The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-12-20
Urge Increase Salaries
of Our Teachers
Continued from page y

preservation of Amcricani2ation de
ponds in a large measure upon the
character Of our schools; and, where.
rs
As there is need that the teachers
be assisted in their worthy efforts tc
reach a higher degree of i1icincy; be
it resolved:
az That a real crisis exists in oul
public school system that threatens a
breakdown of our schools.
() That it is imperative that eff
fcctive measures be promptly taken to
Y. prevent disaster.
n (3) That it is essential to provide
\ salaries for our teachers which will
deccntly support them, relieve then
unrest and encourage them, relieve
tinuing in the profession of teaching
and promote a respect for the calling
that will assure a continued supply
of capable teachers for the future.
10 That there should be 4 general
increase in salaries of teachers
throughout the state of at least 30
per cent of salaries as they existed IN
1916 before the United States enter
cd the war.
The following address was delivered
to the school directors present by
Hon. James Hartness of Springfield,
chairman Of the State Board of Edu-
cation:
II yps. n 10 no 1lnI in rpr0p-
milton of the right Of Public School
/ Teachers to have a material Increase
in sass.zg.
We are fully aware that there has
been a change in the purchasing pow
en- Of the dollar.
II 1T is not essential at this time to.
Ri find all the causes that have pro
diced this result, 1t is he fact thai
faces our teachers and ourselves.
BY various venue of approach we
all arrive at a conclusion that our
dollar is worth about fifty cent
when measured by the pre-war buy
ing power.
WAGES of unskilled and skilled
workers have been generally adj
yanced. but there still remains a vast
majority of incomes which have not
! been adjusted. There must be uni
fornlity in change in all compensation
# we are to avoid the calamity OF a
national u%pheaval. .
Under the pre-war condition there
were lamentable inequalities OF com
v1orcot.cp Ern know that we have
always had profiteers, parasites n
other burdens for the people to carry.
We know that the trend of the times
is toward equality of compensation
for given quality of service rendered.
We know that on this new basis
there will be not az exactly uniform
change of pay from the pre-war ba-
sis, but it will be something differ
emit from the extreme condition that
row exists.
We know that u law makers have
euggested only partial and sometimes
DESTRUCTIVE cures, but we are conf
dent that an investigation conducted
by men competent by record OF ser
vice Will bring the needed light n
remedy for the correction OF the OLD
and new irregularities Of remunera-
ticn.
Z The method Of change viii not hurt
the people; it will rot hinder produc-
t;ofl. it will not Kill industrial life,
! AIN dit will predicate al its conclusions
On the fitness for %:ervice for every
man for the Job or discriminating
p~arasites-but sine we are face to
face with a condition that requires
prompt action let Us take care of this
emergency.
Our object in mentioning the
broader problems is to satisfy our
selves that we are on the right track
4 I'd our course toward correct deter
mination of our immediate problem.
Our problem today is to give our
teachers a square deal.
1t is for us, as officers intrusted
with the administration Of educational
system, to act wisely in the present
crisis.
In the teacher of the public schools
we have the highest type OF Amer
icanism, and, consequently, a spirit OF
true devotion to the interest OF the
81 American home oE which American
ism is based.
In on public schools we have the
most powerful engine for good or i'll.
IT has a ~dependabillty Of action. 1t
HI will not run away. 1t cannot easily
q De stampeded.
THE teachers have not struck for
higher salaries and they are not
sppreading unrest doctrines. They
know tie great power of their in1u-
'auce, not only on the pupils who in a
few wears will be the citizens of the
state and country, but also the great
II potency Of their attitude in forming
the public opinion Of the family and
81 community.
III 1t is for US and for all good and
U loyal Americans to recognize the pow
u erl Of our schools and the high value
Of our teachers ideals.
We must not permit a continuance
Of this inequality of remuneration that
places each teachers ideals in jeo-
III pardy.
We cannot evade our responsibility
by pleading existing contracts or