The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-12-20

for a square deal, and for maintainin,
and energizinss the strong American
ism OF our teachers, so that this powe
of the public schools will continue al
engine for true Democracy instead O
a hot bed for the spirit of distTus
and opposition to our government.
While it has been necessary fol
some branches Of labor to resort t,
strikes to attain an advance in pay
l and In some instances this has dis
turbed the economic balance of re
Enumeration for service, the teacher
scheme Of life is one that is led BY
faith and trust in people that is in.
consistent with the strike principle.
Many OF the teachers have beer
forced to go into other work to gel
a living remuneration, and while this
has depleted the body of trained
teachers to q serious extent. the ma
jOrlty are continuing on, scrimpiug in
their expenditures far beyond the
point OF other workers.
We are not mentioning scrimping
as something exclusively practiced by
our tcachers,-we are fluffy aware
that ii is the most common practice
in our homes-but we must remember
that the teachers salaries have not
advanced in any relation to the de-
crease in purchasing power of the
dollar. That the general increase in
pay elsewhere has constituted an
actual reduction in the intrinsic value
OF these salaries and that as true men
and wonen we will begin setting our
house in order.
The salaries should be increased
immediately al least so per cent more
than the prewar amount for a given
experience and status. Due consid-
Grafton must be given to the natural
advance in salary that a teacher
would have had at this time if there
had been no a On this there
should be at least a fifty per cent in
crease. 1t should begin not later than
February list and earlier If possible.
This is not philanthropy. This is not
a needless action. 1t is something
lAol . hSNRoEoiy II wv ai1 ~ Pio
tect this country from the scourge of
the so-called radical trend of thought.
Not that our salaried teachers
would be leaders in ~dissention but
that they would actually see no fair
deal in our scheme of government
when special groups car put owe an
increase of one hundred per cent or
more in remuneration, while others
not SO organized must be content to
suffer an actual cut by reason Of the
increased cost of existence, due to
the raise in pay forced by others.
We can preach Americanization I'M
til we are all hoarse We can say
that all conditions of inequality can
be rectiied by our regular procedure
of elections, law making and law en-
forcement, and that this can be done
by depending on the intelligence OF
the American people. We can also
go down to the seashore with brooms
and optimism fully confident of our
ability to sweep back the sea; but,
gentlemen, we will not get results by
SUN 1uCILlUuS. we Will SCG IGSuItS
by telling the plain facts-that our
dollar does not buy so much as it did
before the war, that a square deal TO
teachers is absolutely essential to
keep the inner sense of equity OF our
system of government, that without
that true inner sense or Il true inner
conviction of possible equity our
teachers may continue to preach true
ideals of Americanxp.n. They may
strive to serve Loyalty, but their words
will not fit their inner sense Of JUS
tice, and, like all words that are not
backed up in the heart. they will
actually produce an opposite effect.
1t is up to the School Directors to
carry forward this plan. OF course we
all know that there has never been a
plan of progress that has not raised
q flock of questions regarding the way
of attainment, and we also know that,
On the other hand, there never was a
ccuntry's need that could not be allie
waited by a determined push Of an
awakened people.
When our people truly sense this
situation there will be Il readiness ON
the part of everyone, whether an un-
Gerpaid wage Garner, an underpaid
salary Garner or a never paid house
wife, to rise as one body to give the
teachers and AmeriCanism a square
deal. e