The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1922-06-08

THE PUBLIC FORUM

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DON'T CUT TEACHERS PAY
Some time ago I read an article
in the Vale Enterprise that the
school board for the purpose of re-
ducing our county taxes proposes to
reduce the number of teachers in
our public schools; also cut down
the salaries of our already prooly
| paid teachers. Use the "axe" on
our teachers salaries, as the Enter
prise terms it, This seems to me,
and it seems to be the sentiment of
everyone / have spoken to regarding
this matter: That to reduce the
number of teachers in our public
schools, also cut down their al
ready too meagre salary, considering
the valuable and important service
they render our children and the ma
tion at large, is the wrong place to
use the lake" for the purpose Of re-
ducing our taxes. There is no ques-
ton but what there are salaries paid
in our county where the axe could
and should be used to good advan-
tage from the standpoint of the
overburdened taxpayers of this coun-
ty. Why not commence on some Of
our unnecessary usless offices of our
County Farmer, who, if I am rightly
informed, draws a salary of about
three thousand dollars per annum.
dare say there are few, il any
farmers and stock raisers in Malheur
county with a farm land investment
of twenty thousand dollars or more
who have cleared the amount of the
salary Farmer of the Farmers" of
this county draws from the county
every year without any risk or dol
lar of capital invested-to say no.
thing of the hard labor and priva-
tions they and their families have to
undergo.
There is also the office of "Club
Leader, whatever that means,which
seems to be an entirely unnecessary
and useless office which only adds
to the burden of our too heavily
loaded tax payers, with three hum
dred thousand dollars of delinquent
taxes for 1920 on the sheriff's books,
and only a small part of the taxes
of 1921 yet paid. The great ma
jority of the people of this county
are financially unable to send their
children away from home to higher
institutions of learning, and are en-
tirely dependent upon our public
schools to get an education for their
children. In order to get the full
benefit of our splendid public school
system, it is necessary to have high |
class, competent teachers, who are,
if any of our public servants are,
entitled to a salary sufficient to en-
able our fine women and men who
teach our children, to maintain |
standard of living in line with the
high position they hold in the COM |
and the valuable services |
they render our children and the ma
tion at large. 1t seems to me that |
in place of reducing their salaries, |
they should be raised.
Charles Becker.