The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1920-02-12
HITS HARD AT
TEACHERS PLAN
Superintendent Of School
Criticizes Teachers t or
Adopting the System of
the Agitators.
SAYS Merit IS REAL TEST
Declares that Teachers in Kenosha VIII
Receive Every Consideration but that
Cause rs Not Advanced by Decision
Of the School officials.

Mrs. Mary D. Bradford severely cri-
ticized the teachers Of Kenosha who
have adopted advanced methods in de-
manding higher wages, in a statement
given out this morning. In the state
ment the superintendent Of schools ex-
presses her sympathy for the movement
among the teachers but condemns in
no uncertain words the methods fol-
lowed In the statement Mrs. Bradford
gives assurance to the teachers that
their Just claims will be taken care OF
in good time. Mrs. Bradford said;
No intelligent person questions to-
day the statement that teachers as a
class are underpaid for the important
public service which they perform. A
recent movement in Kenosha on the
part of some of the teachers to have
the wages increased immediately is on
Nv local manifestation of what is
transpiring in all localities Of this and
other states.
Public is in Sympathy.
"The general public is IN sympathy
with this movement. School boards in
many places have met the situation by
liberal increases in salaries and others
have adopted new schedules, to take
effect in the immediate future.
'The school board of Kenosha, has
not only attempted recently to meet
the situation by special raises, already
in effect but plan for a future SEIZED
ule of salaries, of teachers which is
not excelled in the state from both the
aspects of liberality and rational adj
iustment upon the merit basis, is be-
ing planned, the same to take effect in
September of 1920.
Moving in Right Direction.
'FThings are moving in the right di-
rection, but there are some who want
them to move faster and there is a
question whether or not these will help
or hinder. the general progress of the
cause in which all right minded people
are interested. Especially is this doubt
stirred when there is manifest in this
movement disposition, on the part of
some of the young and inexperienced
teachers, those of improved merit, to
cut off the advice of the more expert
enced and thoughtful members of the
teaching body; to follow the methods
of the labor agitator; to allow some
thing of the disturbing spirit TO creep
into their deliberations and their de-
mands, as was manifested last night by
some of the teachers, in their manner
of receiving the remarks of the chair
man of the teachers committee of the
board; and when in the resolution pre-
scnted there was the thoughtless disre-
gard of those principles which adher-
cnce to right professional standards
make of first Importance: namely, re-
ward on the basis of merit.
Merit Real Measure Of Reward.
81 want it understood that / believe
in the advancement Of teachers sal
aries and my efforts in that direction
for the past ten years in behalf of Ke-
nosha teachers, is evidence of that be-
lief. | believe that good teacher, or
one who gives promise of being a good
teacher, when experience shall have
done the thing which only experience
can do, is worth at least one hundred
month for twelve months. / believe
that it is true, as the teachers claim,
that expenses are higher in Kenosha
than in most other places and that
therefore the need of advancement of
salaries is especially pressing here.
Fundamental principles are not altered
by these conditions. 1t is true now,
as always, that merit, although it may
not be the quickest way, is the surest
way to reward; that those workers
whether in industry or in the public
service who are always hesitatingA to
take hold and do because they are
afraid of doing more than they are get
ting paid for, are pretty sure to be the
ones who do not soon get to the place
where they are paid for more than
they do; that there are those who are
50 interested in agitating for more
wages that they forget to earn the
wages they already have.
Offers Great Opportunity
"FinallyuL believe that since there is
2el1Aglga on mage a