Imperial Valley press., 1922-06-02
CALIFORNIA TEACH ERS'

The southern council of the California
Teachers association met i'll the audi
torium of the Olive street school, Los
Angeles, May 27, and effected plans for
the bctterment of civic interests. Es-
telle Keller of lockwood district re-
ports the Session as follows:
As we are approaching legislative
year, the council was enjoined to take
| into careful consideration, important
matters effecting the welfare of the
commonwealth, and to be ready to sup
| port strong people and strong issues.
Among the issues mentioned, a petit
ton now in circulation seeking an
amendment on the November ballot of
the initiative laws relating to taxation
and assessment, claimed an important
place.
This amendment proposes to raise the
number of signatures required to petit
tion for amendments on taxation or as
sessments from 8 to Is per cent.
The point was made by DIR. Haynes
of Los Angeles that out of 40 initla-
tive proposals, but II carried, indicat-
ing discriminative ability used and care
full consideration given by the public to
these things, arguing that raising the
number of signatures required for peti-
tion would but entail larger expenditure
Of time and money than the average in
terest would be able to meet.
The real battle was on when the time
old problem of religion was attacked by
Mrs. Grace Stanley, county superinten
dent of San Bernardino.
The discourse covered many points
AID opened the gates for the forceful
through somewhat eddying flow Of de-
bate which followed.
Mrs. Stanley said in substance that
the old-fashioned religion is thing of
the past, and could not be relied upon
as platform for future building. The
dav when we were told what to believe
and believed it has gone by, she averred.
The present scarcity Of homes and in
effectual work of churches places the
weight of spiritual responsibility on
the school, IN her opinion.
"Parents,' Mrs. Stanley said, care
| doubtful as to what to teach. Old things
have passed away and new things have
not yet been set up in recognizable
form and because we don't know what
to do We do nothing.
! "Churches destroy their effectiveness
by maintaining a shocked attitude to-
ward things that they ought to meet
openly and courageonsly.
eff we are TO expect help from the
churches, we must encourage breadth OF
mind and charity in Judgment.
Gas to the effect of scientific study
of religion, if the Christian religion is
what we believe it to be, it will stand
up against any comparison with Other
beliefs. -
The ouestou was then thrown open
for discussion. A suggestion was put
forward that the Bible be offered i'll the
schools along with the classics, which
was met with counter speech to the
effect that such treatment would be be
Lifting to the Bible.
Then Mr.. Kepple, county superinten
dent of Los Angeles, spoke at length,
In effect he said that Christian people
were bound to respect the laws of the
| land, that the laws of California at the
present time exclude religious teaching
| fro mthe public schools and for his part,
he does not want his Bible taught by
any advocate of "ring-tailed monkey
theories. -
In any effort to amend the laws of
Califoria to cover an admission of religi-
Gus teaching, Mr.. Keppel charged the
council to be careful not to kindle anew
and afresh the bitterness of religious
differences. Let the church solve its
ow problem, said Mr.. Keppel, and let
the churches support the school.
OFF FOR ALASKA
Miss Helen Kelso, director of music
in the FL Centre schools and popular in
social and musical circles, is leaving