El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-03-20

. friend and counselor as well as their
/. teacher. You were giving them your
very life-your all
Sometimes you wondered II the
parents OF your children" as you
called them. realized as they should
lealize-what your interest, your hard
/ Work-meant 10 them. In your en-
thusiasm in your chosen profession
you didn't have much time for YOUR
{ self You could hardly make engage
ments ahead-as so many things IN
/ connection with your work would
[ take more time than you anticipated
Don't you remember planning for
l that special course that summer You
I did so want that special training
vet you feared you couldn't afford Il
I that year Living costs were SO much
higher than they had been. A little
spell Of sickness also played havoc
with your personal appropriations
and IL certainly looked like you would
have to give Il up for the present
Il was true that teachers salaries
had been raised-probably as much as
% per cent during the last four years
However, YOU knew fun well that IN
almost every other line OF Work
salaries and wages had been advanced
half that period Of time However, YOU
also realized that there was only one
school system in your good city.
Had there been two school sys-
TENS, eacn competing with the other
for efGciency-you knew full we'll
that you and the other capable teach
ers would be drawing just double the
salaries that you were then receiving
you couldn't help but feel that there
must be something wrong with such
a system. yet what could you do2
such matters we're in the hands Of
that august body-the board OF edu-
catiOu-Which each year during a long
tiresome session checked over the long
list Of teachers names OF course, the
superintendent was there TO tell them
which OF the teachers seemed the most
capable-bur was he in position to
know definitely just how hard each
had worked or how muc h time and ef-
fort each had given 60 mold the lives
OF their pupl-s2 IL didn't seem en-
coura ging. did it2
Sometimes 90 was awfulIy hard 70
keep up your interest-when proper
appreciation did not seem to be shown.
but you didn't give Up hope. did you2
Don't you remember when you were
chosen as Spokesman by the teachers
Of the city2 Your little committee
went before the school board and YOU
told them your story frankly. You eL-
planned and convin0 them that your
profession meant more for the de-
Telopment OF the next generation than
any other posi- BE calling. IL was the
teacher who would mold the minds
.
lives OF the men and women Of the
future-which men and women would
be the citizens. the builders. the very
tax payers, then should not such a
necessary profession be encouraged
and fostered2
You simply placed your cards upon
the table-you told them Of the spe-
cial work you had hoped TO take M
that summer; OF others who wanted
to do the same thing. The school
board. Of course. knew how living
costs had vanced-prohablv each
member was having his own struggle
in his own way. You explained that
you were making. no demands-vOu
were teaching because you loved the
work-that YOU would continue TO
teach regardless. but you did ask them
10 really consider fully your position
to put themselves in your place.
Don't YOU remember when spring
rolled around that year? Wen. any
way, the announcement came You
and many others OF the teaching force
were enabled to take that sper ial
cOurse-because your profession was
the most vital force for good. for fu-
ture DEVELOPMENT and the school board
had learned the truth Of vour story.
and. well, ANYWAY, NOW ISN'T 1T 4
PRETTY GOOD WORLD AFTER
ALL Claiborne Adams.