The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-05-06
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

W men VIII u De, well pdlu tedSAiSAS or neglected children? The answer is not only of vital importance to parents with children of school age, but it is also of tremendous importance to the whole community, for in this day of confusion there is urgent need that our boys and girls be instructed properly in worthy civic ideals
 It's very well to talk about the crying need of Americanism being taught in our public schools, but it is certainly asking too much of the men and women whose business it is to do so to put mrsh en- thusiasm in it unless they have at least enough to live on in manner fitting to their sphere of life, and chance to put aside a bit for a rainy day.
 
 No tax levied should so appeal to the average man and woman in this great valley, for the revenue to be derived is for the exclusive benefit of the children of our city. Should tnis tax levy be de- feated, the board of education will face a grave crisis during the coming school year, but if the tax is approved the board will be in a position not only to aid the teachers in getting a reasonable com pensation for their services, but be able to increase the number and to broaden the scope of the teaching.
 The chief enemy of democracy is ig- neglect its school children, for it's cor ner stone is laid upon it's public schools. Deeply as I sympathize with the position of the underpaid teaching staff here in Birmingham, I freely admit that l also have selfish interest in trying to help them get better pay. for I have two boys, one in>the primary grades, and one in the high school, and therefore I am | anxious that they shall have the best instruction possible, and It's useless to think that the best equipped teaclsrs are going to remain unless they have fair remuneration.
 
 But still again, pass by the demands of the teachers for increased salaries and want them granted in order to pre- serve my own self-respect, for fe is not ethical that parents should make de- mands upon them unless they are willing to come to their rescue and see to it that they can at least get enough to live upon and a chance to better their conditions ih the future. I do not blame those who tired out with promises, have quit and gone into more ,remunerative occupations
 
 The public is asking entirely too much of teachers. I am sensible that it is high profession, and that it offers much in the way of doing good but surely II, according to the Bible, 'the laborer IS worthy of his hire,' we ought not to make severer demands upon the teaching profession than we do on the ministry, for there is nationwide movement at present to increase the salary of preach CTS and to provide old age pensions for them.
 It is not merely question of increased salary for the teachers. but the welfare of the children. The teachers can take care of themselves, and are doing so. | outside of the school room. The call ot big business for persons to fill vacancies 1 for which teachers are well adapted is becoming so insistent that more than | 100000 teachers have left their profess sion the past year. Other cities nave noted the danger and are trying to hoid l their teaching force by offering reason- able compensation. And those cites are bound to get the cream of the teaching ' | takes action promptly.
 1 There is a teacher shortage throughout l the land The present demand for teafh- l CTS in the United States is 65O80O. The present supply of teachers is ell 900. In 1 brief, the country is 5000 teachers shore 1 of supplying the demand. Of those now employed. 5000 are below the standard 1 of well qualified teachers. There are l04,- coo teaching positions, or 16 per cent or l the total number either not filled or tlled l by teachers who are not qualified. The annual demand for teachers is approx 1 imately 30o0o, exclusive of resignauons. Resignations of teachers last year amounted to approximately 14S.OOo or 22 per cent.
 l designations are taking place even more rapidly than last year. This will approx innate 30 per cent for the current year. This, in itself a very alarming symptom, is made even worse by the startling fact that the number of graduates and regis l trations at normal schools and colleges is decreasing. In 1917 the normal schools and teachers colleges in thirty five different vstates graduated 1492l teachers In 1919 they graduated only 9,5l4 l teachers. The estimated total number m June, 1920, graduating class is 7,lls, de- crease of 52.2 per cent since 1917. In 1917 | the FeStSlfdtlOH dl tlSot S1AAic '',iCSi' was 43. 46s. In September, 1919. it was 36 16O, a decrease of F per cent.
 
 1 The explanation of the tax levy is sim pie Under the recent amendment to the Constitution the city has right to vote an additional tax of mills. and the City l Commission already has the right to levy the 3-mill sinking fund tax which has been voluntarily suspended. To vote on l the 5--nill tax at this time would leave it within the power of this or any future city commission to levy the S-mill sink ing fund tax at any time without vote of the people. The tax increase would thus be really s mills instead of B.
 The decision of the commission to orcer the election on mills for the schools specfically and use the s-mill sinking fund tax to meet current interest on out l standing obligations is wise and conserv- ative. It makes it possible to proceed with our building programme and at the same time leaves the 8 mills subject to vote of the people instead of being sub feet to levy at the will of the commis- sion.
 The direct proceeds of the 2-mill levy requested of the people at this time is for the specific use of the board of edu- cation. The amount of the revenue thus ohtaind from the 2-mill tax will proh- ably be about s2l0,000 which will be de- voted- to the increase of salaries of D, esent teachers and to the employment of additional teachers for the schools Should this tax be defeated the board of education would face grave crisis during the coming school year. will ha raca11ad tI,at in Tant,arx, l,a