Evening star., 1933-09-10
BY GEORGE F. ZOOK,

|
o. 8. Commissioner Of Education.
w YE are now beginning . school
| M year Of unparalleled signifi-
| w canoe.
This year our Nation IS
embarking on an adventure Of faith.
Nineteen thirty-three is already one ot
the great years in American history.
To the cooperative effort for recovery,
our superintendents, teachers and pu-
pills, who are well experienced in CO.
operative attack on problems, will gladly
lend their joint strength.
Tremendous changes in our national
life pass rapidly before our eyes like
q motion picture. We can not fully
comprehend what we see. But i'm
portant facts are becoming clear. Edu-
cation and industry can now work to-
gether toward q common objective
Industry, like education, has been
pledged to the Creation and mainte-
nance Of the highest practicable stan
dard Of living" That has been the
ideal Of our professions, Of our churches
and Of Government. Now 1t Is the
ideal of business.
Reorganixe to Cut Waste.
Already educators have demonstrated
their ability and willingness to deal
with the stern facts of depression. They
have brought their expenditures within
their income and reorganized school
and college units to eliminate waste
Their efforts along this line compare
favorably with any similar effort In
government and business. The depres-
sion hit schools later than it did tn.
business community. 1t will linger with
schools longer than with business and
trade. This year. therefore. will prob
ably be the most difficult year of the
depression as far as schools are con-
cerned. Salaries in business and trade
are rising; salaries of teachers in
many States will be lower this year
than they have been for many years.
In some States the minimum salaries
for the coming year according to law
(and the minimum is what many school
boards will pay) are well below the
minimum for unskilled labor in rural
communities established by the indus
trial code agreements.
Schools are still financed, except In q
few States, very largely from taxes on
real estate. Every one knows what has
happened to real estate values. The
drop In values did not atiect the In
come for schools, however, until new
assessments were ordered. Many Of
these have now been made. II assess
ments are down so per cent this cuts
a major source Of school income SO
per cent. In, addition many property
ownersshave not been able to pay even
reduced taxes. In many communities
Is per cent or more Of the taxpayers
have not paid the taxes necessary to
operate the schools. Some States have
saved the situation by passing sales
! and income taxes but frequently it has
been necessary to devote the funds
raised to unemployment relief rather
than to educational relief.
Infinitely More Leisure
With frightened belts and renewed de-
termination We In education face the
future. Wisely, and yet speedily, we
must discern the conditions of per-
sonal and social life as best we can
and set out In school and college to
prepare boys and girls, young men and
young women, yes, even adults, to live
in the new world.
1t will be a world, 1t now seems, Of
infinitely more leisure; Of narrower
limits to the range of monetary COM
Densati0n for effort. ~ prhIic co.oper