The Washington herald., 1920-05-17
tBy a STAN CorrespondentJ

Urbana. ILL.,. May 16.-Thcre is a
difference of opinion at the Univer-
sity of Illinois as to the advisability
of letting the reading public "in"
on the grievances of teachers. The
more conservative professors and
administrative officers deprecate the
move. They do not object to put
ting the State legislators in pos
session of the facts contained in
the statistical table. As for the
remarks" those should be made a
strictly family affair.
Apparently the committee in
charge did not share the views of
some others. 1t is not certain -
to what individuals had a hand in
making up the report. The only
names attached to the Introductory
paragraph are those of Prof Harold
N. Hillebrand, of the English de-
partment. acting for the Federation,
and Prof. Aubrey J. Kempner, OF
the mathematics department.. acting
for the committee.
Whether these two are respon-
sible for the language of the report
could not be learned. but anyhow
these did the hard work in compil-
ing the figures. especially Prof.
Hempries.
Appeal for Publicity.
In the introduction to the re
marks" there is an indirect appeal
for publicity. but it is certain that
the authors, at the time the words
were indited. did not have that fea-
ture in mind. They were too busy
looking into the souls of their fell
low teachers as the questionnaire
blanks kept piling up. Having
looked and read. the following was
put down as a prologue to the
drama unfolded:
THE value of the remarks in
the opinion of the compiler, lies in
the cumulative effect of Vividness
and realism with which they make
plain the narrow limitations, the
strain, the worry. the struggle for
mere subsistence to which a great
number of our members above the
rank of assistant are condemned by
present conditions. Here is little
room for that buoyancy and en-
thusiasm, that combination of free
play and concentration of mind cs-
sential to growth and success in in
tellectual life. The Eeader of these
recitals cannot avoid the feeling
that the conditions and preoccupa-
tions set forth must produce on the
part of our members a sense of
failure, of anxiety, distress. or hope
Ia which naturally
when the pressure of sordid neces-
barest needs of daily existence is
continually felt"
That the pressure of sordid nc.
cessity" is felt Is made evident from
the first to the last remark" Car
see no way of saving on this sal,
ary" $1,500) is written after No. /
Il have to use inferior clothing
which is a decided disadvantage
says No. 2: and so on to the end OF
the chapter.
Wife stays at home because OF
poor clothing" writes the third.
"Resorted to patched clothing
Cheap rooming-not modern-kero'
sene light-no heat" confesses an
other.
Ieii Ot tdruSulps.
Have worked every summer
| sending my wife home. to save
money, as l could not afford to take
her with me-" is the plant of an
other instructor.
Have used food of inferior quail
ity-meat once a week" My sal.
ary during the past five years has
been and even today is insufficient
to cover our living expenses" "Po-
sition forces my wife to do work
do not wish her to do, but cannot
pay to have done" Health of wife
broke down Left teaching
after more than ten years for g
| commercial position paying nearly
three times the salary. Am surpris-
ed to find the work every bit as
pleasing, and even less taxing
These are fair samples among the
instructors.
Regrets Lack of Football.
II have had but one vacation in
eleven years" writes one. Our
clothing always has been and still
is poorer in quality than 1t should
be, he continues.
One regrets that he could not see
a single football game, but he ex-
plains that recreation that cost any
thing is reduced to minimum. An
other explains that II he had not had
an Income besides his salary he
would have been forced to accept an
outside position paying $1,000.
How one professor managed "a
save 5000 in six years is partly cx.