Grand Forks herald., 1922-06-02

So Urges Valley City Man
AS a safeguard To School
Children

gSupt. C. w. Hanna, of the Valley
City public schools, has written an
article in defense of the minimum
training adm salary law Tor teachers,
tie law which is to be referred 10 the
voters at the June primaries, Mr..
Hanna urges its retention on the
statute books as a safeguard to the
children who attend North dakota
schools. His article tolfews:
THE minimum salary law has SreH
called By keen Observers OF eaa4a-
tional affairs ene OF usee raeuss SIaasaaS Sse
pieces OF constructive school ReEsSsa-
tion in q decade s4areVcf, with traa.
OF less than cnfe school s-aaT slrsse-
most unfAvoraoae eorsai1eaas the Ssr
is. to be put or s-Ssl fer ats aate al ne
June primaries Its Opponents have
movement A referendum Is usually
carried without much reference 20
merit and an attack based upon eco7,-
pmy in these trouhlcUs times would
nave inherent strength: so this law,
with all its splendid possibilities IS
sure to be obliterated unless teachers
and other friends of education arouse
the public to its defense through in
formation of its real purpose and
value
LET it be said that the people Of
ers and good schools as the right OF
their children and as the safeguard OF
organized society. and they would not
Intentionally undermine our educa- :
tional system. Opposition to the law
has grown out of the belief that pub
lie expense is the basis of the high
cost of living, that school costs repre-
sent the largest item OF taxation and
salaries the largest item of school ex-
y &c S0o
hfkh a level. and that the salary law
was designed to make and hold high
salaries-quite a logical chain. if it
were sound at any link. But the
average man has not so illogically
grown suspicious of and penurious
with his most sacred institution. the
school, without help. The initiative
has come from a few ignorant OF
selfish leaders and from some politi
clans hard put for campaign thunder
who have seized upon this thought a:
most fetching one in times like
these. We must try to correct thu
error or dispel the illusion. Here arr
some of the opposition's argument
and their answers. .
IA partisan measure; require
partisan opposition-1n the legisla
Fture that passed the law the I. V. A.
had small majority in the hous
and the NonpartiSans in the senate
but the law received its support
without partisan alignment, from
both groups and was passed by larg
,majorities by both branches of tn
legislature.
ga prime cause OF the high cos
of living-The high cost of livin
must be sought in private rather tina
public expense, both among necess
ties and luxuries. AS to teacher
salaries. although the teacher is IA
the most important factor of goo
school salaries have Jagged benin
other school costs in the upwar
trend. Teachers salaries are a SONS
what smaller proportion Of the state
total income and will buy somewh
less per capita today than in 10.
notwithstanding a greatly increase
per capita attendance during tn
period and tremendous improvement
in the school work. says the emine
authority, Will c. Wood of Californi
If, however. there are those who b
lieve, in spite of these facts, that II
teacher is overpaid. or that II
schools should for any reason suff
the brunt Of the economy campaig
it should be kept in mind that IL
states salary bill could be trimm'
hundreds of thousands of dolla
without touching the salary law. !