Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1919-04-28
Comparison Made With the
Wages of Those Whose
Work Requires no
Special Training.
MANY TEACHERS QUIT
Statistics Gathered by ILL
nois State Teachers
Association.

much underpaid and to prepare the
way for a raise in salaries, provided by
recent legislation:
Statistics obtained by r. c. Moore
Secretary of the Illinois State Teach
ers'' association, and published in ths
February, 1919, issue of the illinois
Teacher" show that the average
monthly wage Of fifteen miners for a
certain month, taken from the pay roll
at the mine was SPLITS, while the
average monthly salary of the fifteen
teachers in the same town was $500
In another town a certain miner, who
by the way, was an Australian alien
drew more than $500 in wages last
year, while the high school principal
in that town, an American girl, trained
for her work in university, drew a
salary Of $765.
Congress has repeatedly recognized
the necessity Of increasing wages and
salaries in, order to meet present eco.
monies and indus trial conditions. The
johnson Nolan bill, H. r. 1872, provid'
ing that the minimum wage of all civil
employees of the United States shall be
800 a month, or 81 $50 a year, passed
the house of representatives and is now
under consideration in the committee
of education and labor in the senate
Please note that, this is the minimum
wage and applies to all employees in
cluding watchmen, janitors and chair
women.
Leaving Profession.
7 Throughout the country teachers art
leaving the profession which, on ac
count Of the low salaries paid. is be
coming less attractive to capable young
men and women. Normal schools ant
teachers training schools have faller
off alarmingly In attendance. The stu
alton is particularly serious in rura
communities where the salaries d
tmany county superintendents ant
teachers are appallingly inadequate
One of the ablest county superinten
dents of Indiana writes: when 3
teacher becomes efficient. the city pays
her more money and naturally sht
LEAVES Continuing. with reference tt
low salaries, this superintendent de
|clared: :. ..There Is one thing certain, thu
more progressive will not further sac
rifice their time and energy, regardless
of the fact that they like their worl
better than anything else and have pre-
pared themselves for it,"
Must Increase Pay.
DR.. P. r. Claxton, United States
commissioner of education, in a &c
Gently published article, writes: 1T il
only by very large increases in pay o
teachers that we may hope to improve
our schools appreciably. Small in
creases of 5. 10 or 70 per cent will no
lavail for they will not be sufficient t.
hold in the schools men and women o
superior ability. Teachers are nov
paid less for their work than any OH,
class of workers, and the increase il
4 their pay in the last few years has il
no wise been in keeping with tie in
crease in pay Of other workers, or Will
the increase in the cost of living. Man.
|of the better teachers are leaving tn
schools and their places are taken b!
i men and women of less native ability
less education and culture and les
training and experience. AS an inev
litable, result the character Of Tn
schools is being lowered just at tim
when it ought to be raised to i:r,ci
higher standard" Continuing, Dr
Claxton declares that the remedy il
Ito increase teachers salaries until the!
shall average at least 81 800 year.
The right kind Of education is abso
|lutely essential to the preservation o
our democratic ideals. The recent war
with it's terrible cost In money and hu
man lives, was largely the result of TIN
false philosophy Of the Germans a
taught lin their automatically control
/ led schools. and the chaotic condition IL
Russia today is due, in large measure
to the illiteracy Of her people. The com
mission on industrial relations in tn,
conclusion of its final report declares
Real social service is the highest at
itainment the individual can aspire t.
breach. The state should properly be
held responsible for the education OF
her children, in order that the best
possible use shall be made by the great
est possible number of the oppOrtuni
ties of life as they present themselves
from year to year.
J. Nj. Houghtailing has been EN-