Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-11-20
IN
NEED OF MORE
AID FROM STATE
City and Country Teachers
View New Salary Act From
Different Angles

Different Angles
Pronounced differences of opinion
between city and country school
teachers and officials in regard to
the benefits of the teachers salary
law of 1919 were manifested to-day
at the discussion of school support
at sectional meetings of the State
Educational Congress. The rural
speakers were mostly in favor of
the old law and the men from the
city favored the new.
Most of the speakers took filings at
assessed valuations OF properties as
the root of the trouble, and after
much debate Superintendent G. A.
wagner, of Chester, said that the
old law was dead and that teachers
should pull together, not against
each other. Mr.. Wagner and others
poke at length on assessment and
attacked the inequalities which they
said were apparent in many places.
Mr.. Wagner said that more aid for
the rural districts was state obli-
cation.
The Woodruff salary law was at
tackled by Superintendent C. w.
Sweeney, of Elk, and others. Mr..
Sweeney saying some cheap legis-
lator" had tinkered with the act and
it hurt instead OF helped. John S.
Carol, of Fayette, said that poor
districts must be taken care of or
they will have to shut up shop, and
E. S. Templeton, of the State Board
of Education, spoke at length on
the need for more money for schools
and opened a long discussion of dis
tribution of funds.
Discuss Minimum Salaries
Extension of the county voca-
tional education supervisor system
followed in Chester, Allegheny and
Columbia to all of the counties of
the State was urged a q means OF
improving the rural and agricultural
education facilities by speakers at
the agricultural section of the edu-
cational congress. The meeting was
largely attended by men from coun-
ties having farming districts, and
the speakers included Thomas A.
Book, of Chester; Orton Lowe, of
Allegheny, and w. w. Evans, Colum-
bia county. They all pointed out the
Importance of having agricultural
education that dealt with farm prob
lens and less about fads.
School support and the minimum
salary law We're the themes at the
largest of the sectional meetings and
the whole teachers salary PROPOSE
tion appeared to be in process of be-
ing threShed over again. This meet
ing is expected to indicate what will
be the policy in regard to legislation
next winter and tomorrow the
question of distribution of State-aid
will come up.
The congress will end tomorrow
with presentation of resolutions eX-
pressing views as to future State
educational policy.
Discuss AIl-Year school
Suggestions that Il week be set
aside for discussion of thrift and
saving We're made by Harrison S.
Walker, of Bellefonte, at meeting
to encourge thrift. This was later
embodied in a resolution for such a
period.
establishment of city-owned farms
as u means of teaching city. boys
agriculture was urges by several
speakers after Orton Lowe, of Pitts
burgh, had declared that there was
n demand for such teaching in the
cities, q statement which was sup
ported by almost every city man
present. This was attributed to the
influence of the war garden. This
came up at the agricultural educa-
ton section. which strongly favored
supervisor of such education in ev-
cry county, the national and state
governments to share in the cost.
Foreign systems of physical educa-
ton were declared at the health
education section to have valuable
points for incorporation into systems
in this country, but several speak
ers said that young men were need
ed as teachers. Some of the men
who spoke urged that normal schools
give more attention to such training
in their courses.
Much time was given to the all
year school. This was n new idea
for many of the people at the con-
ference and it evoked quite a dis
cussion which indicated that most
people thought it a matter for the
future.
Among the interesting discussions
was that on moral instruction. One
speaker said that n morally perfect
person has ninety-three virtues, but
the list was not enumerated. The
Rev E. c. Keboch, of this city,
urged more attention 10 the morn
ing devotional exercises.
Attack Old Schools
The little red school house of the
and the failure of some
school authorities to get into step
with modern ideas of physical and
health instruction came in for scor-
ings at yesterdays late afternoon
meetings. The result will be that
calling for the enuncia-
tion of a State policy for branch
of the State Department of Public
instruction devoted to rural educa-
ton and for the establishment of
systematic course of bodily as we'll
as brain training will be adopted at
the close of the conference. Con-
time was also devoted to
4 Of r.