Norwich bulletin., 1920-04-12
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Teachers League and the Salary
 Question.

Mir. Editor: The Teachers league has surely massed an amount of in formation both from within and out side of the state, to show the depie- tion of their ranks, but if the depar- lures from the profession given in- elude superannuates. pensioners, mar riages and deaths, the total would not be so alarming.
 But, is it true that this depletion is occasioned because of the inadequate salaries now paid to the teachers? The publicity committee either has that impression or desires to impress 1t upon the public. The facts are, however, that one result of the war has been to make service in all lines scarce, by the absorption of millions of people, both male and female. in works necessary to win the war. It cannot be expected but that some years will be required to demobilize these many now unfit and to supply their places with others.
 The influx of immigration and the national birthrate, in the time being, add to the emergency: and the league l. assumes that this emergency is to be met only by an increase ih the com pensation of those now in the pro- fession as an inducement to gain new recruits. It is one thing, however, to | diagnose disease aid quite another | to prescribe a remedy.
 | The patient, under any treatment needs time to rally, and in this case time will be needed to restore equili- | brium under even the best treatment. l As another result of the war a new 1 and almost vicious clement has taken possession of the public mind, name Fly, that the utmost dollar to be had,
 is the main object of life, and the one | fG ha inc ct ir, tionship of duty. This augurs i'll for the future, and if anything is owed to l the public from the teachers it is that they should strive to expunge this
 from the mind of their pupils.
 The time was, when taste, inclina- tion and ambition dictated ones pro-
 fession or calling: and for the attain
 ment of that object any investment oi l time, endurance and study was gladly bestowed. The teaching now is to dis.
 credit all devotion to obligation ana
 faithfulness to duty, which is now tC
 be measured by hours anG by dollars
 and cents. Even a dearth of preach.
 CTS is predicted, if the salaries O present incunbents are not raised tC ! a determined point.
 !, When the Master sent out His dis : ciples He charged them to carry nei ; ther scrip nor purse-their commis
 sion being estimated far above an. l compensation in cash. But with thi
 he gave them assurance that the, were worthy of their hire, and thi was full guarantee for their sup | port. The sequel proved this true. l It is about time an end was put t this comparison of trades and pro
 fessions-between what is calle skilled" and "unskilled" labor. Ther [ is great deal of presumption abou f all this aristocracy of profession
 which is more than ninety per cen . profession. There Is skill in handlin I a pick and shovel. Let the profess : ing professional try it, and in les than five minutes he will discover hi
 lack. It is much easier to handle
 pen, and sweeping room faithful 4 with broom, as unto God, is as gres . in his sight as painting picture wit 2 2 the brush. In a country where "a T T men are created equal" it is an i'm pertinence to speak of unskilled la bor. All labor is skilled on this sid
 of the Atlantic, and all labor is hou
 orable when it is needed for the con
 mon good and contributes theret n During the present mood of society = perhaps, it may be useless to mora
 ize-so we rest-although this kind Y preaching is much needed.
 if THE INSPECTOR.
 Norwich, April 10. 1920.
 t School Teachers Union.
 MT. Editor: The teachers rush in
 print with abusive comparison of ca, s penters, plumbers, mill operatives ar n laborers. Men who do real wor
 They compare their work with re e toilers and try to tell the public tn, e do not get as much as these men ar
 women. Why should they? The don't do the real work which the
 men and women do. As a matter y fact they get more. With their if i- hours a day and five days week tn,
 average two or three dollars an hou
 The teachers say they don't get pa
 in vacation, on Saturdays, etc. Do n the poor workman get paid on rail 'e days, or on days when the mill shu T. down? Do you see any carpenters
 laborers going to Atlantic City or
 Europe on vacations in summer Ii ls the school teachers? I guess n, l. They are getting more money tn; ,n high school teachers now, and tho it qualifications don't compare wi m them. They say that their maximu
 Salary is $1050 and print that und
 their signatures. That is not trl
 That is an effort to deceive the pu ,n lie. Their maximum is much larg i- You can't fool the peonle The teac