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Show DR. GOWANS ADVISES j TEftCKJE PAID: State Superintendent Says Schools Will Be Disorganized Dis-organized Otherwise. Letters sent out by Dr. K. G. Gowans, state superintendent of public instruction, yesterday advise school boards to pay teachers their salaries for the period of tile enforced Idleness of the schools due to the influenza epidemic. The letter' was In response to numerous inquiries from superintendents and hoard officers as to the proper course to be pursued. pur-sued. Dr. Cowans wrote the letter after conference with the attorney general of the state. He calls attention to the fact that there Is no i revision in the laws of the stale covering this point, and. sas that such arrangements should be made between the-hoards of education antr the teachers as will do justice to the latter and at the same time be consistent with good public policy. Funds, the letter points out. are available avail-able for the payment of salaries, and a large part of these funds can not be used for anv other purpose, 'i'eachcrs must arrange ar-range "their affairs so as to give their whole time toUheir work as teachers, and the boards will be unable to guarantee the reopening of schools unless they can command com-mand the services of the teachers when the quarantine is raised. For these reasons' rea-sons' the superintendent feels the boards have authority-to pay the teachers for the time schools al'e closed, in full. "If teachers." the letters say. "do not receive their salaries for such time, they cannot reasonably he expected to hold themselves in readiness for duty upon t lie reopening of schools. I feel sure that citizens' generallv will prefer, that teachers teach-ers be paid for tile time schools are closed by reason of an epidemic. not only In justice to the teaerfers themselves, but also to prevent the school system from being demoralized" through resignations and general dissatisfaction; and that this will be especially true when teachers hold themselves available for such temporary public service as they can perform during the epidemic, either in assisting the health officers or in directing activities of pupils in a .manner permitted try the necessary health regulations." |