The Lubbock avalanche. (Lubbock, Tex.) 1909-1922, 1919-05-29
Justice for the Foster-Parents of
our Children

country school teachers less for in
structing the farmers children than
he pays his hired man to feed his
hogs.
In certain town of Illinois, for
instance, the average wages of fif-
teen miners for one month was S217,
while the average monthly salary OF
fifteen teachers in the same town was
S55. In another town a miner. who.
by the way, was an enemy alien, drew
more than s2,700 last year, while the
salary of the high school principal in
the same town was S765. We vel
come with all our hearts the long
belated recognition that is being Civ
en- to the man who works with his
hands We believe that this same
workingman will be the first to join
with us in asking better pay for those
who teach his children.
No wonder there are fifty thousand
vacancies in the teaching forces Of
the schools No wonder the ranks are
being filled with weak men and with
immature women who merely use the
profession as a stepping stone to
something better No wonder there
are thirty thousand teachers in the
United States who have had no
schooling beyond the eighth-gram-
mar garde Small wonder indeed.
that seven million Of our schoolgirls
dren are being trained by teachers,
mere boys and girls themselves. who
have had no professional education
whatever.
When we consider that the 740, 900
teachers Of America are paid an av-
erage salary of $3.50 year: when,
moreover, we consider the fact that
living costs have actually advanced
1903 per cent since the beginning Of
the war thereby cutting the buying
power Of these insignificant salaries
in half. we can easily determine that
only a fool or a martyr would choose
teaching as profession, or would
long remain in II unless these terri
Bile conditions were swiftly remedied.
What a crime is this What an in
dictment What an objectionable SIN
at the doors Of an enlightened people
who now find themselves at the head
and forefront Of the democracies of
the world How can we better pre-
pare for the great undertakings Of
reconstruction than by setting our
selves Immediately TO remedying this
perilous condition. In these trying
and chaotic times whe'i he world is
beset by unrest, by anarchy. by rev
olution, by the DEVILS brood of APP
palling evils that follow in the train
Of war. we must make sure that the
foundations of our republic are set
on rock that il may stand against
the flood
The peace and security Of the
world of the future will be in the safe
keeping of the generation now in our
schools These boys and girls must
weave up the raveled sleeve" Of civ
lization. Their hands must minister
10 the wounds of the nations. Their
minds must meet and solve the diff /
,ult and crucial problems that will be /
heir inheritance. Their hearts must /
De so imbued with the horrors Of war
md with the poverty and anguish
hat inevitably follow in its wake
hat they in their time will enter upon
/ only as a last resort in national
or in support of some
great principle of humanity.
Never has there been a more ur-
yent need for high-minded, great
splendidly trained, 100 per
,ent American instructors to drive
home the vital lessons that these times
hold. Never has the future Of the