Greenwood daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1919-1926, 1920-03-23

the condition exists throughout all the
states and is constantly growing
worse Many teachers in the colleges
and normal and other teacher-train-
ing schools are quitting to get sew
eral times the salary in business en-
cation has long list of typical cas-
es where such teachers quit jobs at
a few hundred dollars to take places
in the business life paying from S3,-
500 to $4,000.
Representative Fess contends, and
he is strongly supported by his col
leaguesJ both democrats and republi-
@cans, that it is "public necessity to
make it attractive for the teacher to
remain in the schools, if we believe
in our public school system, which is
the very foundation of the hopes of
this nation He points out that while
lit is the duty of the states to make
teaching popular profession through
increased salaries, it may become the
duty of the national government to
give federal aid
1t is agreed that no small increases
in salaries of teachers will cure the
evil. The salaries must be at least
doubled to get anywhere near liv-
ing wage and should be tripled to in
duce the best talent of the country to
embrace the teaching profession.
. Representative Fess emphasizes that
the high cost level, stimulated by the
war, has made our money have only
half the purchasing value, the effect
on the teachers being the same as
though the board of education had re-
duced the salaries one half.
The war has had these specific eff
fects, Representative Fess says: First
it took out of the teaching profess
sion many of the best teachers to
render war work, and many of them
will never return to teaching; second
the appeal Of the public for teach
ers in many states has demonstrated
that teaching is no longer inviting
and young men and women have been
discouraged from entering the profess
sion; third-the normal schools, which
are the source of supply for teachers,
have had their attendance reduced.
AS chairman of the House commit
tee on education, Representative Fess
has been in communication with the
school authorities in every state of
the Union and finds the conditions as
stated above and growing worse.
"Our country depends more than
any other country upon the general in
telligence of all our people," he says.
"The keen appreciation of this fact is
expressed in the compulsory school
laws of almost every state in the Un-
ion The most serious problems be-
fore us today are those of higher
type Of Americanism. They cannot be
solved by restrictive legislation, ,butonly
through constructive legislation. Much
s being said today about the danrer
of anti-government movement, which
is sometimes styled 'bolshevism.' The
remedy against this is in cultivating
a proper attitude Of mind toward oar
government and it's institutions. This
attitude of mind cannot be assured
after the habits of thought are fixed.
| 1t must be done while in school under
the proper instruction where whole
some teaching embodies itself in the
character Of our youth. How will it
be possible for the country to be as
sured of such teaching if salaries are
not inviting to our best talent of mind
| and heart? How can we expect such
/ fruits from men and women so poorly
paid? The teachers are not going tt
strike-they are being starved out"