Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-10-05
100000 TEACHERS, SHORT
tes BECAUSE OF SMALL PAY
81 Beatrice Fairfax Points Out National
$50 Menace Due to Wholesale
- designations.
USDERPAD IN STR TORS
Writer Asserts That Because of
Scarcity of PcdagogHce Many Pub
: . lie Schools Failed to-Opcn Doors
This Fall.
BY BEATRICE FsIRFAx.

~ BY BEATRICE F.NIFcFAX.
s a don', wonder We are an 50 deeply
> ali over the land, but in tar-rcach'ng
,gefYocts most of them fail compared
With that spontaneous and nnp imp ,ndor
STRUCK sa. nor protce,ed al the injustice
q % ,,is found themselves better paying
jobs-Soo, 900 OF them.
And the result is that number OF
our public schools throughout the
doors this autumn; !, would seem 70
rational people that tho shocking
revelations regardinE inite!acy IN ms
country. brought about by tho draft.
would have speeded up legislation ae
far as eduoational appropriation is
during the war 80 ind teachers for
Vacancies. has been closed down for
failed TO make the necessary appro-
priaton TO keep II alive.
I; might not be a bad idea when We
are in particularly spread eagle
mood 10 scbcrly remind ourselves that
"a $40 per cent OF our soloiers , GH
9uoe EuTes q Enen S1 by the
surgeon general Of the army. Out OF
l.s5c25e men examined. ss6,la6. or
paragraph in an English newspa per
or write a letter home.
We nigh, repea, these figures, as
an act OF humility. every time we feel
inciined 10 puff out our chests and
thank Heaven We are The sreate 81
richest. hisEest-and s9me say the
- Al the time these figures were taSu-
hated, were in a much better posi-
than than we are in today since then 10.
600 men and women have been taken
. from :he teaching. profession by The
Jobs which offer easier WORK ana
greater opportunities. and they have
no intention OF returning TO their III
paid former calling.
Can You Blame Them:
.t-e Can you blame them when you con-
I. slider that, apar, from the ministry.
teaching is the most ill-paid Of the
r. Smaller salaries than elevator girls.
soda water dispensers and bus girls
TO appeal to them on patrotie
10 in1urE Why snouid aa the unS Ssye
monopoly OF altru!sm in this high cost
OF living era"
supply Of teachers to keep down the
p threatened menace OF iNitcracy-and
; please remember it was nearly one.
Fourth of the first draft--we have got
10 pay for them. Congress might as
we'll make up its mind first as last that
the barsain-counter school-'eacher has
and the 1o-cent watcrmelon-they have
passed on into that limbo the good
schools have actually been closed in
years, owing to dearth OF TEACHERS
title for the Mother OF lliterates'
is not much better off.
tngradcd rural schools. within A
dozen miles OF Washington clanor
Tor teachers at so a month but young
= they can make more money standing
in department store and mo school
papers to correct after hours, either
g" Last October, in the face of 20 600
shortage in teachers. President Wilson
81, found IL necessary TO issue a special
~ appeal, to ministers. married women
MI the then existing vacancies. as
otherwise half million children
ASIDE MGdd %n'"S IF the rhs resdG9t SCI
fund placed Al his disposal for getting
the teachcrless schools in touch with
public spirited persons willing TO keep
them .open. Despite the grant and the
Presidents appeal. schools in several
states have had to close their doors.
Reasons for Carnegie Libraries.
F" This might not be a bad place TO recall
Andrew C4rnegie's reason for giving
lbr4Eies as = means OF sharing ms
immense fortune with the people. II
MAS tAi!is.cs comment on tho num-
bcr % jams M encountered on a jour
ney to d.Hburgn-tai!s, Jails, but
never Il library, ~.
i;oys and girls who go TO high school
ana form the library habit have a
way OF haep:ng clear OF jais They
nave few decent resources within
themselves TO fan back on Lie 10
Item Is not one continuous search for
hew sensations.
j is TOO bad that as a nation We
haNe always maintained cheese
parinS po.cE as far as education is
concerned We have never, in con-
graduating ourselves on our srcatnes:
seemed 20 realize the importance OF
education. We were shocked naturanv'
%hen We read those i!literacy statistics
a the hrst draft. but we are dom
absolutely nothing about IL
we are at tho present time actually
sou 900 teachers short! Do a little BIT
or calculating and see for YOURSELVES
how many children that Will leave un-
taught. Or h<-tauEht, Tor the .nsu
ing year.
II tho standard OF teachers, mas.
could Dc raised so as TO make !, CON
mtnsuratc IN any way with The binh
cost OF living very likely many Of n7,,
tea chcrs would leave their commcrci.i
, positions ana again come back 10 thai-
clasSeS In the meantime. since schoo,
concerns tn mothers OF cnIldrcn 49,.
closely. 1t n. Sht not be (. had id.s -,
Nr'tf 10 Your CONGRESSMAN abour M .
crying need of our country
Nisundrrstood
Ni"gctt had arranged 10 s,o,d &,
Gay WIN a friend. but owing to heavv
rams part OF tho branch linz m
WhiGh ne should have traveller va.