Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-05-27
JUSTICE FOR The TEACHER
Compensation Inadequate To The
Service Rendered.
NO WORK IS MORE IMPORTANT

NO WORK Is MORE IMPORTANT
Sensible Discussion Of Subject mat
Has Received But Limited Attention
1T is Up to Those Who Are Being
Benefited to Show Some Appree'a-
tion.
1t is strange that the generous-heart-
ed American people, who poured out
their riches so prodigally in response
to every patriotic, every charitable
onpcal. and who accorded such en-
thusiastic and liberal support to every
measure and to every group that hep =
ed win the war, should have neglected
to properly encourage and reward the
services of one of the noblest pro1es-
sions in the field of human activities
"a profession that in lofty ideals, In
unselfish principles, in sacred respon-
sibilities stands side by side with
the ministry Of the Gospel itself.
We wish to bespeak. with whatever
power and authority we may have and
with such words as may be grant
ed to us, some measure Of considera-
ton for the foster fathers and mothers
Of our children-the school teachers
OF the United States Of America.
There Is no class Of workers OF
which we demand so much. We COM
NIT into their keeping the minds, the
bodies, and the very souls Of our child
rem in the tender and formative years
of their lives, and they, receiving
these children, can indeed be said TO
hold in the hollow of their hands the
future Of America We expect these
devoted men and women to watch over
and care for our sons and daughters
as though they were their very own
to drill them in the arts and sciences
to train them for business and for cit
izenship. to instruct them in manners
and in morals, to do for them those
things which we would do had we the
training and the leisure.
No class has assumed so heavy, so
trying a burden and responsibility
with such willingness as these conse-
Grated men and women. No class
has performed their increasingly heavy
tasks more devotedly, more conscien-
tiously, and with less thought of self.
No class served their country more
whole heartedly, more loyalty, during
the trying and tempestuous times of
war day by day pursuing their round
of duty day by day helping the young
people, and through the children the
parents, to see the struggle in it's true
light, thus securing the cooperation of
the community in every measure un-
der taken by the government to win
the war.
Truly they have made the nation
their everlasting debtor. Truly had
they not done their work so well
this republic would not outlast the
span of a generation.
What then have the teachers re-
ceived at our hands in return? They
have received little honor and some
what less of pay. Other classes have
prospered; other classes through pow
erful organizations have secured gen
erous wages. The teachers have no
spokesmen, however, to demand even
the simple justice of a living wage, so
to them we give their petty prewar
pittance, so meager, so pitifully made
quate, that it places a burning brand
of shame and disgrace upon this ma
tion.
The men and women who are max
ing the Americans Of tomorrow are
being treated with less consideration
than the janitors who sweep out the
buildings In which they are employ
ed; they are earning on the average
less than the wages given to the scrub
women employed in the public build
ings of the United States government.
Normal school graduates receive less
salary than street sweepers; high
school principals and superintendents
less than section formen; country
school teachers less for instructing the
farmers children than he pays his
nreQ man 10 IeeO his HOSS.
In a certain town in Illinois, for in
stance, the average wages Of Is miners
for one month was s217, while the
average monthly salary Of Is teachers
in the same town was s55. In another
town a miner, who, by the way, was
an enemy alien, drew more than ST.
700 last year, while the salary of the
high school principal in the same
town was s765. We welcome with all
our hearts the longbelated recognition
that Is being given to the man who
works with his hands. We believe
that this same working man will be a
first to join with US in asking better
pay for those who teach his children.
in the teaching forces Of the schools.
No wonder there are $4,000 vacancies
no wonder the ranks are being filled
with weak men and with immature
women who merely use the profession
as a stepping stone to something bet
ter. No wonder there are 10000 teach
ers in the United States who have had
no schooling beyond the eighth gram
mar grade. Small wonder. indeed,
that seven million of our school child
rem are being trained by teachers, mere
boys and girls themselves, who have
had no professional education whatso-
ever.
When we consider that the 740,-
900 teachers of America are paid an
average salary of $500 a year: when
moreover, we consider the fact that
living costs have actually advanced
1O3 per cent since the beginning of
the war; thereby cutting the buying
power of these insignificant salaries
in half, we can easily determine that
only a fool or a martyr would choose
teaching as a profession, or would
long remain in it unless these terri
BILE conditions were swiftly remedied.
What a crime is this! What an
Indictment! What an objectionable
Gin Of the doors of an enlightened