The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1921-11-18
DR. j. j. Tieert, u. 5. Commissioner
Education, Speaks at M. E: Chuch
Large Audience Hears Him. Gives Some Interesting
to Show Surprisingly Large Number Of Uneducated
People in United States

and other men read them. So we
took 1-2 million men in the first
draft between the ages of 81 and 81,
from every state in the Union, and
not from the city or country, but
city boys and country boys, rich and
poor, Jews and GentiIe-all kinds
and gave them a piece of pencil and
newspaper and asked them to read
and write. 25@o of them were un-
able to read and write the English
language, $50 out OF every 1000 rep
resentative citizens were illiterate
We can never make progress if we
Try to hide that fact. The sooner
Nc realize the fact and begin 10 try
10 correct conditions. the better We
viii be in this country.
'In 1918 or before that, and for
q long time, We nave talked about
The wonderful public school system
We had--the wonderful teachers, the
rOblest profession. In 1916 the av-
erage salary in the United States of
me high and elementary school teach
er was 1853. per year in the noblest
profession in the republic. One
state close by paid an average yearly
salary of 1924. These people were
teaching thinking that sometime the
American people would remunerate
them according to service. For some
reason they failed 20 appreciate the
fact that the cost of living had
doubled and IN some places almost
trebled. In 1917 when the United
States went into the World War
100000 teachers walked out and left
the schools empty, not because they
stEuck-they did not want TO stop
:eaching-but they were forced out
By economic necessity. The $4,000
or $4,000 who came to take their
place had less training. am as
pure a patriot as any within the
sound Of my voice, bat $4,000 empty
schoolrOorns were a disgrace in an
era OF unparalleled prosperity. Think
Of IL. Impossible to find money to
pay red blooded American men and
women. II was necessary TO raise
the wages or. they could not find the
psnttlf 10 teach at al. Some of the
teachers Who were getting twice as
much as before were not any better
off, The pay of teachers did not in
crease as rapidly SIS the cost of living,
and not in proportion 20 the wages
Of unskilled laborers and artisans in
that period, and only recently when
the cost OF living came down are the
teachers in as good position eco
nomically as they were before. In
if you have not got an in
creased efficiency you Will have to
wait while. II takes little time to
prepare ard train teachers who are
more efficient. You will find that
you viii get commensurate results
and it will show in the citizenship of
We have not really in
his country come 70 appreciate the
value OF education.
I'm the last decade the United
States has become very wealthy, three
Zines as great as the three next
richest nation in the world The
wealth Of England, Germany and
France added together and subtracted
from that Of The United States would
cave more money than is paid TO
;eachers and enough to buy all the
chocolate and crgarettes the A. E. F.
would need, impossible as this will
,eem to the boys. With our wonder
'u resources and tremendous mater
al gains we are making, ! doubt if
we stop TO realize the value Of edu-
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