The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-07-24

even more shortlivcd than that OF
his chief. Madcro, the hour of
your redemption has struckH We
shall now build roads and We shall
build schools, Every road shall lead
To Il school and every school shalt
lead to higher things"
At the request OF Nasconccios DR..
Nasqucz Gomez has been invited to-
return from his Texas exile, to- share
In the task at which il had been his
fate to- work az the breaking
pioneer.
OF course there IL politics In the
educational machine, and who shall
dare To throw the first stone? Car
rama handed all educational CON
troll to the local authorities to cs-
cape the Influence uf the ring OF
learning in the capital. which was
hostile to him, and to build up or
ganizcd groups Tor his own political
purposes. And no one thinks, Of
course. that Obregon is restoring
the old system of central cduca-
tional control for purely educational
purposes. But he has placed an cx-
cellent man In charge. no mere
henchmdn or partisan. and hun
ircds Of other McXicans who believe
that in the spread OF education lies
! the only hope OF redemption are
! enrolling under his banner and
, joining their FORCES with his.
How politics hd the more noxi-
| 'us class hatrcds creep In TO keep
/ the educational machinery from
/ running true Is illustrated by lit
/ tie anccdote which have on unim-
! peachahlc authority. owing to the
| fact that he had never mixed in
| politics and had remarkable
, knowledge Of English a Mexican Of
| the old regime was asked under the
! provisional government OF de la
! Huerta TO preside over a competitive
! examination in the English Ian
guage for certain govcrnpcnt posi-
| tons.
Il viii do it gladfy, but on one
condition. he answered the
appointments must be made In ac-
cordance with the merits Of the
candidates as rate them"
| The perpleNed professor could not
answer this offhand and i, wsIt up
10 his chief, one of the politicians.
| Tor decision This gentleman sent
for the English expert and certainly
In the interview placed all his cards
on the table.
we. must refuse the condition
you make and we do 1t frankly and
! openly IF you like you can publish
| our plan broadcast. We mean OF
course, to appoint our own people,
so long submerged and without op-
portunitics. to these offices. but we
would Ike you with your special
| knowledge to select the most cap
able and the most efficient from
among our people"
tcd-Flaggrd Avenues.
When the English expert refused
| to preside over this competitive"
examination the new chief Of educa-
| ton was furious with him.
What you ask for would be most
unfair" he asserted, "and in any
event 1t will not be permitted while
l preside over this bureau.
Those other people" he contin-
ued. have had advantages of edu.
cation and OF travel and OF course
for the moment our people canno,
compete with them: and we are
here to see that they have thei,
turn Of special prefermcnt. Turn
and turn about is good rule. This
is our day, but. of course, II the
winners knew a little English that
would not hurt"
But the English expert was not
to be persuaded. The examination
|
Let us draw nearer to the actual
scene. Let us follow the red be
flagcd avenues that lead to the rela-
lively few schools that are function
ing In Mexico today. Generally the
teacher Is feeble wornout old man
or woman who. self preservation
being the first law of nature, hus-
bands what little strength he or she
may possess for the sharp, hard and
ever-recurring struggle to obtain
from the authorities "A part at least
Of the promised monthly stipend.
An Idea Of the status of the teach
crs may b" gathered when | say
that according to governmental de-
cree attention can be paid to their
demands only after all other state
employees, including the street
sweepers, have been satisfied
Interesting and enlightening is
the order Of precedence that obtains
IN the governmental pay offices
The first servants of the state Ia
receive their reCOmpense are, OF
course, the generals On the actiN
list. According to the army roster
last Apr'i, they numbered AS and
according to the treasury list for
the same period. 456! They receive
40 pesos n day without the busca
| lllaS OF SWdruS Tor n dlSCrimlnat
ing performance Of their dulles
which many seek industriously and
few have the nobility TO refuse. The
generals get their 40 pesos daily OF
pay themselves from the unfortu-
nate property holders in their jurls-
diction, while the teacher who is al.
lotted only from 40 to so pesos a
month, is never paid in fun
Under these conditions all psople
with family obligations have been
driven from the teaching profession.
Few with any ability remain and Of
these not a few have undoubtedly
become apostles OF the teachings OF
Moscow and use all their opportuni-
ties TO hasten the coming Of class
war. ! myself have never heard
the red gospel eXpounded IN the
government sChoolhouses by the ac-
credited teachers, though | have II
on the highest authority that this Is
frequently done, but | have seen the
schoolhouscs In many districts COW
cred with scarlet posters bearing
the legend "VOtad por In bandera
roja" c'Vote for the red flagD, and
this could hardly be done without
the teachers consent
Anything Ike competent teachers
are difficult to find and tho diff