The Washington times., 1919-01-21

educational breach to stop, If pos
s1bie, complete ruination of the
discipline Of their youngers.
"All this is strangely remindful Of
the 'Children's Crusade. of ancient
times to me. History sometimes re-
ours in modern forms. Much as an
outbreak of an old epidemic.
AS Mr.. Thurston has said. the lack
of teachers is caused solely by the
refusal of Congress to give the women
instructors an. adequate wage. Teach
ers are leaving the employ Of the
District schools in 'droves. Some
times two or three grades are COM
bined under one teacher.
Then when these teachers are sick
the eighth grade students are called
upon to instruct the others. Fortu-
nately, conditions have not reached
the stage where the boys and girls
or thirteen and fourteen years of
age are asked to. act as regular in
structors. But unless some action is
taken by Congress such a course Of
action may be forced upon the Dis
trict schools.
Better Pay as Clerks.
teachers can earn better salaries
starting in as Government clerks than
they can as instructors" stated Miss
watkins. "The principals of schools
IN Washington, who have spent all
the way from ten to thirty years
teaching. are given an average SAL
ary OF $1,000 a year. Other teachers,
some of whom have taught as long,
set from $3.50 to $1,000 a year.
rs $3.50 a year a fair. wage for.
women who have spent years in COL
leges and universities training them
selves to act as teachers for children?
' The teachers duty is to be altru-
.istic. A woman must be unselfsh
before she decides to devote her life
to making good citizens out of the
boys and girls who come under her
care. But Congress, too, without be-
ing altruistic, should at least be fair.
Imagine the CONSERVATION of our
legislators If they were asked to live
on salary of $3.50 or $1,000 a year.
Yet they ask the District school
teachers to do it. Just let Congress
give us square DEAL to use one Of
Theodore RooseveIt's phrases. That
is all we ask. Is it too much?
Calls SoIoRs Selfish.
Il think the old saying DO unto
others as you would wish them to
do unto you is applicable to our
Congressman in this one instance. Let
the legislators who set their own sal
aries as well as the salaries of other
Government officials and employees
do unto US as they do unto 5heru-
selves in the way of pay. I think
our Lawmakers are a bit selfish
sometimes. And I think they would
admit it themselves if they were d.
rectly accused"
Miss Grace NJ. Johnson secretary
of the District Teachers Club, and an
instructor at Business High SchoG;.
today expressed her indigna ton a
the action of the House in granting
salary bonus of only $40 a year.
In my opinion school teachers la
the District should be given a mini
mum salary OF 81 500 year" she told
The Times. THE grade teachers who
are struggling along, half starved.
on salary of $3.50 year. should be
especially provided for.
1T is time something is done. IL
Congress neglects to look out for the
welfare of those women who arc
teaching the children of the National
Capital to be good citizens of the
future, the teachers themselves
should take drastic action to torce
he lawmakers to realize the neces-
sity for relief from present condi-
tions"