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Show OS PAY HKST OF TEACUKHS. Paper read before the Territorial Teicher'i Association. April 4tn,lS73. By Karl ii. Metr. ; Mr. Chairman : Having been ap- I pointed by the executive jeummittee to i report on the sut-jot ot payment of 1 teachers, I would premise that I am fu'ly aware that whatever ideas 1 may suggest concerning this all important quotation must, as a matter of course, be oi a temporary uaturo. The entirely entire-ly unsettled state of our public schools, for want of any general organization, will by the very wretchedness of this state of things, force upon the people sooner or later tho adoption of some general plin by whioh they may conduct their school; aud any plan, if only thoroughly carried out, will be far superior to tho no-plac-at-all syttem just now prevailing. In the meantime tho demands upon the teacher are continually increasing, and tho people begin to feel the necessity of a good education for their children. But iustead of oommeneing at the right and organizing good schools, sufficiently suf-ficiently endowed, in order to induce intelligent and efficient teachers to devote de-vote their time and talent for the instruction in-struction of their children, they lustily call for good teachers, expecting as much of them as possible, with a return re-turn on the part of the- people at a minimum rate. Now, Mr. Chairman, if it is not expressed so in words anywhere or by anybody, any-body, this is practically the oourse pursued by the school districts throughout through-out the Territory, with few exceptions. In many instances this policy keeps back men and women of talent, who, otherwise wouid be a valuablo acquisition acquisi-tion to our noble calling, and lorccs school trustees to give their schools, many times, into tho hands of individuals individ-uals who "are good enough for school teaching, if for nothing else." What, under such circumstances, shall tho teachers of this Territory do, wa who havo lor years not only labored, but actually suffered, I for one having experienced ex-perienced my goodly share of it, in the performance of our duties and in our ' endeavors to overcome gradually the difficulties in our road, always borne up by the hope of better timos coming? If there is to bo no change in the present pres-ent oondilion of things, I and soma others around mo, feel that as our bodily strength is rapidly giving way, as has been the case with sevoral before us, we will ere long be used up, or sink into a premuturo gravo, simply making room for others, to fall as we shall havo done. I usk, Mr. Chairman, where is the justioo of this onesided arrangement? What right has a community to expect of any intelligent man or woman to pu:sue a course from tho adoption of which all parents would persuade their children to abstain, as long as there is tho least opening for them somewhere else? President Young onco said, in Provo, that the tcaohers should be tho most moral, most intelligent, but also among the best paid members in the community. commu-nity. Now, ask the son of any of our lending or well-to-do families to train himself for a teacher; not only himself but also his parents Vvould laugh at you and tell you, that he could make more money behind tho counter in a week, than he eould as a teacher in a month perhaps; and that settles the point as far as that young man is concerned. It is true, some whole-hearted young ladies of our best families havo volunteered lor the Bohool-room, and I oannot express in words how much I honor their Bpirit, for there is as much difference between them and a ball or drawing room belle as mere is Detwecn a genuine goia-pteoj and a counterfeit greenback. What shall we do then? Give up the struggle, strug-gle, pronounce our best efforts a failure and strike out for some more remunerative remuner-ative occupation, and try to make money as the rest do, and a little more perhaps in order to make up for time lost ? Or is there ovun vuouuo jicv - icrvi LU pi'U" tect ourselves and our interests until such chaoges in the political affairs of this people occur, as will result in the t final relief of the teachers? I think I there are some wavB vet for us to Dur- suo, in which wo may partially, at least, find some help and assistance; that is, such help as wo arc able to render to ourselves for our mutual protection, pro-tection, thus strengthening our position and by the very force of increased Btrength gain increased influence, which will bear ui up until general changes lor our relief will take place. Experience has demonstrated several causes of the great losses teachers teach-ers are continually sustaining by not getting their, in many respects, scanty although so hard earned dues. Bad times, poverty, disappointment in business, etc., are causes of so unavoidable un-avoidable a nature, that wo oalmly put up with them, as every other occupation has to suffer under these drawbaoks occasionally; but there are some that not only oould.but by all means shou d be remedied; as for instance pupils leaving school without notice to the teacher; entering another school before paying their tuition in a former; deductiog every little absence from sohool from the tuition foe, not considering the thereby increased diffi-! diffi-! oulties and labor to tho teaohcr in keeping his classes in uninterrupted progress; paying in trade at the highest priocs, or in kind that nobody else would take. These thingi, I think, oould be remedied by tho uoitcd action of the teaohors throughout tho Territory Terri-tory on a co operative principle, and there is no better opportunity to make a thorough arrangement in this respect, than at the present session of tho Territorial Ter-ritorial Teachers' Association. I therefore move, that a committee of three bo appointed, for the purposo of drawing up a series of resolutions concerning tho payment of teachers, to be submitted to tho association. Motion was seconded and carried unanimously, aud Mesr.. Maescr, Park and Riggs appointed as said ooru mittee. |