the situation will be
come graver and the present crisis be
come increasingly acute. No plan o.
reconstruction will or can succeed
| that is not based upon the firm
| foundation of an efficient and all
| American public school
in the light of these facts. we re
| spectfully urge you. with all the fore,
in our power, to Immediately rails,
the salaries of all the teachers of tn,
| District OF Columbia 100 per cent
every sincerely yours,
MARY BRENNAN INKSTER,
| "Chairman. Legislative Committee o.
the Federated Committees OF tn.
| Teachers Unions of the Distric