Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-04-28
70 MAKE SURVEY OF sonools'


Investigate Condttlons IN y. o.
BY Associated Press
y New York. April 27.-A nation
wide campaign to measure service
OF teachers, school equipment and
courses of Instruction." 30 that ev-
! cry municipality may know how to
deal with its public school problem.
has been started, 1t was announcod
here today. by national committee
composed Of secretaries Of chambers
! OF commerce and superintendent OF
schools representing sixty-four AM
erican cities.
On the ground that the public
schools Of the United States are fac
ing q grave crisis due to the alleged
need of 500,000,O0O to provide adj
equate buildings, and 100000. 900 for
raising salaries to stop the increas-
ing shortage Of teachers, the national
committee says that II Is enlisting
the aid OF chambers Of commerce all
over the country for the purpose OF
acQuainting every citizen and tax
payer with the facts.
Tho committee was organized last
February at O meeting In Cleveland.
Of Columbia University, chairman OF
the commission on emergency in ed
ucation Of the National Education
As,pciation, and the American City
Bureau. Officers of the committee
were elected as follows: DR.. Strayer.
chairman: Herbert 8. Weet, Roches-
ter, N. r; Harold Davidson, Erie,
Pa, Fred A. Richardson, secretary.
New York; executive committee:
Henry Snyder, Jersey City, N. j.; r.
G.. Jones. Cleveland. O.; ]. IL. Bever-
idge. Omaha, Neb.; Raymond B.
Gibbs. Kansas City. Kan: 8. B. Price,
Bridgeport. Conn.,; E. l. McColgin,
Dayton. o.
Tho conference decided that the
chambers of commerce could render
effective aid only upon the basis Of a
careful survey of local school condi-
tions for the purpose Of comparing
them with other cities, the idea be-
ing thereafter to enlist all commune
ty forces for the development Of the
public school system.
The first QUESTIONABLE sent to
chambers of commerce and superin-
tepdents of schools Of all cities with
population Of 5000 and more, and
which will be followed by four other
questionnaires. makes the following
Inquiries: 'sHow much training do
your teachers have? How well do
you pay your school employees? What
special inducement do you offer the
teachers in your schools7" Later
missionaries will ask, among other
things: How well do you house
your school children? What Is your
educational program? How ade-
quately do you safeguard the chill
dren's health? How much does edu-
cation cost your city? How will the
rising costs be metz"
The American City Bureau here
which, with DR.. Strayer. initiated and
IL carrying out the present plans, an
nounced it's desire ito make the main
facts in the present emergency
quickly available" for those cities
where school problems are pressing
hardest for solution. The question Of
getting high grade teachers and
school employees. he said. has become
a moro perplexing ono than ever be-
fore. Many men and women, 1t Is
said, have stopped going to normal
schools and teachers colleges to pre-
pare themselves as pedagogues. In
round numbers Secretary Richardson
said, there will be. 90 per cent fewer
calculates from these schoblSsin the
United States In 1920 than in 1917.
The United States Is now actually
$1,000 short Of the number Of teach
ers required to fill positions" said
Mr.. Richardson. "This shortage ex-
lists after about $1,000 makeshift
teachers have been employed; in 9TH
er woro. the real shortage Of trained
and experienced teachers is fully
100000. The cost Of living has in
creased at least 80 per cent in the
past six years and yet teachers have
had salary increase Of less than 30
per cent since 1914. Building pro-
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