Evening star., 1934-06-29
"Character COnsultant''
At Fifty Dollars a Day
70 the Editor Of The star:

~ the EGilCf VI ne athF'
Your school-minded contributor
have been strangely silent since the
news Was spread abroad that $50 q
day Is to be paid q consultant In
character education. II the Job of in
stilling rudiments of character In
school teachers is such q tough one
that 1t requires payment Of $50 a day
for the task, the money had better
be used first to feed the school chill
dren and fortify them to stand the
strain while being educationally
strait jacketed into uprightness and
honesty
Alongside the carpenters So q day
that $50-a-day compensation for q
schoolman seems wild extravaganza
lar beyond the ordinary taxpayers
pocketbook. Where is the authority
In District appropriation law to pay
any such excessive stipend? That act
plainly says, Not exceeding $4,000
may be expended for compensation to
be fixed by the Board of Education
and travelling expenses of educational
consultants employed In character
education" The authorization never
would have got through Congress II
$50 a day had been specified. The
board should not impose any such
monstrously unfair charge on the
wealth-producing masses, who pay all
taxes and foot all the bills.
School teachers should remember
That they would have no money II
workers were not tOiling at the mint
and the bureau 10 produce 1t. II peo-
pie were not working in fields or in
factories school teachers would have
nothing to eat or to wear. II me-
chanics were not erecting buildings
TO add to the taxable property, sal
aries OF District school teachers would
soon tumble from the lofty heights
to which they have scared. 1t is not
considered good form for tax-eaters
10 snarl at or bite the hand that feeds
them and suStains them.
What is Society's recompense for
the vast sums OF money that 60 into
the school teachers purse? A combi-
nation OF six years of elementary
schoollng, three of Junior high, three
or more OF high school instruction
turns out such "rah-rah" material
That years OF outside effort and much
money is wasted in reconditioning the
output and making it of any use in a
world OF work, endeayor, application.
erhclency, good manners, loyalty and
devotion.
II any one had proposed to the old
Time school teacher that some one be
hired and paid 10 instruct him or her
III character training such a rash per
son would have been In danger (men-
taIlyD OF being turned over that school
teachers knee and getting the thor
ough trouncing he richly deserved
Have We reached such a benighted
state locally that "consultants in char
acter education" must be imported and
emoiumented TO galvanize principles
OF honesty and morality into District
pedagogy?
1t Is lamentable that the grating
process shows greatest prolificness
wnen attached TO the school system
The little children are so defenseless
that parasitical graftings are in no
danger OF being pried loose so long as
spineless offlcials Entrusted with the
Watchful care of the little ones) pos-
seSs no capacity to protect those un-
able to protect themselves.
If the District school children have
any real friends. there should 90 cut
from them a vigorous protest against
payment OF such an extravagant sti-
pend to outside importations for that
which should be school teachers
foremost qualification without exorbi-
tant exactions or unjustifiable added
expense.
JOSEPH W CHENEY.