New-York tribune., 1919-02-17

poyed are injured. In face of these
alarming figures the Bureau of Mines
has Informed the committee that it is
powerless to progress much further
with safety instructions due to the IL
literacy among the miners.
Physical Defects voidable
OF the number Of illiterates given
for the whole country the census ex-
perts have estimated that more than
100000 are above the age of ten
years. On the other hand, of those
examined for military service under
the selective service act it was found
that more than 100000 were physically
unsound and that large proportion
of the physical defects could have
been prevented or removed by proper
attention in youth. The economic and
industrial loss, not to speak of the
poverty and misery, attributable to
these facts, experts have testified. has
been enormous
The Importance of the problem of
Augmentation, it is held, has been
emphasized repeatedly during the war
and is self-evident from the fact that
there are now 100000 foreign born
IN this country. Not only many Of
the committee has been told, are igno-
rant OF their duties and responsible
ties as citizens.
As one witness, testifying, put it:
government of the people and by
the people, made up of people from
every land, must necessarily be deter.
mined by the character Of its com
posite citizenship. Therefore, the vel
fare and perpetuity of our nation de-
lmand that all possible encouragement
be given to the states in the develop
ment of a citizenship physically and
intellectually sound, and imbued with
the spirit and ideals Of true Ameri-
canlsm Thus only can our republic
be made safe, efficient and enduring"
Higher Pay for Teachers Urged
Advocates of the Towner bill insist
that 1T is essential in any form Of con-
structlvc legislation to meet the il
llteracy peril, that provision be made
for the government to assist the states
IN paying adequate salaries to teach
ers, and that more teachers, we'll
trained, be provided Referring to the
fact that there are 220O0,0OO children
OF school age in the United States,
brief laid be ore the House Committee
In behalf of the American Federation
Of Labor, the American Federation of
Teachers and the National Education
Association said:
AHN Dui eau VI IuuCdllOn reports
that the average annual salary paid
teachers in this country in 1918 was
S63O-64, which is $243 less per annum
than the average wage paid to scrub
women in the United States navy yard |
Is there any wonder that results are
not always satisfactory? Inefficient
schools are almost invariably the re-
suit Of inadequate support. Low sal |
aries are driving many good teachers !
out of the profession and filling the |
ranks with the immature, inexperi-
enced and unframed
"Of the G00,0OO teachers in Amer
lea 100000 are less than twenty years
old; 100000 have served two years or
less; 10000 have no education beyond |
the eighth grade; 100000 have had
less than a high school education.
Our government has been accused Of
giving more thought to agriculture
and commerce than to education; more
attention to livestock than to chill
lren."
Advocates of the legislation have
called the attention of the House COM
nlttee to the fact that the other great
nations are giving particular atten-
ion to public education since the war,
and that Notwithstanding their enor-
nous war debts are appropriating more
or this purpose than ever before. At
.entlon has also been called to the fact
hat separate representation for edu-
,ation is given in the Cabinets Of Eng
and, France and Italy.