The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-12-11
LADY NICOTINE"
GETS MORE COIN
THAN EDUCATION
Commissioner Claxton Shows
How States Lag in School
Support as Six State Con-
ference Opens Here.

People OF the United States spent
over one billion dollars more for to-
bacco during the past year than for
| the education of their children" de-
clared United State Commissioner OF
Education J. p. Claxton, in opening
| the educational conference OF educa-
tors and leading citizens Of the states
of Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama,
Kentucky, Arkansas and Mississippi
at the Hotel Chisca Saturday morn
| ing.
The conference, which Is one of ~
similar meetings being held all over
| the country by Commissioner Clax-
| ton, in an effort to put before the
| public the real issues which the edu-
cational department OF the govern
ment Is facing, followed a prelimi-
nary meeting OF teachers and educa-
tors at the State Normal school FRI
day.
Mayor Paine delivered the opening
address, welcoming the conference to
Memphis. He pointed out that there
| were 10000 boys and girls OF school
age in the city and that the city
spends $40 per scholastic capita Tor
their education.
81 am deeply concerned with the
business administration OF public
schools" he said. over one-thlrd
of the gross revenues OF the city go
| for educational work. l purport 70
approach the financial problems OF
education from a standpoint OF SO
much expenditure per schoiastic
capita"
Would Hooverize Cigars.
III we can raise the standards OF
the persons to whom we intrust the
training of our children, through
curtailing our toOacco consumption,
| declared Commissioner Claxton,
| "then we should 'Hooverize' our
cigars. cigarets, snuff and cneWlns
tobacco. IL every man would smoke
| but two cigars, then abstain from the
third. IL he would take but two ciga-
rets and leave off the third; II ne
would take but two 'chaws' ana rest
his laws on the next the salaries OIL
ali the teachers could be doubled.
ayou are paying less in the state
of Tannessee for the salaries OF your
teachers than you are for the nam
taininp of your prisoners-and tney
GRO given redemption, while your
| teachers are not exempt from tne
v,issIonary collector. 1t costs SsoV
| yea. Ia feed a teacher, while PRISON
s~s eoat the state S273.60 eacn per
vaar n. over night, all the teacnera ~ !
II tennessee should get IN jan tns ny
state would have to raise taxes '"
support them.
Better Than Some.
ar do not hold up Tennessee n aon
ridicule, for 1t Ia even Dernoi =
many states. The STATE ol canifa
t o edncation. while California's new
nL nstitntional amendment Will allow
eco ner scholastic capita for gram :
Tnor school education, and SSo Iol
h;gh school education. The aver
nae salary of a teacher there Is W.
900 year." -, r,orro,a.
s,oner Claxton, that In lSfO, OF ov
Sears ago, there was spent for tne
trainjng of boys and girls IN tht
elementary and high schools OF tne
country. $4,000 900, while last year
axnapditures for education, totaleo
e. n < Oo0. 900. Fifty years ago, the
comntry spent $z01, 900 to train teach
eTs while last year, 1t cost the ma
tion S27, 100000 TO prepare person.
To direct the education OF It's cnh-
orTT That over $4,000, 100000 was spent
ast wear for luxuries, was also point
ed out by the commissioner as SVl
ner cent excess to expenditures fol
| education. At least per cent OF
government revenues should 60 foi
Educational work. whereas but one
and three quarters per cent now st
for that purpose.
Educational work in the six states
represented at the conference, was @
outlined by representatives chosen by
their respective states. All states
represented, are striving towarc
higher salaries for their teachers
while many are advocating physica
education in the public schools.
Kentucky, according to the repre-.
sentative from that state. has hac
more constructive legislation along
educational lines in the past year
that In all the last 40 years put to-
| Rether