Putnam County herald. (Cookeville, Tenn.) 1903-1922, 1919-07-31
SCHOOL CONDITIONS IN
PUTNAM COUNTY

Cali yOuI dtCtullOu W IuC liSI VI
schools and teachers published else
where in this paper. You will notice
that there are a number Of vacan-
cies. These places are vacant not
by selection or choice of the Board
of Education, but because no teach
ers are available to teach them.
There being fewer teachers than
schools, the teachers naturally took
choice of the places they are to
teach.
believe the child in the more re-
mote districts needs the advantages
of schools just as much as the more
thickly populated communities. think
it nothing less than a calamity that
the children in these outlying dist
riots have no schools, but it is be-
yond my power to prevent it.
said some months ago that this
county would be short of teachers
this year. We offered every induce
ment possible to secure teachers for
all the schools. We are paying
nearly fifty per cent more in salaries
to teachers than we did four years
ago. The payroll we have now been
forced to establish in order to secure
any teachers this year can not be
kept up another year and school
warrants remain at par. Any one
knows it is not good business to
overdraw any fund and have war
rants sell at a discount and give the
man with money an opportunity to
speculate at the expense of the man
or woman who is forced to sell, and
I say to you now that this condition
shall not occur as long as write
the warrants on the school fund.
We saw that if we we're assured
of two or three mill greater levy
for elementary schools than we now
have, we could go into the market,
so to speak, this year, and by Offer
ing little better salary and little
longer term could secure the best
teachers from other counties. With
this in view we went to those whose
business it is to levy the taxes and
asked that this small amount be
levied for school purposes. 1t was
not done We were met with the
cry that taxes were already too high
and the people could stand no more.
know that the tax rate has been
raised in the last few years for GER
tain purposes, and I am not arguing
against the progressive movements
for which these extra taxes have
been levied, but how much has been
raised for the elementary school, the
school of the country boy and the
country girl? Not one mill in the
last six years. Teachers are quitting
because they are human, have a
physical organism to be fed, and
body to be clothed. They are not
to be blamed for seeking living
where 1t may be found.
But it is not the teacher for whom
I sympathize, for they can make
living at some other work. 1t is the
children who are doing without
schools this year, and If conditions
are not changed will have to do
without next year, and the next, and
the next. I believe that should there
be no more money available to hire
teachers next year, forty or fifty per
cent of the schools will be without
teachers.
Mr.. Business Man, do you think it
profitable to you for the people with
whom you deal to be illiterate and
unproductive? I I you do, then keep
quiet, for conditions are Just as you
would have them.
Mr.. Farmer, do you think 1t fair
to your son and daughter to be fore
ed to leave home In order to secure
even a nelementary education, or to
remain at home and grow up in ig-
norance, and thus be handicapped In
the battle he must wage with those
who have had better advantages? II
you do. then say nothing, for con-