The Chapel Hill weekly., 1931-02-06

broken down under the double strain
of an increasing student body and de-
creasing appropriations.
These consequences Of the 20 per
cent cut constitute the background
necessary for the understanding Of
the 81 per cent cut which we face to
gether in the figures Of the proposed
budget What these figures mean to
the University Of North Carolina and
the other institutions and agencies Of
the state moved the Governor TO write
into the budget these significant
words which l now call to your at
tention al his suggestion: THE di
rector Of the budget and the commits
sion frankly feel grave concern over
the situation. The question of enforc-
ing upon the next biennium the ef
fects of the reduction in appropria-
tions and at the same time bear total
operating expenses-this question the
director and the commission feel
should be thoroughly studied and de-.
termined in the light of the present
situation and Of possible alternative
methods of meeting it. and they feel
lmpelled to call the attention Of the
general assembly TO the imperative
Importance of facing the question and
he budget in its entirety" Let us all
join the Governor in this grave con-
cern and study thoroughly, as he sug-
gests, the effects Of the reductions in
appropriations.
know something of tine terrible
economic situation IN the state and
country know something Of the al
most heroic collection Of large sums
If back taxes from powerful financial
interests by the present administra-
ton in helping to tide the state over
these critical months. am not in
sensible 10 some of the patriotic i'm
pulses Of those who champion the
radical budget proposals as the way to
meet desperate situation. Yet |
wish to say that it is my considered
opinion that the budget reductions and
the ten per cent salary and wage cut
is unwise in principle, unfair in its
application, and destructive in its
consequences to the public service,
public schools, state colleges, and the
public welfare
Teachers Have Not Been on Joy Ride
Let US take, for example, the salar-
les of teachers. 1t is clearly unwlse
to cut down the efficiency Of those en-
gagged in the most productive business
in the state. Salaries are part of the
basis Of the productive power Of the
teachers. Up to certain point, GER
tainly not yet reached in North Caro-
lima, the salary of the teacher is a
guarantee Of the security of spirit
and well being necessary for the most
creative work. The salary of the
teacher is comparatively modest, even
in time Of depression, for persons OF
like ability, training, and life invest
ments.. Those in business and the
other professions whose incomes in a
depression come down as q minimum
toward the maximum salaries OF
teachers, consider such reductions as
intolerable Despite the deep salts
faction intrinsic in the teaching life,
the failure to provide decent salary
scale tends to keep out and drive out
superior persons and impairs the
value of those who remain. If teach
ers volunteered to give up q part OF
their salaries, as many would 90 IN
the public interest, people who know
what they owe their children, would
refuse in the interest Of the public.
Salaries of teachers and public ser
wants do not go up correspondingly in
times of prosperity and should not be
singled out to come down in a time OF
depression by what in effect is an
extra 10 per cent income tax on one
group. The teachers have not been on
the Joy ride and it is hardly fair to
ask them to pay for those who have.
If the ten per cent cut has for its
purpose relief for business it should
be remembered that the efficiency and
productive value of public education
is the chief business Of the common
wealth. If this ten per cent cut is
only an emergency measure it is yet
such a radical and dramatic preced-
ent that it will qualify the contract
and tenure Of teachers for q genera
ton. If the ten per cent cut is a
measure to pay off the debt, we should
remember that the schools and col
leges are the chief resources in the
long run by which the debt will be
paid. We must pay dollar for dollar
and interest, too. To tear down is a
wasteful way to pay up. Depressions
are Temporary but youth is eternally