Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-02-19

school girl In . South Carolina
town. This girl had been studying
shorthand As an elective course in
high school for several months,
when . business man asked her to
go into his ONCE at ZOO = year.
with various inducements and ad-
vantages. This girls teacher
who besides knowing shorthand
thoroughly has to know how to i'm
part her neutrality-suspicious. $500 q
year for teaching this and various
other subjects.
The difference between the pay Of
teachers and Office workers is so
great that in some cities the teach
err have begun to demand "as much
pay as the stenographers," dis
counting entirely the fact that q
business college turns out q stenog-
rapher in six or eight months,
while it takes a two or three years
normal cOurse to make an efficient
teacher.
The governor of North Carolina
has started a campaign in behalf
of the teachers of his state in which
he demands equal pay for teachers
and stenographers.
But how much pay do the
stenographers get!" protested one
statesman to whom the comparison
suggested unheard Of salaries or
teachers.
1T doesn't matter how much
they get" retorted the governor.
"teachers\are certainly worth as
much, whatever it is"
AS q matter Of fact, the pay of
the teachers of the state will be
doubled if the governor carries his
point, and even then the teachers
will not enter the wealthy class.
In Ohio, Governor Cox has issued
a proclamation for the week OF
Feb. 1921 to be Teachers week,
when our churches, clubs and other
organizations, are to consider the
problem of bringing the schools up
to a higher standard. Ohio needs
1000 trained teachers Immediately
"What Ohio's 100000 school
children will be 20 years from now
depends very largely upon what We
dc for them now" is Governor
Cox's argument. "No civilization
ever rises higher than the quality
OF the schools" rE.
Meanwhile, Washington, with one
cf, the most serious shortages Of
teachers anywhere, awaits the
pleasure of congress. The district
presents the problem of Coleridge's
Ancient Marine, who lamented thai
there was water, water, every.
where. not any drop to drink
Washington is full of school teach.
ers who entered the employ of thu
government in war time and who
would now return to teaching Il
they could see any prospects of {
square deal. Mr.. Thurston state:
that for four months last ysar h
received an average of one hun
dred applications every day. and o
the one hundred he mad difficulty il
getting one applicant to consider
the entrance salary offered.
As the teaching force diminished
the attendance in the distric'
Sc. ools has increased at an amaz
ing rate, so that what would be ,
congested condition with plenty O.
teachers, becomes critical silva
ton when teachers are not to bt
had.
There has never been any dan
ger of the teachers striking. The!
have not the aggressive attitude
that skilled labor can assume, ant
Furthermore, they know that pub
lie opinion would turn agains
them as it did in the case of thu
Boston policemen. So they drift
into the more remunerative fields O
trade and industry.
1.-The profession of teaching may
be sacred one" said an ex
teacher. 'but really. one can't live
on a halo.
1.-THE public still keeps its hand:
in its pockets and shouts Lons
live the teachers she added. "Ant
teachers everywhere\are still ask
ing, On what?'"
! Now, it seems, the public will
have to answer, If it expects it!
children to grow up with any edu
cation at all. OF course. there will
always be some unframed people
who will teach for next to nothing
But these pedagogues whose serv'
ices can be had cheap are not :
good bargain. Born teachers" ar.
fewer than people imagine, and al
ways they are better instructors i
they receive professional training
! We have passed, or should have
passed, the time when anybod,
could teach, when teachers assign
ed lessons and heard them and con
sidered their work done. Nowaday!
we want our children taught no
orly tue read and write. but to thinl
and to become good citizens. Tit
best investment that parents car
mike for their children is to in
sure them good teachers, and goot
teachers will not be available un
less they are paid in proportion t.
1.-THE service they render.