The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1919-05-14

hhthOhs
The men and women who art
making the Americans of TO
morrow are being treated with
less consideration than the Jan
itors who sweep out the build
ings in which they are employ
ed; they are earning on the
leverage, less than the wages
Igiveu to the scrubwomun EN-
ployed in the public building of
the United States Government.
Normal school graduates re
ceive less salary than street
swcepers; high school princi
pals aud superintendents less
than section fornan; country
school teachers less for instruct
ing the farmers children than
he pays his hired man To feed
his hogs.
In certain town Of Illinois,
for instance, the average wages
of fifteen miners for Que month
was $9l7, while the average
monthly salary Of fifteen teach
ors in the same town was 500.
In another town II miner, who,
by the way, was an enemy
alien, drew more than $1,000
last year, while the salary
of the high-school princi-
pal in the same town was
;7G5. We welcome with al our
hearts the long belated rccogni
ton that is being given to the
man who works with ms hands.
We believe that this same
workingmun will be the first 10
join with us in asking hettcr
pay for those who ,cach his
children.
No wonder there are iitryI
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 Il stepp-
ing stone 20 something better
No wonder there are thirty
thousand teachers III the United
States who haV" no schooling
beyond the eighth-g rammer
grade. Small wonder, indeed,
that seven million OF school
children are being trained by
teachers, mere boys and girls
themselves, who have had ~
professional education whatev-
er.
When we consider that the
7ia, 600 teachers of America are
paid an average snlury of $500
Il year; when, moreover, we
consider the fact Chat living
costs have actually advance lob
per cent. since the beginning Of
the war, thereby cutting The
buying power OF these insight
ticnnt salaries in half, we cun
easily determine that only a
fool or martyr would choose
teaching us a profession, or
would long remain in 1t unless
thesc terrible conditions were
swiftly remcdicd
What n crime is this, What
All Indictment What an un
pnrdonnble sin AT the doors of
enlightened people vino NOW
find themselves AT the head and
forefront of the iemocracies OF
the world, How can wa better
prepare for the great undertake
Ings Of reconstruction than by
setting ourselves immediately
70 remedying this perilous con.
ditlon. In these trying and
chaotic times when the world il
bcset by unrest, by anarchy, by
revolution, by the devils brood
Of appalling evils that follow in
the train of war, we must make
sure that the foundations OF
our republic are ret on rocl;
that it may stand against tn,
flood.
The peace and sccurity of the
world of the future will he IN
the safe keeping OF the genera.
ton now in our schools THESE
boys and girls must weave M
! the ravelei sleeve" of civnlZn.
ton. Their hands must minis
Ter to the wounds OF the ma
tions. Their minds must NEE
and solve the difficult and cru
cial problems that will be theit
Inheritance. Thcirhenrts mus
be SO imbucd with the horror,
OF war and with the poverty