Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-11-01
SCHOOLS SHOW THE WAY OUT.

The discussion of the coal miners
strike has resulted in many state
ments by spokesmen for operators
and miners.
The Carbon City News of Gallup
has lengthy article about the hard
ships some miners endure in narrow
yeined mines, under bad conditions,
AT Gallup the men have been work
ing fun time, six days in the week,
and the operators seeking constantly
increased forces.
The News does not state whether
the men of that district are well or
poorly paid, nor allege poor conditions
at the mines. Aside from this, how
ever, the general statement includes
the following upon the subject of
coal-mining people:
"Thcre is no other way but for the
child of a coal miner to follow in the
footsteps of the father and become a
miner, as soon as his age will permit
him to enter the mines to work, If
lie is a male child; if the child hap
pens TO be a female, there is absolute
Nv no future in sight-not even the
possibility of a job. Society does not
permit her to perform manual labor,
ana she can't do other work by rea-
son of a lack of an education"
That would be Il lamentable condi-
ton anywhere. 1t may be true as to
towns in eastern coal regions where
masses of aliens are employed. who
do not take to the schools like Amer
lean children, or whose parents do
not appreciate the advantages of edu-
cation sufficiently to keep the boys
and girls in school.
The Gallup paper probably did not
mean to make local application of the
comment. The papers there have
frequently mentioned the school ia
ciliues of that prosperous place For
the good reputation of the people and
the schools of New Mexico. whether
population be of miners or otherwise,
the Journal entirely aside from the
issues of the present labor dispute,
questions the correctness of the claim
that any children, in any New Mexico
town, who will go to school, are lin
tied to coal mining for employment,
or are doomed to idleness by society.
The schools are provided at public
expense in all towns. those at coal
centers probably being as good as
those in places OF other character.
In some of the towns, if not at
Gallup, mining companies have sup
piled grounds gratis, erected buildings
and are the mainstay of the schoolsJI
with the purpose of making employees
contented and advancing the condi-
tion of their children.
The Journal has no information
covering details of school facilities in
coal-mine districts. But only a few
days ago a ColfaX county paper stated
that at Dawson a coal company pro-
NidVu a bNeiNhtl elsSt III Olutl W
house teachers comfortably. and en-
able them to live economically Twelve
of the Dawson faculty were residing
in the building.
Given schooling and a go-ahead
spirit the son Of a miner can go as
far as the boy of any other man. in
any vocation, And the same may be
said of the daughter who qualifi IS
with the same eager industry and
seeks occupation in line for which
she is fitted. Not always may there
be enough employment in home
town, but they who seek will find.
Only this week the Journal sent
for young man at Gallup and took
him on for important work, without
knowing whether he was the son of a
miner or working in the mines, the
only requisite being industry, char
acter and ordinary ducation-quali-
fications indicated by typewriter
application which showed that he had
profitably attended school.
And there IS place somewhere
for every boy and girl who prepares
and seeks.