The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-06-30


now obtaining in real wages 20
cents for every dollar earned before
the war. AS result of the increased
cost of living the $4,000 New York
teachers in about 60 organizations
united to wage campaign for higher
salaries to restore the pre-war pur-
chasing power of their earnings.
The unity of opinion of the teach
ers was strikingly demonstrated in
the fact that 500 teachers went to
Albany in the spring of 1926 to prove
to the popular" leader of the demo-
cratic party, Governor Smith, that all
the teachers wanted immediate action.
Very little argument was offered
against the justice of their claim.
Yet Smith, who had found it pos
sible to finance the breaking of the
streetcar mems strike in Buffalo with
state police, could not find the money
to restore IS per cent of their pre-
war wages to the teachers, and SO
vetoed bill which meant an increase
of only $25 year on the minimum
and 1925 on the maximum to most of
the teachers.
.NOVERNOR SMITH sent them to the
~ city government. There another
democrat, a co-worker and friend of
Hearst, John Hylan, met the teachers
requests with another refusal. The
board of superintendent, the guard
ians of the city government in the
educational field, proposed a counter
bill which gave practically nothing to
the teachers and large increases to
the supervisory forces. During all
this time the republican party re-
manned quiescent, putting up no real
fight for the teachers, utilizing the
situation, however, for their political
advantage.
TN 1926 the teachers continued their
4 campaign. Again they went to the
state legislature and to the governor.
This time they gained increased sup
port. Citizens committees, parents
women's and labor organizations sent
repI esentatives to Albany to plead for
the teachers. Again the friend of
ire people" vetoed the bill. Mayor
Walker used all his influence to have
the bill vetoed. When delegations of
teachers visited him he was too "occu-
pied with city business" while ac-
tually at the time of both visits he
was occupied at ball games. Walker
could find time to interview the Swed-
lsn crown prince and view the Ken
lucky Derby, but no time tosattend a
mass meeting called by $4,000 city
teachers to which he was invited.
TN New York City, the city in
4 creased its assessed valuation and
tax rate, but the money was not used
for education, altho in proportion OF
budget used for education it ranked
31st in cities of the United States.
New York City is the wealthiest city
in the country, yet in per capita pupil
cost it ranks ninth. And even when
the city was given money, as it was
given $1,500,000 last year by the state
government, the money was not used
for this purpose.
TT is not only in teachers salaries
l. that the democratic and republican
parties demonstrate their indifference
to the teachers welfare. Thru their
appointed boards of education and SUI
perintendents they constantly make
the conditions under which the teach
ers work more and more intolerable
The size of classes has been increased
continually to such point that the
teacher becomes only policeman to
keep order. And this fact of large
classes, As to 55 pupils, has resulted
in vocational diseases that are a prob
lem in the school system. Nervous
broakdowns and throat troubles are
becoming such a menace that the su
peyintendents are beginning to worry
about the health of their teachers.