Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-23
Pressure Groups

most publicity conscious
organization, the Maryland
Congress of Parents and
Teachers, is following the
party line by criticizing Gov.
Tawes for not raising teach
ers' salaries. BY the time this
organization gets down to
the recording secretary level,
it will have had at least one
spokesman in public print
daily for the next three
months.
How wearying and boring
it has been, listening % this
and other teacher orgaE.-z1-
lions hound and harass the
Maryland Legislature for
more money. They are rem
iniscent of the Transfers
and other pressure organiza-
tions, only they are more
guilty because they are
bringing discredit to a dis
tinguiShed profession. If
teachers need an increase
in salary-and this is a big
"if"-there are other and
better ways of making the
need known.
I seriously question
whether teachers are in fact
underpaid. I also question
the organi. atoms allega-
tions that the people of
Maryland are in favor of
higher salaries. OF course,
teachers are. Steelworkers
are in favor of higher wages
for Steelworkers, too. How
ever, what do the people Of
Maryland think-the people.
other than teachers, who,
after all, represent onl" a
small element of the over
all population? I haven't
talked to one who thinks
teachers are underpaid.
More power to Gov. Tawes
and his stand against the
teacher pressure groups. The
teachers received a healthy
raise last year. Do they eX-
pect one every year? The
taxpayers are over their
heads in taxes now, and
further increases in teacher
salaries would mean higher
taxes. Enough of this. The
States education system
should remain within its
budget instead of striving
for more and more each
year.
John A. George.
Again this year the same
pressure groups - League of
Women Voters, Parent
Teacher Associations. educa-
ton associations, federation
of civic groups-in the vari-
Gus nearby localities are
pressing the need for in
creased expenditures and a
willingness to paw higher
taxes. These legitimate
groups have been taken over
by liberals who keep singing
this same song year after
year and whose only idea of
progress is to spend. spend
tax, tax. However, after all
these years. taxpayers are
beginning to tire of this
song.
One line used time and
again goes something like
this: 1--WE are willing to pay
the cost if it means a better
education for our children"
More money spent does not
necessarily mean a better
education.
Citizens are slowly rea,iz-
ing that all these increased
expenditures are not essen
tial or necessary. But the
taxpayers, for the most part,
are not organized to present
an effective stand at public
budget hearings to counter
act the demands of the
above mentioned groups.
Victories as evidenced by
higher taxes and increS sing
local debt are being won an
nually by these highly or-
ganized pressure groups.
If taxpayers want their
views to be needed they must
organize into a taxpayers
group dedicated to economy
and efficiency and present a
united stand to the elected
officials. If this action is not
taken by citizens in Mont
gomery. Alexandria. Arling-
ton. Falls Church, Prince
Georges and the other areas,
taxpayers can expect the To-
cal Jurisdictions to impose
hack breaking tax rates and
to be led eventually into
bankruptcy by the pleadings
of these very legitimate pres