The Nenana daily news., 1919-09-27
SCHOOLS AND THE WAR
By L. D. HENDERSON Commissioner of Education, Terri
 tory of Alaska.

In k. Lane school. The building compares favorably with the best in the Territory. The equipment is excellent and the provision for the comfort, safety and full develop ment of the pupils all that can be reasonably expected, especially when the size of the school is considered. Since the Nenana school district was first established the members tof the school board have shown themselves to be broad-minded, pub Ilic-spirited, progressive and deeply interested in everything that per Itains to the advancement of the interest of the children of the com munity. Nenana is to be congratu- lated on her excellent school and or the record which the pupils have made in the support of every war activity in which the Government has asked aid of the schools during the past two years.
 Alaska generally brides herself on four things: First of all, she yields second place to no state in the Union in the war record of her schools. In War-Gardens, Warsaw ings, Red Cross work, and Food l Conservation, in relief activities of every description and in active SUD- port of every ''win-the-war mea- sure" there were few laggards in the whole Territory. Alaska fur ther brides herself on the training and experience of the teachers in her public schools. More than two- thirds of the teachers in Alaska are graduates of normal schools or col leges, and a large percentage of this number have had advanced i training in addition to graduation. 1 The average experience of Alaska teachers during the school year 1917-1S was seven and one-half years. When these figures are com pared with those of any state in i the Union, or with those of the na- tion as a whole, Alaska is found to be far in the lead, a circumstance which contributes, without doubt, to third cause for pride, namely, the superiority of the pupils in her schools as indicated by series of standard tests which have been giv- en during the past two school years. A fourth cause for pride is to be found in the generous financial sup port which the residents of Alaska give to their schools and in their readiness to provide still greater funds as the necessity presents itself.
 The high cost of living is now an issue in every walk of life. Per capita school costs will now be larger than in the past. The mat ter of teachers salaries in the schools of nearly every community needs adjustment upward. Alaska has been able to secure highly trained and experienced teachers largely because she has been paying more adequate salaries than the average state. Teachers salaries throughout the United States have advanced materially during the past year. There is, in addition, a scarci- ty of teachers throughout the na- tion, the shortage last year being estimated at fifty thousand. If we are to secure thoroughly competent teachers in the future, we must spend more money on the item of teachers salaries.
 A period of material, moral, and spiritual reconstruction now faces the nation. It is frankly admitted by all that the schools are essen- tial to the proper carrying out of reconstruction program. Without the active cooperation of teachers and pupils the Nation would fail in