The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-10-30
TEACHERS PLEAD
FOR STATE AID
Ask Governor to Call Legisla.
ture to Enable Them to
Get More Pay.

Gov. A. II. Roberts was asked We'd
nesdav night BY the Memphis Teachers
association 10 call n special session Of
the state legislature and 70 include IN
the call the matter Of increasing the
revenue Of the city board OF education
In order that teachers salaries might
be raised. This action vas taken fol-
lowing a meeting held at Central high
school wednesday afternoon, at which
L. V. lsRmpson. of Washington, d. c.,
national organizer and first vice -presi-
dent Of the American Federation Of
Teachers, was the principal speaker.
In addition to a resolution directing
the dispatch OF the telegram 70 the
governor, another resolution was passed,
under the terms Of which a letter will
be written 10 the governor giving him
detailed information concerning the
teachers salary question In Memphis,
The support OF all civic organizations
Of Memphis, as well as the assistance
OF organized labor, were sought in res
buttons adopted at the mssting, In
WHICH these organizations will be asked
TO lend their voice in petitioning the
governor to eau a special session OF the
legislature for the enactment OF proper
legislation 10 relieve the situation.
100 Local Unions.
Mr., Lampson told the assembled
teachers OF the progress made In or
%gantzlng the teachers In various cities
Of the country. There are at present
10 local organizations, he stated, and
present indications are that there will
be 800 locals by Dec, 81. 1920.
He pointed out three objections which
are usually raised against teachers or
ganizing, One OF these objections, he
said, was that teachers belong TO o
profession and should not therefore af-
filiate with organized labor. Union
teachers feel that they are employees and
can therefore properly affiliate with la
Dor, and In View Of the pitiable com
%pensation they receive and their lack
OF voice In determining matters Of edu-
cational concern they do not belong to a
calling In which the real conditions OF
a profession exist, he declared In an
swerlng this objection,
The second objection mentioned by
Mr.. Lampson was that It would be un-
dignified for teachers TO affiliate with
union labor. He answered this by say
ing that taking the teachers Of the
country as q whole they felt that they
had very little dignity TO lose, No
group OF people have any dignity In
the real sense when they are unable 10
protect themselves, he argued. He pie
tgred the teachers as being the least
able to protect themselves OF any class
Of people In the country today, The
facts are, he declared, that We have
not been accorded that respect, wheth-
err measured in terms Of money or pub
lie regard TO which the character Of
our service entities US,
National Organization Urged.
The third objection, he said, was that
Of strike, The American Federation of
Teachers does not depend upon strike
TO get results, but upon publicity, or
g%anizatlon and political action, he as
serted.
Discussing the condition of teachers
throughout the country at length, Mr.,
Lampson offered the following sugges-
ton as the ultimate solution OF the
problem.
There is only one way out, and that
liz TO build up O nation wide, business,
protective and educational organization
OF the teachers OF the country AS en-
bodied In the American Federation OF
Teachers, affiliated with the American
Federation Of Labor, whose thousands
Of votes, let us say for example-in the
city Of ST, Louis, whose tens Of thou
sands Of votes In the state OF Missouri,
and whose 1900, 600 votes throughout
the United States will be available for
the betterment Of educational condi-
tions.
There IL no subject in which the
members OF organized labor are more
Interested than better schools and bet
ter paid and more efficient teachers.
They need our corporation in bringing
about these results and we need theirs.
The effective and willing support of
organized labor In behalf OF the teach
ers has been demonstrated upon nu-
merous occasions recently, @, g., Nor
folk, Madison, Memphis. ST. Paul, Chi
cago, Washington and New York.
FauIin dtnka HAnntAAt huNFA hAAa nh1A
to get the minimum salaries OF grade
teachers raised over 100 per cent be-
Sides getting increases for the high
school teachers,
They have been particularly sue
cessful in securing administrative re-
forms, such ms the reduction Of the size
and number Of classes, the slmplifica-
ton and Improvement OF the system OF
rating teachers, etc,
System in New York.
"The New York teachers, largely
through the support Of organized labor,
were able 10 get $40, 000, 900 added to
their salary budget, Perhaps the most
substantial contribution of the Ameri.
can Federation OF Teachers 10 the well
fare OF the teachers and the improve
ment OF the schools has been the
amendments Il has been able to secure
In the great educational bill nov pend
ing before congress,
"frhe original Smith bill vested the
secretary OF education with autocratlc
| control over the schools OF the country.
II made no specific provision for fed
eral aid In the payment Of teachers sal
aries, Al the suggestion Of the repre-
sentatives OF the A, v, OF r, amend
ments were agreed upon providing for
federal aid in the payment OF teachers
| salaries and In safeguarding the con-
troll Of the states and localities over
their schools. Largely by reason Of the
vigorous support Of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor this bill, now known as
the smith -Towner bill, revised Is eS-
pected to pass,
"a national organization of teachers,
| consolidated for protection and service,
and backed by organized labor, com