DECEMBER, 1928 VOL. XITI—No, 4 


Democracy in Education Education for Democracy 


The 
American Teacher 


THE ORGAN OF THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS 









































‘SERVICE, . __ iO 
HONESTY, AND,TRUTH a 








| LIBERTY-OF, THOUGHT AND, SPEECH: 

















DEMOCRACY: IN-EDUCATION- EDUCATION N-DEMOCRACY 


a 








"leader Building. 235,99 506 South Wabash A 

er Vee 

Oklahoma City, Okichoma SS a a a Chicago, Illinois 
Single Copy 25c—Yearly Subscription $2.00 











The Value of the Dictionary 


is the title of a new booklet written to 
help you in Teaching the Dictionary. 
Here are a few suggestions of the les- 
sons included: 


First Dictionary Lessons 
Relative Position of Letters 
How to Find Words 

What You Find 
Pronunciation 

How to Find Meanings 
Parts of Speech and Meanings 
Unusual Uses of Words 
Synonyms 

The Hyphen, Ete. Ete. 


Copies of this new booklet will be sent FREE 
to teachers upon request. 


G. & C. Merriam peeppeade 
Springfield, Mass. 

Publishers 
of the Merriam-Webster 


Dictionaries for Over 
85 Years 


Look for the Circular 
Trade Mark Get the Best 











A Handbook for Peace Workers 


ENTITLED 


Between War and Peace 


FLORENCE BREWER BOECKEL 
Education Director 
of the 
NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR PREVENTION OF WAR 
Published by the Macmillan Company 


Wuat You Can Do For PEACE 


Realistic, practical surveys of the relation to 
world peace of educators, of the Church, of 
women, of commerce, of labor, of farmers, of 
war veterans, of young people. 


600 Pages, Postfatd $2.00 


SEND IN YOUR ORDER NOW 
Ask for a list of our publications 


NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR PREVENTION OF WAR 


532 Seventeenth Street, N. W. 
Washington, D. C. 








DO YOU BELI 


THAT YOU ARE ENTITLED TO 


1. A voice and a vote in the management of your 
school; 











2. Independence of thot, freedom of expression and 
exercise of initiative; 
. Working conditions that are sanitary, cheerful 
and inspiring. 
. A promotion in rank based on merit only; 


. A salary commensurate with the dignity and 
importance of your office? 


IF SO 


JOIN THE ARMY 


OF READERS OF 


The American Teacher 
Published by teachers for principle; not for profit 
THE AMERICAN TEACHER is the only teach- 
ers’ magazine whose sole excuse for existence is the 
desire to improve the working conditions of the 


teachers, and to raise teaching to the dignity of a 
profession. 


SUBSCRIPTION PRICE 


TWO DOLLARS FOR ONE YEAR 
Send In Your Subscription To-day 


THE AMERICAN TEACHER 


506 South Wabash Ave., Chicago, Ill. 











CONTENTS 


An Adventure in Self Education 
]. E. Kirkpatrick 


Editorials 


Why Organized Labor Welcomes the Teachers 
John M. O’Hanlon 


Equal Pay 
Rena Rockwel/ 


Teaching Conditions in the Northwest 
E. E. Schwarztrauber 


An American Institution and Its Creed 
William Green 


Just Observations 
Selma M. Borchardt 




















The American Teacher 


Entered as second class matter Oct. 1, 1927, at the post office at Oklahoma City, 


Okla., under the Act of March 3, 1879. 


Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in Sec. 1103, Act of Feb. 28, 1925, authorized Nov. 3, 1926. 





Volume XIII, No. 4 


DECEMBER, 1928 


Two Dollars a Year 





An Adventure in Self Education 
By J. E. Kirkpatrick 


Ashland College, A School for Adult Education 


“Not until we have men who look so close within 
themselves that they shall find there the issue of the 
world, is there hope for the world.” 
such faith, or purpose as this, expressed recently by 
one of our leading publicists, that dominated the 


It was some 


Ashland College group the past summer. No aca- 
demic subjects occupied them, instead, some of the 
major problems of life. When the “expert” was 
present, he found his place in the ranks, only his 
experience, like that of others, proving of value. It 
was a place where people seemed, both to themselves 
and to others, more themselves than they had ever 
been before. If the newcomer thought to play a 
part, say of the radical, he was soon constrained to 
be himself and to drop even his conventional masks. 
Thus discovering themselves, each person presented 
an apparently new self and the group became a 
source of new understandings, new hopes and new 
ambitions. This spirit was contagious and gathered 
in dozens, even hundreds of the neighboring Danish 
and “Mongrel” Americans. Farmers, teachers, the 
local chamber of commerce from the village of 
Grant, newspaper people from the cities, felt the 
gtip of a new and unique community life. 


Of the resident group which enrolled at Ashland, 
totaling about half a hundred, and coming from 


Virginia, Kentucky, Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, 
Nebraska, but largely from Chicago and Detroit, 
one-third returned once, twice and even thrice, 
travelling two and three hundred miles that they 
might have a day or two longer at this school which 
was not a school at all in any orthodox sense, but 
a “chapter from the book of life.” It was a venture 
into the self and it gave a new zest to life. Thus 
the “issue of the world” began to appear to members 
of the Ashland College, during its first session on 
the beautiful old Danish High School campus. When 
they “looked close within themselves,” they began 
to have a new “hope for the world.” 


The leaflet which set out plans for the first ses- 
sion announced a list of leaders distinct from the 
student group. But all such distinctions speedily 
disappeared, there being no grounds on which they 
could be maintained. No one received a wage, except 
the cook, and she did not join the school. Every 
one paid his share of the living and administrative 
expenses. Leaders of the discussion groups were 
chosen from all ranks, while no one exercised author- 
ity or assumed superior experience or knowledge. 
Under such conditions all became students and all 
were in line to be teachers—directors rather—of the 
informal discussion periods. Some of the best dis- 
cussions were had while the younger and less expe- 
rienced members were in the chair. This was made 
possible because every member was asked to read, 
at the beginning of the session, Prof. A. D. Sheffield’s 
pamphlet on “Creative Discussion.” The group de- 
cided to follow the principles there laid down. There 
were to be no arguments, no attempts at formal con- 
clusions, no authoritative statements by any member, 
no long speeches. It was agreed also that the “verbal- 
izers” should occasionally indulge in a “Quaker 
silence,” in the interest of the non-verbalizers. It 
was understood, too, that the discussion leader was 
to prevent wandering ¥rom the subject and gently 
remind the ready speakers of the presence of the more 
retiring members. With this understanding on the 
part of leader and group, the discussion periods be- 
came largely self-directed. They frequently extended 
beyond the two-hour period set aside each morning 
and they were often followed by earnest consulta- 
tions among smaller groups. 

Susyects IN AssiGNED WEEKS 

In another respect the original plans were fol- 
lowed out quite closely. The life interest subjects— 
sex, marriage and home, the vocation, leisure and 
play, the community, education and religion—each 
had the assigned week. “The first session of the week 
was used to discover the views and experiences of all 





THE AMERICAN TEACHER 


the members. These were recorded on the black- 
board as stated. Sufficient discussion was employed 
to make the several issues clear. These general views 
and personal problems of the members offered a very 
clear showing of the state of mind and emotion 
which marked the group. These vital convictions, 
needs and experiences of the members furnished the 
basis for the program of each week. There was no 
time, of course, for anything like an exhaustive study 
of any one of the subjects under consideration. But 
no time was wasted in the setting out of views, 
theories and experiences foreign to the individual 
interests or the group, though a general or historical 
statement was occasionally found helpful at the be- 
ginning of the week. 

These “creative discussions” had the virtue of 
beginning only at the point where the members were 
then living, but they tended strongly toward clear- 
ing up the thinking of each and enabling them to 
take the next step with more assurance. And people 
did take the “‘next step.” There was developed an 
unusual sense of freedom. Life became more malleable. 
Inhibitions were dispelled, mental activities accel- 
erated and personal plans and philosophies developed. 
There appeared to be not only a fluid but a dynamic 
life. Not all the decisions and procedures which 
came to light were such that the entire group could 
approve. But all divisive disputing was avoided, even 
when the representatives of the group felt it neces- 
sary to say to a member that it did not consider his 
course of action consistent with the social standards 
af the college. 

LaBor SHARED By ALL 

One of the saving and inspiring factors in the 
Ashland College life came about because labor as 
well as expenses was shared equally by all. New- 
comers were assigned at once to kitchen or dining 
room duty. All the household labor was done by 
the members. Directors of philosophy and members 
of university faculties could be found sweeping the 
lecture room and hall floors or washing dishes. It 
was a common remark that this feature of the school 
life made for a genial community spirit. Incidentally 
it reduced the weekly expenses below the $12.50 
rate estimated in the announcements. The old school 
building was kept neat and gaily decorated with 
native plants. It was alive with song and dance 
except during the hours for formal discussion, the 
“siesta” and the night sleeping period—though the 
night hours might be too brief and lively for some 
of the older “sleepy heads.” 


In spite of their early resolves, the “Ashlanders” 
found it difficult not to keep up the usual American 
drive. They found, too, that “creative discussion” 
and creative thinking were taxing experiences, per. 
haps because so unusual. At any rate, they found 
the two-hour period in the morning quite enough, 
usually, for the day. The evening was devoted some. 
times to a serious lecture, with brief discussion, but 
more often to reading or poetry, a story, or a chapter 
or two from “The Great American Band Wagon,” 
Always in the evening, as also in the morning, there 
was a period of song, preceding the discussions, and 
evening program. We set out to use the American 
folk songs, the Negro spirituels, etc., but soon found 
them displaced by the “Translations” of the Danish 
Folk Songs. In them was found not only a novelty 
but a massiveness and strength in striking contrast 
with the jazz of our day. Newcomers might com- 
plain that these songs wearied, even rasped them, 
but they soon joined in and took a hand in further 
translations or in improving those already in print. 
Without design we discovered a “School Song” in 
this collection, which, set to the Crusaders’ Hymn 
tune, runs as follows: 


Beauty around us, glory above us, 
Lovely is earth and the smiling skies, 
Singing we pass along, pilgrims upon our way, 
To make these fair lands paradise. 


Ages are coming, roll on and vanish, 
Children shall follow where the fathers 
passed; 
Never our pilgrim song, joyful and heaven 
born, 
Shall cease while time and mountains last. 


Children of earth are we, lost in life’s 
mystery, 
Beauty departing and glory gone; 
Yet strong our voices blend, faith in that 
glorious end, 
When life and love and God are one. 


Another ready means of resting from the strenv- 
ous labor of “creative thinking” about one’s own 
and one’s eneighbor’s personal problems, was play: 
There was a revival of the old farm game of horse- 
shoes, and much skill was shown. The “Chief,” 4 
the director of the school was generally called, won 
distinction with the local farmers because he could, 





inders” 
nerican 
ussion” 
S, per- 
found 
nough, 
| some- 
n, but 
hapter 
agon,” 
, there 
is, and 
lerican 
found 
Danish 
ovelty 
yntrast 
; Com- 
them, 
urther 
print. 
1g” in 
Hymna 


THE AMERICAN TEACHER 3 


and did, play this game with some skill. It had not 
been thus done by the clerical directors of the old 
Danish folk school. The Danes, both young and old, 
came in from their homes every other evening and 
led the school people in folk games and songs. “Are 
they all Danes?” asked a Danish-American visitor, 
as she viewed half a hundred people singing Danish 
songs, while they gambolled gaily, as the pagan 
peasants did centuries agone. “No,” was the reply, 
“most of our ‘American’ Americans are there.” The 
Americans soon caught the rhythm and the air, while 
many of them learned the Danish words also. After 
an hour’s play of this sort, all were ready first for 
the group singing and then even for a serious lecture, 
the younger as well as the older. Visitors noted 
with surprise that the neighboring young people, even 
the children, seemed ready for serious attention, 
thoughtful consideration of the lecture or reading, 
after the hour of play and song. 
Danes RETAIN Play Hasirts 

It seems that the Danish people have retained 
more of their native pagan play habits than most 
of the European peoples. The Christian missionaries 
did not reach them until late, while Calvinistic influ- 
ences and the Puritan Sabbath failed to lessen their 
natural gaiety. A good Presbyterian layman looked 
on at one of the Sunday evening games and remarked 
that it seemed a better way to hold and interest the 
young people than some of the more spectacular 
methods used by the American churches. Certainly 
these Danish-American young people, who with their 
elders so often filled the old gymnasium and the 
lecture hall of the school, are not less serious or 
thoughtful than Americans of the same stations. 
They are noticeably less painted, bedecked, sophisti- 
cated, less bored with life. Both observation and 
experience led the “Americans” who settled down 
among the Danes in the Ashland community this 
summer to conclude that the folk songs and plays 
have an unappreciated value in this day of the fox 
trot and the “go-getter.” They were inclined also 
to think that these Danish people have made a good 
beginning in community co-operation, whether for 
business, for education or for church, when they 
can sing and play together as they do. 

The Ashlanders found time for outdoors. One 
morning session was held in a state park, forty miles 
away from the school. Another evening program 
was held at “Old Woman’s Bend,” where the Muske- 
gon River has cut three hundred feet into the loose 
glacial soil of the plains. Many of the regular ses- 


sions were held under the spruce and beech of the 
school grounds. The outdoors was found to be more 
condugive of free and discerning thought. Only the 
cool winds of these northern regions sent the groups 
indoors. “Little Switzerland,” Sand Lake, the many 
pathetic “stump fences” reminding one of the 
mighty forests until lately in possession of this entire 
region, the entire landscape of this region was a 
part of the freeing and inspiring educational experi- 
ence of the Ashland College group during the sum- 
mer session of 1928. 
REPORTERS CouLDN’T Finp “Nuts” 

But, as always, it was the human element that was 
most significant in this Ashland experiment in self- 
education for adults. Newspaper men from the 
cities came looking for “nuts.” They confessed 
themselves disappointed at not finding the said 
“nuts”—radicals and faddists. More than one who 
came as a reporter, remained to co-operate as a mem- 
ber of the group. One of them is now seeking to 
urbanize and “liberalize” the idea of the “creative 
discussion” in his own city. The oldest member, a 
locomotive engineer from Alabama, returned several 
times, after making necessary side trips in this sec- 
tion of the country. He has been a life-long traveller 
and reader, having early in his life decided that these 
were of more importance than wife and children. 
Not so clear now that he chose wisely, he is never- 
theless wise, judicious, learned and convincing above 
all but a very few people to be found in our so- 
called learned circles. The youngest member was 
the nine-months old daughter of two young people, 
the father belonging to the faculty of one of the 
leading universities. This baby, with her parents 
and nurse, belonged to the college. She was often 
brought to the meetings in the lecture room. There 
she was free to sing hér own songs when the others 
sang, though she had a different notion of harmony. 
She amused herself as she would while the grown- 
ups struggled with their own life problems; the baby 
oflering no more of distraction than a child does in 
its own family circle. Family circle it was; there 
were people of all ages from seventy-one to less than 
a year, people of seven different nationalities and 
twenty-seven different occupations, all at home 
together. 


THe Rassr’s ROLE 
The “Rabbi” played an important role in the Col- 
lege group. By nature and training a “liberal” he 
finds himself compelled to conform in a backward 
southern community. Bearing heavy personal bur- 





4 THE AMERICAN TEACHER 


dens he joked and smiled in self defense and proved 
himself not only a good sport but a contributing 
member. His four weeks stay in the school proved 
all too short for his companions. So, too, with the 
“Shoe-horn Philosopher” from a plains state who 
could remain but four days. But this was long enough 
for him to make a strong impression on the school, 
with his views of his retail shoe business as a mere 
means of making a living while he found his “‘voca- 
tion” among the young people of his community, 
among the school and college teachers condemned 
to the pedagogic lock-step, and even among his fel- 
low Rotarians whom he joked about their “bigger 
and better elephant” notions. It was long enough 
to send him back an enthusiast for the idea of a free 
and self educational program for every human who 
felt himself repressed and thwarted by school, church 
and “service” society conventions. There was also 
the middle-aged teacher who came to the college 
to spend two weeks and stayed four, returning to her 
city post only when compelled by the opening of 
school. At the end of the first week she wrote: 


“More and more demands are made on the teacher 
so that we no longer know what it is to do any calm 


thinking. * * * However, I have just to think 
myself back at Ashland this summer to get my sense 
of balance. * * * That schooling can be a pleasant 
family party enterprise is a new experience to most 
of us. How much I gained I did not realize until 
I came back to the old conditions.” 


LocaL PEOPLE FAvorRED PLAN 

It was not surprising that the Danish-Americans 
in the immediate vicinity of the school should have 
been inclined to look upon this “American” experi- 
ment with favor, though there was not wanting the 
taunt from one of them that it had become a “Jewish 
Temple” when an Arkansas rabbi led the Sunday 
services which the school conducted in an adjacent 
Lutheran church. To most of these people, some of 
whom had attended as students near fifty years ago, 
and all of whom had known this old building all 
their life time as the center of their social life, it 
seemed a “miracle” that “Americans” should have 
discovered and reopened it after ten years and made 
of it a really successful American peoples’ college. 
During the later weeks of the session they came to 
feel so much at home that they came almost daily, 
or nightly. They brought all manner of cakes, they 
furnished flowers and foods in plenty and variety 
and they crowded the house full on the last night 
to say “goodbye,” though no meeting had been 


announced. They seem to feel toward these “Mon. 
grel” Americans, as one member of Danish origin 
once designated the majority of the residents, 4s 
toward their own race and faith. They even trans. 
lated the Scotch name of the director and he was 
frequently called “Kirkepater.” Among the young 
people friendships sprang up, love lured them on and 
life partnerships seemed to impend. 
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HELPED 

If the Danes were inclined to active and keen 
interest in this old school which they and their 
leaders throughout the country thought of as dead 
beyond resurrection, not so the Americans in the 
near-by village of Grant. They had always thought 
of the school as the “Dane College.” As such they 
could have no interest in it, not more than in the 
near-by “Dane Church.” They insisted that the 
newcomers at the college must be Danes. It was 
with difficulty that they were convinced they were 
*‘American” Americans, some of whose ancestors had 
come via the Mayflower, while most of the others 
had come early enough for their descendents to have 
lost all language but the American and all traits but 
those of the Midwesterner—forgetting for the mo- 
ment the Southerners, who are always “American.” 
The village Chamber of Commerce was first to dis- 
cover and accept the new group, coming on invita- 
tion in considerable numbers to join the discussion 
of “rural-urban relations” problems. Later they 
invited the school to a banquet in their fine com- 
munity hall, a hall which was offered free for school 
parties and dances, and in which the college held 
its last religious service, where several local churches 
and Sunday schools joined the school group. During 
the last week or two some of the leading towns- 
people asked for membership in the school, and 
joined regularly in all discussions and activities, 
remarking that they were sorry they had not known 
earlier what was doing and that they were welcome. 

FacuLty LocaLLy ACCEPTED 

After the college had completed its organization 
and had planned for further sessions, calling two of 
this summer’s “staff” to permanent posts in the 
school, the local community church was quick 
invite one of these to its pastorate. A member of 
the church committee, a local business man who had 
scoffed most at the notion of the “Dane College” 
reopening as an American institution, was outspoken 
in favoring this college man as their church leader, 
especially if it would help “their college.” Another 
prospective member of the Ashland College staff, 





> mo- 


” 


o dis- 


they 
com- 
school 
» held 
irches 
uring 
owns- 
, and 
vities, 
nown 
come. 


zation 
wo of 
1 the 
ck to 
yer of 
o had 
lege” 
poken 
eader, 
other 
staff, 


THE AMERICAN TEACHER 5 


now the principal of one of the several Danish- 
American “Folk Schools” in this country, has been 
called by the Danish church, replacing also, as in 
the case of the Grant Community Church, a “sup- 
ply” from a neighboring city. Thus in a most 
intimate and unusual way the educational, social and 
religious forces of the Danish and American groups 
are united about this old new college. They are not 
averse to the avowed Ashland principle of a “sym- 
phonic community,” one which seeks to preserve the 
Danish inheritance, also that of the near-by Dutch 
community as well as that of other groups who may 
become related to the school. For this college does 
not find a place for the “melting pot” and its “amal- 
gamated” “100 per cent” product. It believes in a 
variegated and unified, not a standardized and uni- 
form, people. 

A group which finds life challenging, zestful and 
promising will be ready, even anxious to continue its 
existence. There was no negative voice when the 
vote was taken on continuing the Ashland School. 
A committee of twelve persons, six in Michigan and 
the same number in Illinois, most of them in the two 
metropolitan districts, was chosen to carry on the 
work. These local committees already have plans to 
meet during the year and discuss “creatively” the 
questions that press upon them most in their urban 
homes. All plan to return next summer and bring 
friends with them, The prospective attendance 
already exceeds the accommodations and it is pro- 
posed to establish a camp on the open space of the 
school grounds. Following the second summer ses- 
sion, which will probably extend through July and 
August, it is planned to establish a program running 
for periods of two or three months through the 
school year. 

AN UNUSUAL CURRICULUM 

The regular school year program of Ashland Col- 
lege will, like the summer work, be marked by a 
sharp departure from the usual academic aims and 
curriculum. It will seek to serve only the more 
mature and practically experienced class of young 
People, not those just released from the conscript 
halls of schools, colleges and universities. During the 
fall, winter and spring quarters, the students will be 
expected to carry on at their own cost the house- 
hold enterprise on a co-operative basis. They will 
be expected also to meet the entire expense of main- 
taining the regular school staff. This expense should 
not be unusual since the student will not be taken 
out of his usual employment for a long period. Nor 


will there be any need to establish a full curriculum 
with the usual large staff of teachers. There will be 
no long list of subjects and courses to be taught. 
Instead there will be a few groups of people with 
somewhat identical and always consuming interests 
and questions. When the leading questions and 
interests of life are put in place of supposedly import- 
ant -academic subjects, curriculum making becomes 
a wholly new art, an art yet to be studied and 
developed. With such an aim in view, the teacher 
becomes all important. He must, incidentally, know 
certain subjects. Primarily and supremely he must 
know life as it is lived today and as it perplexes and 
challenges the more inquisitive young minds, If he 
is ever to help such people to find and to direct them- 
selves, he can do it in one brief term. If not then, 
he would probably fail with four or even seven years 
of the young person’s time at his disposal. Ashland 
College students will “graduate” after a ten or twelve 
weeks period and will be advised to continue their 
own education in the only real school, that of life. 
INSTITUTION GOVERNS ITSELF 

The constitution of the Ashland College, A School 
for Adult Education, to use its full name, grows 
out of its peculiar character and aims. I+ will take 
over the property of the Ashland Folk High School, 
which has been held for a number of years by a stock 
company, though it was originally held by its suc- 
cessive principals who transferred it, each to his 
successor, for $1. Thhe new company is to be organ- 
ized under the statutes of the State of Michigan. Its 
legal body consists of five trustees, three of whom 
must always be members of the school staff, elected 
annually by them. Two of them are elected by 
students and former members of the school. An 
advisory committee is elected by the students, resi- 
dent and former, but this committee has none of 
the powers exercised by the usual college board of 
trustees. "The formal, legal, legislating and_ deciding 
body is actually the personnel of the College. The 
College in this case is the College. It is not a non- 
resident and fictitious group vainly endeavoring to 
act for the resident, human and actual college. 

-Lixe Earuiest CoLLEcEs 

Ashland College thus begins, as to its’ organiza- 
tion and government, where the early and later 
European college societies began, where Harvard and 
William and Mary began, where the Latin-American 
universities began and continue, where democratic 
and common sense principles demand that all schools 

(Continued on Page 23) 





THE AMERICAN TEACHER 


The American Teacher 


Democracy in Education Education for Democracy 
Published Monthly, except July and August 
Official Organ 
THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS 
Office of Publication, Leader Building, Oklahoma. City, Okla. 


Editorial Office: 
$06 South Wabash Ave., Chicago, Illinois 
Frornence Curtis Hanson, Secretary-Treasurer and Editor 








At the time of expiration, a bill will be found in the copy. 
Subscribers are requested to give prompt notice of changes 
in address. 





Remittances should be made in postal money-order, express 
order, draft, stamps or check. 


SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, TWO DOLLARS FOR THE YEAR 
FOREIGN $2.20—SINGLE COPIES, 25c 








Advertising rates made known on application. 





EXECUTIVE COUNCIL 
President 
Mary C. Barxer, Atlanta No. 89, 685 Myrtle Street, N. E., 
Atlanta, Georgia. 
Legislative Representative and Vice-President 
Setma M. BorcHarpot, Washington No. 8; 1741 Park Road, 
N. W., Washington, D. C. 
Vice-Presidents 
Lucie W. ALLEN, Chicago Women No. 3; 1803 Livingston 
Avenue, Evanston, Illinois. 
R. W. Everett, Sacramento No. 31; 2740 Portola 
Sacramento, California 
Amy A. Fox, Minneapolis No. 59; 2809 Park Avenue, Minne- 
apolis, Minnesota. 
ABRAHAM LeFKow!Tz, New York No. 5; Grand Avenue, East 
Elmhurst, New York, N. Y. 

A. J. Muste, Brookwood No. 189; Brookwood, Katonah, N. Y. 
FLorence Roop, St. Paul No. 28; 328 Cedar Street, St. Paul, 
Minnesota. 

W. B. Sarrertuwarre, Local No. 200; 1837 12th Ave West 
Seattle, Washington 
W. J. Scorr; Atlanta No. 89; 212 Kings Highway, Decatur, 
Georgia. 

F. G. Srecxer, Chicago No. 2; 1618 Lake Avenue, 
Wilmette, Illinois. 

CHarizes B. StmiMman, Chicago No. 2; 827 Ridge Avenue, 

Evanston, Illinois. 
Western Organizer 
E. E. ScHWARTZTRAUBER, Portland No. 111; 
Box 68, Portland, Oregon 
Secretary-Treasurer 
FioreNce Curtis Hanson, Chicago Women No. 3; 506 South 
Wabash Ave., Chicago, Illinois—Telephone Harrison 2950. 
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS 
Orcanizep Aprit 15, 1916 
Affiliated With the American Federation of Labor 


Way, 


R. F. D. 5, 





TEACHING, A PROFESSION 
The charges that alliance with the American Fed- 
eration of Teachers is unprofessional and that “the 
teacher who joins such a union is in danger of losing 
his professional standing” are certainly inaccurate 
and based on a lack of understanding of the policy 


and program of this organization. The American 
Federation of Teachers, as no other organization, js 
seeking to professionalize teaching through develop. 
ing in the class room teacher freedom and self-re. 
spect, through placing the teachers in a position 
where they determine their own professional stand. 
ards. The tragedy of the teacher’s lot—the real trag. 
edy—is not wage, but the fact that his professional 
standards are determined by conduct and ideals that 
find favor in the eyes of those who control his job, 
those who, in many cases know nothing at all of what 
should control the standards of the teaching “pro. 
fession.” And so long as these standards are deter. 
mined by the non-teacher, just so long will the boast 
about a profession be no more than a boast. The 
schools are the teacher’s business and he should be 
about his business. 


There is nothing the members of the American 
Federation of Teachers are so proud of as its affilia- 
tion with Labor, which is the result of their vision, 
the spirit of social idealism which has been a valiant 
force in their movement from the beginning. The 
American Federation of Labor is an integrating, not 
a disruptive force in society. In affiliation with it 


we find 1200 of the leading scientists of the country, 
in the employment of various government bureaus, 
physicians in the health departments of some of our 
large cities, technical engineers, musicians, actors, 
and teachers in public schools, normal schools and 
universities. Surely an affiliation that draws together 
such diversified groups tends to break down the un- 
American tendency toward petty caste lines of divi- 
sion between professional and artisan workers. 

The Actors Equity, the Musicians Union, the Fed- 
eral Employees, the Civil Engineers, the Physicians in 
health departments have not found that affiliation 
with the American Federation of Labor has brought 
a loss of professional standing. Walter Damrosch, 
Ethel Barrymore, John Phillip Sousa, Dr. Franklin 
Meyer, Board of Standards, Washington, D. C., Prof. 
John Dewey, Prof. Harry A. Overstreet, Dr. Joseph 
K. Hart, Prof. Paul Douglas, Prof. George A. Co, 
have these lost their professional standing? 

The American Federation of Teachers has not for- 
gotten that Organized Labor was the major instru- 
mentality in establishing the public school system. 
One hundred years ago the courageous and far-seeing 
advocacy of education by Labor was responsible in 4 
large part for the establishment of our system of 
free tax-supported schools. When teachers affiliate 
with Labor, they are allying themselves with a great 





erican 
i0n, is 
velop. 
elf-re. 
Osition 
stand. 
| trag- 
ssional 
Is that 
is job, 
f what 


THE AMERICAN TEACHER 


social movement, a great constructive movement for 
social betterment, a movement in the interests of the 
humanization of life—the most vital in the world 


today.— (Reprinted by request.) 


SANCTUARY 

“The schools should be sanctuaries as far as the 
children are concerned,” says Mr. S. H. Smith, 
Director of Education, New South Wales. 

The schools are the teacher’s business and he 
should be about his business. He should be alert 
in this matter of safeguarding the schools from all 
manner of exploitation. The school is the one place 
above all others which should be devoted solely to 
the cause of education, to the training of the youth 
of the land for fuller and nobler life. It is the last 
place in the world that should be used for advertising 
whether it be the advertising of the policy of public 
service or other special interests, a commodity, or a 
“go-getting” scheme, 

The situation is a serious one.. Under the guise 
of a lesson on Musical Appreciation, radios and 
phonographs are advertised; as an explanation of the 
wonders of the electrical age, X Y Z’s electrical ap- 
pliances are displayed; the beauties of nature are 
revealed by the land “go-getters,” and ad infinitum 
through all the heterogeneous mass of canvassers. Is 
a legislative change desired? Well, sell the idea to the 
children first. 

The American Federation of Teachers has always 
stood four-square against propaganda in the schools 
and the exploitation of the schools by special inter- 
ests. It takes this strong position for the sake of 
both children and teachers, for the sake of their 
mental growth and physical health. The irritation 
consequent upon the interference with the legitimate 
work of the school room and upon the domination of 
school programs by outside interests is destructive of 
mental concentration and nervous force, and is one 
important cause of the nervous disorders so fre- 
quently observed. If the much-to-be-desired mental 
and physical poise is to be attained, the schools 
should indeed be sanctuaries. ‘There is no doubt of 
it, and the teachers will see that they are. 








SELECTION OF TEXT BOOKS 
Governor Henry S. Johnston of Oklahoma in one 
of his recent messages to the Legislature of that 
state, proposes a plan for the selection of text books. 
The plan embodies the following features: 


1. A large committee of superintendents, prin- 
cipals and teachers is to be selected by the Governor 


and the names of all these are to be kept secret. 

2. To these people are to be assigned various 
text books to be examined, books being given to 
those well fitted to judge them. 

3. Some of these texts are to be submitted to 
high school pupils and to normal school graduates 
for their reaction. 

4. Certain texts in social studies are also to be 
reported upon by prominent citizens who have been 
engaged in service of a public nature. 

5. Book companies ascertaining the names of any 
of the members of this committee and attempting to 
influence their recommendations are to be barred 
from doing business in the state; and 

6. Any member of the committee who is a school 
employe, known to receive anything of value from 
such book companies, is to be dismissed from service. 

The selection of text books is a serious problem 
calling for intelligent investigation and judgment. 
The American Teacher is glad that the Governor of 
Oklahoma appreciates the seriousness of the task. 
His plan has some excellent features. Why would 
it not be well to have opinions from pupils as well 
as from all ranks of the teaching profession? Also, 
the securing of the opinions of those engaged in 
such public service as hygiene, nursing, social prac- 
tice, etc., would be helpful. The plan, however, 
has serious defects. For one thing there could be 
no secrecy as to the membership of a committee 
which would probably number several hundred. A 
similar plan tried several years ago in one of the 
southern states came to grief because, although abso- 
lute secrecy was intended as to membership of a 
committee, the first indication that reached some 
of the members was the reception of packages of 
books from publishing houses. Furthermore, if it 
were possible to keep the membership secret, that 
very secrecy in the hands of an unscrupulous Gov- 
ernor would permit the selection ‘of school texts to 
become a matter of political patronage. 

Another serious defect in the plan is that there 
seems to be no definite responsible head or director 
of the entire work, and the committee is of such 
a size that the variety of opinion would be great, 
and definite decisions difficult to arrive at. 

Altogether, the Governor’s plan while presenting 
some features that are admirable, presents at the 
same time too many serious defects to be considered 
a solution of the much vexed question of intelligent, 
unprejudiced choice of school texts. 

MaRIAN C, LYONS. 





THE AMERICAN TEACHER 


SHOULD MARRIED WOMEN TEACH? 


In an article by Helen Taft Manning on “Should 
Women Teachers Marry,” we read among other 
things that the overwhelming majority of teachers 
in the United States are women, that their educa- 
tion is rather restricted, and that their profession, 
being under close observation by the rest of the com- 
munity, tends still more to limit their social experi- 
ences than those of other girls. “Is it not rather 
absurd,” she says, “‘that as soon as these young women 
develop the normal feminine emotional life, they are 
expected to abandon their duties?” 


In the brief reference (Education, May, 1928), 
she concludes that “marriage can scarcely fail to 
bring for most of them new contacts and new ideas 
which will make them doubly useful as teachers.” 
In their divided interests—between the school and 
the home—many find the double task too severe and 
drop from the teaching profession. “It is the duty 
of the boards of education to seek ways of making 
their path easier, instead of making it impossible.” 


Approximately 80 per cent of the teachers in 
America are women. Experience and statistics both 
show that in a few years after beginning to teach, 
these young women marry. The average life of a 
teacher in Wisconsin is four years, in Michigan a 
bit over four years, in Illinois, owing to the longer 
tenure in Chicago, where a large percentage of all 
Illinois teachers are employed, the life of the average 
teacher is nearly five years. 

Many boards of education fail to sense the signifi- 
cance of these facts. These young women will within 
four or five years be home-makers, where each will 
have the care of her own children. As someone has 
said, “Only a mother is fit to teach a child.” There 
is no doubt that a woman who is a mother has 
insight and sympathies for children that those out- 
side of motherhood cannot glimpse. 

This is one phase of the situation. The other 
phase is that so large a percentage of our mothers 
have had the advantage of a normal school or equiva- 
lent training that fits them in a peculiar and especial 
way to manage and to teach little children. 

We know of no more fitting vocation in life to 
educate a woman for than that of motherhood. The 
state spends large sums for training people to teach 
in the public schools. Wouldn’t it be well to have 
every mother get a normal school training, or its 
equivalent? Would it not be a good investment on 
the part of the state? While no country in the world 


has the teacher-turnover that we have in America 
no country in the world is therefore doing for th 
motherhood of the country what America is doing — 
Chicago Schools Journal. 





MARRIED WOMEN AS TEACHERS 

The question of married women teachers came up 
at a recent conference of school superintendents, 
principals, and presidents of boards of education in 
New York. Discussion was caused by the stand 
taken by Supt. Boynton of Ithaca who objected to 
the employment of married women with children as 
teachers. The conference was held at Binghamton, 
and The Press and Leader of that city makes the fol- 


lowing references to the discussion: 


The other school officials pretty generally agreed 
in opposing the position taken by the Ithaca super- 
intendent. As the law stands now teachers in first 
and second class cities in the state who have held 
a position for three years can be removed only on 
charges of incompetence. The president of the 
Binghamton board of education says that married 
women are valued highly as teachers. That three- 
year tenure law has been often discussed and is open 
to certain objections. But, so far as it contributes to 
safeguard the position of a woman teacher who hap- 
pens to have a husband and children it serves a useful 
purpose. Marriage is not an indication of a woman's 
incompetence in any other field, and it ought not 
to be in school teaching. The only test should b 
her ability to do her work, and married women 
teachers in Binghamton have met that test. 


(Why shouldn’t married women teach? Many of 
them have children of their own and for that reason 
can handle youth sympathetically. Only two tests 
should be applied to a teacher—sterling character 
and efficiency. If one can perform the work of a 
teacher, whether man or woman, married or single, 
Catholic or Protestant, he or she should be given the 
job and the pay that goes with. it.—Eprror.)— 
Official Bulletin, Cincinnati. 





TRAINING THE YOUNG IDEA TO SHOOT 

If you catch young people before a certain ag¢ 
and associate them with one set of ideas for any 
length of time, they are likely to continue thinking 
that way for the rest of their lives. That at least 
is the contention of some propagandists, who have 
observed that thinking habits acquired in the forma- 
tive period of youth may be modified by later 





THE AMERICAN TEACHER 


experience but are seldom subject to radical change. 
And that is why militarists in the United States at 
the present time are making such determined efforts 
to place their propaganda in the schools and colleges 
and to enforce military training on the young, while 
the anti-war movement is making just as strenuous 
efforts to prevent it and to protect American youth 
from the insidious tendency to present war in terms 
of pomp and glory instead ot in its hideous reality. 

A national campaign of education is at present 
being carried on by a committee on Militarism in 
Education formed by prominent Americans in many 
walks of life, notably labor, cnurch and educational 
leaders. Their aim is “to carry on the fight against 
the process of militarization which, unless stopped, 
will destroy all hope of making America a leader in 
establishing world peace.” 

The committee seeks help from all those sympa- 
thetic with its aims. Its address is 387 Bible House, 
Astor Place, New York City. 





COLD WEATHER AND FRESH AIR 
This is the season when the thermometer and the 


windows go down at the same time. With the arrival 
of the first chill breeze sashes are lowered and doors 
closed against the outdoor air as against a bitter 
This is a system that has its drawbacks, 
however. It is well enough to protect ourselves 
against cold, but in shunning fresh air too much, 
we are apt to run the risk of lowering our resistance 
against disease. No air is so healthful as outdoor 
air, and we need a quantity of it every day in 
order to keep well. 


enemy. 


Now that the winter is upon us, let us not neglect 
to keep our bedroom windows open while we sleep. 
In an era of electric pads, hot water bottles and 
warm, light covering, there is no reason why we 
cannot have a comfortable night’s rest in a cold 
room. Only in very severe climates is it perhaps 
advisable not to keep the windows wide open at night. 


Moreover, we can work more efficiently and more 
contentedly in home, shop or office, if the windows 
are opened for a few minutes several times a day. 
And let us remember that a brisk, daily walk tones 
up the system so that we do not feel the cold so 
much. To educate the public in the value of fresh 
air and in disease prevention, the National Tubercu- 
losis Association and its affiliated organizations are 
conducting the twenty-first Christmas seal sale. 


THE SCHOOLS AS ADVERTISING MEDIUM 


We have said for some time that certain groups 
of organized citizenry, Organized Labor being the 
conspicious exception, are interested in the public 
schools solely for advertising. 

Read the following from a Los Angeles Express 
editorial and decide if the contention is well taken: 
TEACHERS SALARIES 

The Express believes the people generally to be one 
with itself in the belief that this city should have the 
best schools in the country. It is not enough that Los 
Angeles should have schools “about as good” as any 
other city. We should not even content ourselves in 
the knowledge that our schools are the equals of the 
best elsewhere to be found. Our steadfast aim and 
purpose should be to make our schools THE best in 
all America. Our children are the immediate bene- 
ficiaries of whatever superiority our schools attain. 
The better the schools, the better the education. 

If Los Angeles is to have the best schools, it must 
have the best teachers. That is a theorem which does 
not require demonstration. The proposition is axio- 
matic. As no stream can rise higher than its source, 
so no school can impart more than it possesses. It 
can not give more than it has. The education of the 
teachers and their ability to teach their pupils what 
they themselves know constitute the whole educa- 
tional capital of the schools. The finest and costliest 
buildings and the most extensive grounds amount to 
nothing if the teachers are second rate. Los Angeles 
can not have the best schools in the country unless it 
has the best teachers in the country. 

It must be evident to all, however, that Los Ange- 
les can not have the best teachers in the country un- 
less it pays the best salaries in the country. In educa- 
tion, as in other fields of human action, you do not 
get more than you pay for. If you persistently pay 
second-rate salaries, you will find the first-class teach- 
ers gradually drift from your employment and your 
teaching staff as inevitably in time will be composed 
of second-class material. 

That we want the best teachers that can be had 
goes without argument, for it is the general purpose 
and resolution to build up the best schools. But as it is 
impossible that we shall succeed in building up such 
schools unless in that process we employ the best 
teachers, we must face the fact that to get the best 
teachers we must pay the best salaries. 

Our own judgment is that it would be a greatly 
profitable policy for Los Angeles, advantageous in 
its direct, practical results, no less than in the distinc- 





10 THE AMERICAN TEACHER 


tion it would confer, to pay a little higher salaries 
than the best paid elsewhere. If, by way of example, 
the best salary for a given grade elsewhere paid be 
reckoned at X, we are sure Los Angeles would find 
profit in paying X plus 1. 

Not only would Los Angeles thus win at relatively 
really small expense the profitable reputation attach- 
ing to a city resolved to have the best for its children, 
but it would draw to itself unfailingly the very best 
men and women in the teaching profession. We thus 
would build up a teaching staff that for its high 
excellence, permanence and distinction would adver- 
tise Los Angeles to the whole country to wonderful 
advantage and we would at the same time secure 
incomparable educational benefits. 


If “the laborer is worthy of his hire,” no less are 
our teachers worthy. We believe their pay should 
bear some nearer relation to the service they render. 
They should be paid at least as much as any teachers 
doing like work elsewhere are paid, and, in our judg- 
ment, Los Angeles would find its profit in paying 
them a little more. The Board of Education feels that 
the present time is inopportune for salary action, but 
the members of the board may be well assured that in 
its advocacy of favorite consideration of the ques- 
tion the Express accurately interprets public senti- 
ment. 





WHAT IS ADULT EDUCATION? 


Contributing to a symposium on “What Is This 
Adult Education?” in the February issue of the Sur- 
vey, A. J. Muste, chairman of the Brookwood faculty, 
maintains that adult education has three ends in view 
—vocational training, entertainment, and what he 
terms the “building of a world view.” 

“The old theological world view,” Mr. Muste said, 
“has been broken down and along with it many of 
the ancient customs, supports, and inspirations of life. 
If life under the new conditions is to be coherent, is 
to partake of a measure of intelligence and purpose- 
fulness, and is to seem worthwhile, another conception 
of the universe and of life must be built up. Hence 
the thirst for lectures stating in popular form the 
findings of all the sciences under the sun—physics, 
chemistry, astronomy, biology, psychology, geology, 
sociology, history. 

“People who attend these lectures do not do so 
with a scientific attitude. They take their world view 
mainly on authority. They are seeking in addition, 
emotional release, courage, enhancement of life, advice 
on personal problems, inspiration to idealistic living. 


“If this is true, then people are seeking in the adult 
education movement what for want of a better term 
we may have to call religion; seeking in other words, 
what the churches supplied to our ancestors, and are 
perhaps continuing to supply to some of our con- 
temporaries. 

“And if this is true, then it becomes very important 
to ask ourselves whether there is any one thing that 
can be called adult education; whether in other words, 
all these various adult education agencies are teaching 
or wanting to teach the same view of the world and 
inspiring or wanting to inspire men to the same type 
of living and to the same practical reactions toward 
the social issues of the time.” 





WHAT IS THE SOVIET? 
Soviet, Bolsheviki and Communism Need Explaining 


Soviet Russia and the soviet form of government 
are much in the public eye at present. Everyone is 
talking or writing about soviet governmient, and 
few know exactly what it means. If asked, people 
“Oh, yes, the Bolsheviks.” But the word 


“soviet” is so frequently used nowadays that no one 


will say: 


should be ignorant of its exact meaning. 

It is not easy to explain politics briefly, especially 
Russian politics. But Webster’s New International 
Dictionary throws much light on “soviet” which 
means a council, Specifically, it means “Either one 
of two governing bodies (village soviets, town 
soviets) in the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics 
(the new name for Russia), established as a result 
of the Russian revolution of 1917. These soviets are 


the primary organs of government based on the 
principle of communism, seeking to give the power 
to the working classes.” 

The word “Bolshevik” has come to be applied to 
any so-called radical who believes in securing a state 
of communism by overthrowing private ownership 


of property (capitalism) by force. This is the way 
in which Bolshevism, communism, and _sovietism 
have become linked together. 

Even today people still think of a Bolshevik as 
being a Russian with a big black beard and the 
customary fur cap. But the name originated from 
the majority group in a Russian political party, com- 
ing from the Russian word “bolshe,” meaning the 
larger. This party was of radical tendencies, favor- 
ing communism. ‘The Bolsheviki now call theif 
party the Communist party. 





THE AMERICAN TEACHER ll 


CAN THIS BE COMMUNISM? 


A noble experiment, to use a phrase become 
famous since Mr. Hoover’s candidacy for President, 
is being hounded, harassed and tortured because it 
chooses to stand on a principle. The outstanding 
Labor College in the country is facing excommuni- 
cation on a charge of communism because it refuses 
to deny the basic tradition of the labor movement 
and of worker’s education. 

Worker’s education is no longer espoused as a 
means towards workers’ emancipation from the wage 
system. It is now advocated as a sort of commercial 
training in the business practices of trade unionism. 

Yet the literature of the Workers’ Education 
Bureau of America, the official educational organi- 
zation of the American Federation of Labor, speaks 
of workers’ education in different terms—in terms 
analogous to the attitude of Brookwood Labor Col- 
lege, the harassed institution. 

Workers’ education, says a pamphlet issued by the 
Workers’ Education Bureau of America, “is a train- 
ing in the science 8f reconstruction. It is a means to 
the liberation of the working class, individually and 
collectively.” 


Workers’ education, says a pamphlet issued by the - 


Workers’ Education Bureau of America, “stands con- 
sciously or unconsciously (we prefer it to be con- 
sciously) for the reconstruction of society. The 
enlightened workers of the world have their dreams 
of that new world where economic and social justice 
is to prevail, where the welfare of mankind will be 
the aim of all activity, where society will be organ- 
ized as a co-operative commonwealth, and where 
love, friendship and fellowship will replace hatreds, 
jealousies and selfishness.” 

Workers’ education, says Spencer Miller, Executive 
Secretary of the Workers’ Education Bureau of 
America, “must correspond to human aspiration 
whenever it is nobly expressed. Labor requires 
fundamentally not a fuller pay envelope but fuller 
opportunities. Labor seeks not a living, but a life.” 

In short, workers’ education stands for a new 
social order. 

The Labor College of Philadelphia stands four- 
square with the Workers’ Education Bureau of 
America, with Spencer Miller, its Secretary, and with 
Brookwood Labor College on this interpretation of 
workers’ education. It repudiates whole-heartedly the 
suggestion that workers’ colleges should be nothing 
more than business colleges for trade union officers 
or for those aspiring to office. 


In this interpretation of workers’ education, there 
can be no charge of communism against any labor 
college which attempts to carry out in practice the 
expressed principle of the Workers’ Education Bureau 
of America, the official educational organization of 
the American Federation of Labor.—The Worker- 
Student, Philadel phia Labor College. 





THE GENEVA CONFERENCE 


Preparations for the Third Biennial Conference 
of the W. F. E. A., to be held at Geneva, Switzer- 
land, next summer, are now proceeding rapidly. The 
meeting promises to be the largest and most success- 
ful yet held by the World Federation. President 
Thomas has the program well under way. The chair- 
men and secretaries of the sections are maturing their 
plans for the group meetings and the various com- 
mittees are working steadily upon their reports. Com- 
munications received from the officials of the Inter- 
national Bureau of Education, at whose invitation 
the Conference was set for Geneva, indicate that 
splendid co-operation is to be hoped for from the 
countries of continental Europe. Reports from Mr. 
E. J. Sainsbury, Secretary of the European Section 
of the World Federation, who is directly in charge 
of arrangements in the continent of Europe, give 
the information that all local arrangements have been 
satisfactorily adjusted and that everyone concerned 
is working hard. Indications in Canada and the 
United States all point to a record attendance from 
these two countries; reports from China, Japan, and 
India show remarkable interest; and, of course, the 
British Isles, as always, can be depended upon to send 
large and influential delegations. 


It is hoped that every teacher who can possibly 
do so will plan to attend. Teachers from the United 
States, especially, hundreds of whom will be touring 
Europe, can easily arrange their itineraries so as to 
include the Geneva Conference. The program will 
be of such scope and the speakers will be of such 
prominence and reputation that no one interested in 
education, who can possibly attend, can afford to 
miss the opportunity.—W. F. E. A. News Bulletin. 





We should so live and labor in our time that what 
came to us as seed may go to the next generation as 
blossom, and that what came to us as a blossom 
may go to them as fruit. ‘This is what we mean 
by progress.—Henry Ward Beecher. 





THE AMERICAN TEACHER 


Why Organized Labor Welcomes the Teachers 


By Mr. JoHN M. O’HANLOon, 
Secretary-Treasurer, The New York State Federation of Labor. 


Mr. Chairman, Professor Dewey, Miss Blake, Ladies 
and Gentlemen: 

As Dr. Linville has said, we have met many of the 
school teachers of New York City frequently at 
Albany during the past ten years. And, in fact, we 
consider a session of the Legislature lacking in inter- 
est when we do not get a visit from the school 
teachers of New York. Tonight the New York 
State Federation of Labor is making a visit to you. 
The subject assigned to me on the program is “Why 
Organized Labor Welcomes the Teachers.” 

We welcome the teachers for the very same reason 
that the American Labor movement welcomes gladly 
the organization of any group of workers in the 
United States. The school teachers have organized 
and they have set up their own national trade union, 
known as the American Federation of Teachers. 
When they joined with us they found a goodly fel- 
lowship already assembled. They found amongst us 


the American Federation of Musicians, the American . 


Federation of Technical Men, the Actors’ Equity 
Association, and the organization known as the Book- 
keepers’, Stenographers’ and Accountants’ Union. 
Within the membership of that latter union you can 
find admitted members of the bar of the State. 
Among the union of Technical Men there are college 
graduates holding high positions in our civic life 
connected with our city and state and county gov- 
ernments. In the membership of the Musicians’ 
Union you will find men and women of all degrees 
of culture and artistry joined in fellowship through 
the economic necessity of making a living for them- 


selves and their families. 


INCLUDES “MENTAL SKILL” 

Throughout the American Labor movement you 
will find trade unions formed into national organ- 
izations with large memberships equipped with super- 
ior skill of the hands, allied to some degree of skill 
of the mind. We believe that all constructive work 
is educational, and we believe that all those who are 
engaged in work should organize because we have 
tested organization and we know its worth. 





(FOOTNOTE: Address delivered at the Mem- 
bership Campaign Meeting of the Teachers Union of 
New York City on November 18, 1927.) 


There came a dispatch from Washington today 
which declared the dividend on organization of labor 
in the United States for the past year. That dispatch 
recites that the Federal Department of Labor has 
issued a statement showing the continued increase 
in the growth of the membership of organized labor 
of the United States during the past year, and that 
the average wages for union workers during the past 
year has increased five cents per hour. That is, last 
year it was $1.14 an hour, and this year it averages 
$1.19 an hour. That dispatch also contains the 
officially stated fact that the average working week 
of the organized workers of the country is 45.2 
hours per week. Such continued material progress 
is the direct outcome of intelligent, compact, mili- 
tant organization of the wage workers, both skilled 
and semi-skilled, in the United States. 

If unionization can pay such dividends to wage- 
earners in the form of material welfare, it also can 
and does pay dividends to them in the form of 
spiritual and cultural gains. Within the trade union 
in days gone by, the adult immigrant skilled in his 
trade but not speaking the tongue that we commonly 
employ in this country, found his first real welcome 
at the meeting of the trade union that his craft 
required him to belong to in the country he had left, 
and to the American counterpart of which he was 


gladly admitted when he reached this side. — 


How Unions HELPED IMMIGRANTS 

He was taught in these meetings the elements of 
American citizenship. He saw the meetings con- 
ducted just about as our Congress and our State 
Legislatures operate because they are all patterned 
after the meetings of our State and Federal Legisla- 
tures. He heard the real political economy of America 
discussed in these meetings, and received intensive 
education in its relation and application to the wel- 
fare and the hopes and aspirations of the newly 
arrived worker, 

Membership in the union, even to the apprentice 
just becoming a journeyman, is an introduction to 
an advanced education. The new adult member who 
comes in, journeyman in his trade, born in our own 
country, finds a great deal to learn when he asso- 
ciates in a trade union. He not only learns the work 
of organization and what it can afford to those who 





THE AMERICAN TEACHER 13 


are faithful to its purposes and energetic and loyal 
in the carrying on of its policies, but he also finds 
that the trade union is engaged not only in caring 
for the number of hours worked during the day 
and the amount of money to be found in the envelope 
at the end of the week, but is also interested in the 
welfare of all who work in America. He finds that 
the trade unionist devotes not only his time, but 
also some of his money, and a whole lot of his energy, 
to advancing the best interests of all the people of 
the community and state wherein he lives. 
Sometimes when one makes statements explaining 
what others are doing in their group life that are 
not well known to those whom he addresses, the best 
way to demonstrate it is to point to the results. The 
public school rooms of today over which you ladies 
and gentlemen preside are the direct outcome of the 
altruistic effort of the trade unionists of America of 
nearly one hundred years ago. They urged the 


formation of public schools supported by public 
funds. They opposed and denounced the system of 
restricted schools as it existed in those early days. 
They demanded free education for all of the young, 
and out of that demand originally uttered by them, 
reinforced by the voice and the will and purpose of 


others with a similar object in view—the welfare of 

the coming generation—brought into existence the 

public schools we now know, as finally evolved in 

the splendid system we have in this State today, 

guaranteed in the Constitution and made a preferred 

charge upon the the revenues of our State. 
Factory Laws INITIATED 

The factory laws, the laws that limit the labor of 
children, the laws that make possible the filling of 
the school benches, found their first proposal within 
trade union meetings, and it was these proposals for- 
warded by them in their organized capacity at the 
Legislature that brought about the enactment of the 
original factory act in this State, which for the first 
time said there is a period in childhood when children 
shall not be forced into gainful employment. And 
with that act, for the purpose-of making it effective, 
was created compulsory attendance at school for 
minors. 

It is not so far back—it is within the recollection 
certainly of some here tonight—when factory inspec- 
tors had to search behind barrels and doors and in 
cellars and under piled up material and other out-of- 
the-way and secret places inside factories to discover 
the children that were there kept at work in viola- 
tion of the Child Labor Law which said that they 


should not be so employed until they were fourteen 
years of age. We have seen that all cleaned up. We 
have seen a great body of labor laws set up in this 
State, and if you ask how did they come into exist- 
ence, you are answered by the record. The record 
tells you that in 1864, when a proposed law was 
pending at our state capitol to prohibit, as criminal, 
wage earners in this state combining in groups for - 
the purpose of undertaking to increase their wages 
or to reduce the number of working hours in the 
week, the labor organization of that time proceeded 
to Albany to protest. When they got there they 
looked over the so-called labor legislation that then 
existed and found the only kind was the heritage 
from Colonial Days, all stated in the terms of 
“master” and “servant.” That was the principle that 
then dominated all of our state legislation that had 
anything to do with the relation of the workers to 
society. 
Wirep Out ANTIQUE Laws 

The labor unions of this State, the organized wage 
workers of this State, in the intervening years by 
unremitting effort have wiped out all that old master 
and servant legislation and substituted the great 
codes we now have which are recognized throughout 
the United States, throughout all the Americas, 
throughout the world, as the most enlightened labor 
statutes on the books of any state. Through their 
efforts and initiating with them, the Workmen’s 
statutes on the books of any state. Through their 
efforts and initiating with them, the secret ballot was 
established, browbeating voters at the polls was 
stopped, and absence ‘from work with pay to vote 
on Election Day made a legal right. 

These results show the civic work of the organized 
wage earner, and he was never alone in his fight. 
By the simple declaration of the purpose that 
actuated him, the object to be achieved, he attracted 
to his support all of the humanitarian groups of our 
citizenship. Those whom we have always found 
willing to associate themselves with the Labor Move- 
ment in the State of New York in any of its under- 
takings to improve the common lot of all of us, 
were the school teachers, and other educators of our 
State. We never hesitated to approach them. We 
were never repulsed. We always found their co-op- 
eration ready for us. There might bea halt through 
lack of knowing, but when our purposes were made 
clear, we never lacked their assistance. We always 
asked for it, and expected to get it, because they 
had the advantages of cultural education. If cultural 





14 THE AMERICAN TEACHER 


education would not produce in the individual will- 
ingness to come forward and help in any work seek- 
ing to elevate the life standards of all of us, then 
such education would appear to be wasted. 

We realize that the teachers need organization to 
care for their own economic welfare. Ten or fifteen 
years ago you could get upon a platform and name 
certain artists, those who stand above their fellows 
in rank and in education, music, literature, anywhere, 
and say, certainly these persons do not need to com- 
bine to get the best the world can afford to them. 
They can get it by individual contract based on 
their individual excellence. If there is any crafts- 
men on God’s earth to which that could apparently 
most truthfully apply, it should be the actors and 
actresses on the legitimate stage, the so-called galaxy 
of stars, whose very names on the billboard crowd 
a theatre and make the producing manager happy. 
But have we not seen the need for those actors to 
form themselves into the Actors’ Equity Association, 
a labor union, to assure to themselves decent treat- 
ment, to assure the payment of their salaries when 
due, to make sure that they will not be stranded in 
some town forlorn and hopeless when the manage- 
ment of a trouping company either defaults or is 
unable to make good. They organized for their 
economic welfare and they are all very happy that 
they have. The Actors’ Equity Association now 
includes all of the outstanding artists of the stage. 
When some great musician visits your city, you will 
find, if you inquire, that he is not relying upon his 
own exceptional ability to carry him all the way 
through life. He is usually a member of the Amer- 
ican Federation of Musicians, and is contributing his 
genius and his personal help to the promotion of the 
welfare of all union musicians. 

TEACHERS Have INFORMATION 


A governor of our State once said that a person’s 


judgment is just as good as his information. You 
can’t form a judgment on no information. You can 
form a judgment on a little information, but the 
more information you have the better the judgment 
is. Now, school teachers have the facilities, the ways 
are open to them, to get all the information about 
how and why trade unions exist, and having that 
information, and being trained in the gathering of 
information, and in the imparting of it to others, 
it should not be necessary for any one to inform a 
school teacher why he or she should join the Union 
of the teaching profession, because no one can inform 
them as well as they can inform themselves. 


Before closing and affording you and myself the 
happy opportunity of listening to those eminent 
teachers who are to follow me, I want to say this; 
There may exist from lack of knowledge an idea 
that one or several labor unions could in some way 
control the actions of another union. That is not 
true. Each of the National and International Trade 
Unions of this country is absolutely self-governing, 
No one in any other trade union has anything to do 
with the government of another trade union. When 
the American Federation of Labor meets in its annual 
conventions, those conventions constitute a great 
labor parliament made up of freely selected delegates 
representing these international unions, and they 
there confer for the purpose of seeing how the 
influence, power and will and loyalty of the whole 
can be applied to the advantage of anyone or any 
two or more of the international unions when 
requested. These conventions are as open as the ses- 
sions of Congress. Therefore, the security of self- 
government of trade unions, professional unions, craft 
unions, or technical men or teachers’ unions, is more 
assuredly guaranteed than the self-government of our 
states. 

TEACHERS Have HELPED FEDERATION 

We, of the New York State Federation of Labor, 
have reason to be glad that the teachers of New York 
City have a teachers’ union. The school teachers of 
New York City have afforded the Organized Labor 
Movement of this State great help through your 
union. They have given us information and skilled 
assistance at times when we needed it in our. com- 
posite work for all the wage workers of the State. 
That assistance has been brought to us by your 
officers, Dr. Abraham Lefkowitz and Dr. Henry R. 
Linville. They come to our conventions and never 
is anything stirring anywhere in the State but they 
are with us to help, and the New York State Fed- 
eration of Labor, representing all the other unions 
of the State, is always glad of the opportunity to 
place that united influence and service at the dis- 
posal of the officers of the Teachers Union in the 
interest of the welfare of their membership and of 
the teachers of the schools of New York generally. 
We have always co-operated in advancing their 
school legislation as they have co-operated in advanc- 
ing general labor legislation. 

We were with them in their battles against the 
notorious Lusk Laws. We are with them in their 
efforts to change the State Education Law so as to 
make more free and serviceable the position of the 





THE AMERICAN TEACHER 4S 


public school teacher. We are with them in their 
campaign to standardize the salaries of the school 
teachers of the State. We have declared frequently 
in our conventions that these salaries must be 
increased. 
FrinaNcinc Loca NEEDs 

Although the special teachers’ salary bill, which 
was passed and failed of signature the year before, 
was not the bill that passed the Legislature this year, 
yet we were glad to address the Governor in the name 
of Organized Labor of the State of New York saying 
that all the workers of the State wanted him to sign 
the $16,500,000 appropriation bill to finance local 
school needs. On the Commission which drafted 
that bill and urged the Legislature to adopt it was 
Chairman E. W. Edwards of our Committee on Edu- 
cation, of which Dr. Lefkowitz is Secretary. Two 
months ago our 64th Annual Convention adopted 
a resolution instructing President John Sullivan and 
me to write the Mayor and other officials of New 
York City urging that satisfactory salary schedules 
for school teachers be apportioned from the part of 
the $16,500,000 received by the City. Those letters 


were transmitted immediately following adjournment 
of our convention. 

Our Committee on Education has to the fullest 
extent possible assisted school teachers of the State 
of New York in every effort they have made to 
improve their own condition, to improve the condi- 
tion of school pupils, to increase recreation facilities, 
to improve the inside of the school room, to limit 
the number of pupils per teacher and to introduce 
desirable improvements in administering the retire- 
ment and pension funds. At the same time, it has 
as the central object within its vision the physical 
care and fuller education of the coming hosts of the 
generation that will carry on the work of America 
when the tools fall from our hands. 

I am very glad to be able to testify to the great 
co-operation we have received from the Teachers 
Union through the officers. I hope some time in the 
future—not far distant—an officer of the New York 
State Federation of Labor may again be privileged 
to address a meeting of the New York Teachers 
Union whose membership will include every school 
teacher in the five boroughs of this metropolis. 





Equal Pay 


By ReENA ROCKWELL 


The New York State Teachers’ Association through 
its official body, the House of Delegates, in Novem- 
ber, 1923, adopted from the floor a resolution already 
killed by the Resolutions Committee, favoring equal 
pay for men and women teachers doing the same 
work in the schools of the State. A bill carrying 
out this provision was introduced into the next ses- 
sion of the Legislature, but a substitute bill, less 
specific in ‘its language, was substituted by the New 
York State Teachers Association. This bill passed 
both houses without opposition, but at a hearing 
before the Governor was opposed by city school 
superintendents, boards of education, and the State 
Commissioner of Education. The latter explained 
that his opposition was not to the principle involved 
but to the financial burden entailed for the com- 
munities affected. The bill was supported by various 
groups including the State Teachers Welfare League, 
the Albany Classroom Teachers Association and the 
National Woman’s Party. It was signed by Governor 
Alfred E. Smith on May 5, 1924. 


In spite of the last provision, which reads, “This 
act shall take effect September 1, 1924,” the Elmira 


Board of Education ignored it in fixing salaries for 
the school year 1924-25, after having waited a month 
later than usual before fixing salaries in order to learn 
the outcome of the equal pay measure. 

The Counsel of the State Education Department, 
Dr. Frank B. Gilbert, ruled that the new law applied 
to contracts made after the taking effect of the law, 
but that “if a contract is made prior to the taking 
effect of the law, that is September 1, 1924, such 
contract is effectual for the period covered by it.” 

After the Elmira Board of Education refused to 
equalize salaries after being visited by a committee 
of teachers, a legal opinion was obtained from Hon. 
David B. Heller, then City Judge of Elmira. He 
said in part, “My understanding is that the Elmira 
teachers are appointed pursuant to section 872 of the 
Education Law, which provides for a permanent 
tenure after the expiration of a probationary term. 
That being so there are not, in my judgment, any 
contracts in contemplation of the quoted part of 
the statute * * * I do not believe that it was the 
intention of the Legislature in passing the act, or 
the intention of the Governor in signing it, that a 





16 THE AMERICAN TEACHER 


Board of Education could evade its provisions for a 
year by fixing the amount of salaries before the act 
took effect where, as has been pointed out, there were 
no such contracts as are mentioned in the statute.” 
Subsequently Judge Heller argued before the 
Supreme Court in favor of Rena Rockwell, a teacher 
in the Elmira Free Academy, who was being paid 
$400 less for her services than a man teaching in the 
same department of the same school, in a mandamus 
action brought against the board by Rena Rockwell. 
Justice Leon C. Rhodes held that the contention was 
just, that the teacher under tenure was not under a 
contract in the sense of the statute and entitled to 
the same pay as a man doing the same work, and 
ordered such payment to be made. This was, of 
course, a test case to decide whether the equal pay 
law went into effect in September, 1924, or Septem- 
ber, 1925. An appeal was taken by the Elmira 
Board of Education to the Appellate Division and the 
decision of the lower court was reversed by a 4 to 1 
vote, Justice George McCann of Elmira dissenting. 
A notice of appeal to the Court of Appeals, the 
highest court in the State, was filed by Miss Rock- 
well but this appeal has not been argued. Her 
attorney is now serving as Mayor of Elmira. 


The only question involved in this case was 
whether the law went into effect in 1924 or 1925, 
Syracuse and some other cities complied during the 
school year 1924-25 in spite of the ruling of the 
Courisel of the Education Department and the man- 
damus action in Elmira. Various evasive measures 
are being used such as a higher salary schedule in cer- 
tain departments and the employing of men in those 
departments, and assigning extra-curricular duties 
such as looking after school athletic funds to men 
for pay, similar extra duties being performed by 
women without pay. In a test case brought by the 
Syracuse women high school teachers last year, each 
evasion of the equal pay law was substantially upheld 
by the Court of Appeals. 


Equal Pay has been the law in New York City for 
many years and is actually practiced. It has also 
been in effect more or less for some time in Buffalo 
and in the cities near New York. It seems a remote 
prospect in the rest of ‘the State. 


(This final paragraph might be stated “In cities 
where the teachers are unionized, we find the prin- 
ciple of equal pay for men and women; where they 
are not unionized, we do not.—The Editor.) 





Teaching Conditions In the Northwest 


By E. E. SCHWARZTRAUBER 
Local 111, Portland, Western Organizer, A. F. of T. 


The famous “wide-open spaces” of our Northwest 
are an endurable reality in the physical sense; they 
exist among us in another sense but with a somber 
significance. With the exception of Portland, Ore- 
gon, there is no place in the entire Northwest where 
the secondary teacher has any assurance of tenure 
of position; and even Portland’s tenure law is an 
emasculated one. What the teacher may or may not 
do or say is being regulated to the minutest detail 
as may be judged by a survey of the restrictions 
that are being placed upon her. The wide open 
spaces, so far as academic freedom is concerned, are 
expansive indeed. 

One has only to review the situation as it exists 
at the present time in order to appreciate the above 
assertion. Teachers are denied the rights of citizen- 
ship guaranteed them under the Constitution when, 
as in Seattle, they may not affiliate with an organiza- 
tion of their own choosing. From every part of the 
Northwest come accounts of similar abridgment 


of rights of citizenship. In one large union high 
school a teacher, grown gray in service, is dropped 
because the board gives ear, on the one hand, to a 
disgruntled photographer whose profits on the senior 
class annual are threatened by the teacher’s opposi- 
tion to him, and on the other, to the county super- 
intendent, whose ire has been aroused because of a 
courageous criticism leveled against him by this 
teacher. A news item in the daily press informs us 
that, in the city of Eugene, center of learning for 
the University of Oregon, the school board issues 
an edict that any public school teacher convicted of 
the heinous crime of smoking cigarettes will be dis- 
missed. In Portland, a history teacher is warned that 
the general public will not tolerate the belated truth 
that Germany was not the sole cause of the Great 
War. In this particular case the general public, not 
the school administration, is passing judgment. The 
citation of these few instances of the spirit of pro- 
vincialism which controls the schools of our North- 





THE AMERICAN TEACHER 17 


west is sufficient to indicate the directions which 
restrictions upon teachers take. A story on “Civil 


Liberties of Teachers of the Northwest,” could the 
materials be gathered, would be illuminating. Would 
there be a correlation between educational provin- 
cialism and geographic isolation? 


TEACHERS HANDICAPPED 

The Seattle situation is the most significant exam- 
ple of the lengths to which the public will go in 
abetting the actions of a mediocre and tyrannically 
minded school board. The public in this case is not 
the common man of the street and the humble 
worker but it is those of the city who are possessed 
of power, financial and political. The attorney for 
the power interests, as has been intimated before in 
the American Teacher, is also attorney for the school 
board. The press of the city is friendly to those who 
give it support. The teachers’ union therefore has 
great difficulty in getting its case fairly presented 
to the general public, particularly to the voter who 
will finally determine the quality of the officials to 
be seated at the state capitol, in the courts, and on the 
school board. What, then, are the hopes of the Seattle 
teachers who, until recently, had one of the most 
vigorous teachers’ unions in the United States? 

The Seattle Teachers Union, Local No. 200, still 
survives as a frame work around which to rebuild, 
later on, its permanent organization. Its president, 
W. B. Satterthwaite, who was in large degree, the 
guiding hand in last winter’s activities of the Union 
and the High School League, is 2 man whom the 
school board will probably find more embarrassing 
fired than hired. He is at present devoting his en- 
tire time to the problems of securing decent working 
conditions for Seattle teachers. The first step in that 
direction is to secure the enactment of a tenure law 
at the next session of the legislature. To that end all 
legislative candidates must be canvassed as to their 
respective positions on a tenure law. Furthermore, 
a governor friendly to such legislation is most essen- 
tial. Governor Hartley, who is a candidate for re- 
election, is said to be hostile to a tenure law. Hence, 
the need for lining up votes for his Democratic op- 
ponent who will support a tenure law. This one task 
alone is sufficient to engage the full time energies of 
aman like Mr. Satterthwaite. A further task of 
equal and even more immediate concern is that of 
securing a change in the personnel of the Seattle 
school board. Two new members are to be elected 
next spring. It is none too early to begin on such a 
task immediately. Mr. Satterthwaite is busy on that 


problem. He is moreover in a position to devote con- 
siderable time to obtaining publicity through the 
press of the union’s cause. The process of education 
of the public to the identity of interests of the teach- 
ers’ union and the community in an untrammeled 
school system is a function which no one is better 
able to perform than Mr. Satterthwaite. As a dele- 
gate to the Seattle Central Labor Council, he is in a 
position to do effective work in education before a 
group which represents a large voting population. 
And, unless the notorious blacklist system of the 
D. A. R. has been put into practice against him, he 
will have time and opportunity to appear before 
many civic bodies during the winter. Finally, there 
is that large body of high school teachers who in 
great reluctance signed the yellow dog contract of 
the school board. Though they may have no affilia- 
tion with the American Federation of Teachers they 
can not be prevented from thinking, and hoping for 
the day of their release from a disgraceful situation. 
To them Mr. Satterthwaite is a tower of strength 
in their hope. 
Wr Learn From HapPeNnrINcs 

As a matter of organization tactics, the Seattle sit- 
uation may teach, at least us of the Northwest, the 
ultimate necessity for maintaining a full time repre- 
sentative. Trade unionists generally have found it 
necessary. Teachers in time will come to the same 
realization of the effectiveness of the plan. As 
teacher load continues unabated, the teachers find 
themselves physically incapable of meeting the de- 
mands incident to the task of group betterment. To 
a certain degree those demands can be met more ef- 
fectively by one who devotes his entire time to the 
task. Mr. Satterthwaite is today doing what a year 


‘ ago would have been an impossibility, deluged as he 


then was by the clerical and pedagogical duties im: 
posed by some hundred thirty high school students 

It should be stated in conclusion regarding the 
Seattle schools that the action of the Seattle school 
board has seared into the consciousness of teachers 
in Seattle some hard lessons, the by-products of a 
humiliating situation. And others than Seattle teach- 
ers will learn from what has taken place. On the 
one hand there has been driven home, for the teach- 
ers, the fact of educational Prussianism before which 
they have had to bow in temporary submission. The 
ultimate goal of the right to organize as a teachers’ 
union never seemed more necessary than at the pres- 
ent time. They have therefore taken their case be- 
fore the State Supreme Court where a decision is 





18 THE AMERICAN TEACHER 


expected in the near furture. Should they lose there, 
it will be appealed to the United States Supreme 
Court. In this they have the whole-hearted financial 
and moral backing of the American Federation of 
Teachers and of organized labor, locally and nation- 
ally. To each of these groups the case appears as 
of national as well as local concern. On the other 


hand the National Education Association at its an- 
nual convention.in Minneapolis this last summer de- 
clared against any action in the case on the ostensi- 
ble ground that it constituted a local quarrel. Seattle 
teachers are thinking as a result of what the N. E. A. 


has done. As teachers generally learn of the action 
at Minneapolis, they too will have cause to think. 
Ultimately the N. E. A. hierarchy will also do some 
thinking. It will discover that injustice can never 
be localized by a wish; and, unless the law of com- 
pensation proves inoperative, it will also discover 
that a refusal to share responsibility for the removal 
of an injustice will leave that organization palsied by 
reason of its unused talents. 


In view of the present status of the Seattle situa- 
tion, it should be quite obvious that for the imme- 
diate future, at least, further organization of teach- 
ers into unions affiliated with the American Federa- 
tion of Teachers is arrested in the Pacific Northwest 
Teachers who, in various localities, were last winter 
inquiring as to the possibilities for the formation of 
teachers’ unions, are today silent in fear of their jobs, 
or are keeping quiet waiting to see what will happen 
next in Seattle. In the outlying districts of Wash- 
ington, Oregon, and Idaho, brave souls see in the 
teachers’ union the only solution for unbearable con- 
ditions; but they are not inclined to expose them- 
selves at the present moment to attack from local 
heresy hunters. In certain localities where the local 
conditions are favorable, there are possibilities for or- 
ganization, but these are not many. The Portland 
local, which has now been in existence since 1919, 
and the Seattle local are the only two groups in the 
Northwest which can yet lay claim to the distinction 
of representing teachers willing to try an advance 
experiment in the struggle for academic freedom. If 
it is true, as one of our compatriots has recently as- 
serted, that the saturation point in liberalism among 
teachers is guickly reached, then, in the Pacific 
Northwest at least, that saturation point is very low. 





A BAFFLING SEARCH 
By E.izaABETH COLE 
Since the discovery of the tubercle bacillus in 1882 


by Robert Koch, an obscure German physician, 
scientists all over the world have been searching for 
a cure for tuberculosis. Dr. Koch thought he had 
found one in tuberculine which he discovered sey- 
eral years later, and the news was broadcast with 
rejoicing. Some physicians today use this serum 
cautiously, but tuberculine is by no means a cure, 
We have had countless other serums and anti-toxins 
offered by scientists who have been sincere in their 
beliefs that at last they had found a cure. Spurts 
of hope, they were, that quickly flickered out. 

And yet doctors and scientists are not discouraged. 
They believe that there is a specific to cure tubercu- 
losis awaiting discovery. Because they believe this 
so firmly, some of the funds derived from the sale 
of Christmas Seals each year are devoted to co-opera- 
tive research work, under the direction of a Com- 
mittee on Medical Research. This committee at the 
annual meeting of the National Tuberculosis Asso- 
ciation and its affiliated state and local associations 
held in Portland, Oregon, last June, reported that, 
as a result of the work in the chemical analysis of 
the human tubercle bacillus accomplished during the 
past year, “we are on the threshold of our final 
journey.” Good news, indeed, and yet how slowly 
is the progress made! 

Research work is conducted in the -best labora- 
tories throughout the country. Manufacturing plants 
where enormous quantities of bacteria are being 
grown for chemical analyses and later for biological 
study, have contributed generously toward this co-or- 
dinated research work. One house had 2,000 bottles 
of tubercle bacilli growing at one time and these 
had been bred on a carefully composed chemical 
medium. Universities, colleges and clinics as well as 
interested laymen and doctors have helped enthusi- 
astically in the work. They all feel that through 
team-work the cure for tuberculosis will be dis- 
covered. 

Until a specific or cure has been found, however, 
it is most important to employ the only known 
treatment we have found effective so far. That is 
not a bottled medicine, a pill nor a serum—it is the 
combination of absolute rest to heal the scar tissue, 
good food, sunshine and fresh air under the direction 
of a competent physician. 

Until the baffling search has been successful, it 
is necessary for the public to be patient, use the best 
known methods for cure, and contribute intelligent 
interest in the search. A timely way to help is to 
buy and sell the penny Christmas Seals in December. 





THE AMERICAN TEACHER 


An American Institution and Its Creed 


By WiLtiaM GREEN 


(Editor’s Note—This explanation of Labor’s pro- 
gram and its aspirations by William Green, president 
of the American Federation of Labor, is a splendid 
answer to the question: “Why is the American Fed- 
eration of Teachers affiliated with Organized 
Labor?”’) 


Institutions are born out of the needs of society 
and established by those who are drawn together by 
common ties and a common purpose. This fact is 
recognized in the establishment of governments, 
churches, colleges, schools, industries and economic 
organizations. The success of the entire social order 
depends upon the creation of means and methods 
through which the political, religious, economic and 
social life of mankind can be promoted, safeguarded 
and protected. 

It is significant of the innate desire of mankind 
that all institutions of prominence and influence are 
formed for the purpose of increasing human and 
spiritual values. Society gives recognition to those 
movements which enrich, sustain and glorify indi- 
vidual effort and collective progress. It does not, 
knowingly, give its approval or its support to any 
movement which tends to destroy human happiness 
and detract from personal worth or intellectual and 
spiritual progress. 

The movement among working men and women 
which finally developed into the formation of trade 
unions has now become an institution and is gen- 
erally recognized as a fixed part of our institutional 
life. It had its beginning in the early period of our 
national life and originated from the banding 
together of a small group of skilled mechanics and 
artisans. Those same impulses which moved the early 
patriots to demand and secure the blessings of liberty, 
freedom and self-government inspired the forefathers 
of the trade union movement to organize for the 
enjoyment of industrial freedom, industrial liberty 
and self-advancement. History records that they 
were both pioneer patriots and pioneer trade union- 
ists. The establishment of the institution of trade 
unionism in our land paralleled the establishment of 
our government and independence upon American 
soil. 

Procress SLOW 

The organization of labor progressed slowly and 

systematically. It was necessary for its advocates 


and representatives to teach and educate those who 
were to be benefited by its service. Because of a 
small membership and because the amount each 
member paid was small it lacked finances with which 
to carry on educational or organizing work. This 
retarded its growth but did not lessen the zeal and 
ardor of its members. Slowly and steadily the work 
of organization continued until a numerical strength 
was developed sufficient to form an international 
organization which was properly named the American 
Federation of Labor. 


The various units of organized labor, such as inter- 
national and national unions, state and city central 
bodies, all collected funds from their members with 
which to further the cause of organized labor and 
bring to those outside the movement the urgent invi- 
tation to join with them in their endeavor to advance 
the economic and social interests of the workers. 
Their earnestness and the character and soundness of 
their appeal brought into membership and affiliation 
many thousands of working men and women repre- 
senting all crafts, callings and trades. From a small 
beginning the organized labor movement grew into 
a gigantic organization numbering approximately five 
million people and wielding great influence in the 
political, social and industrial life of the nation. 

Force Was RECOGNIZED 

As working people became united with this grow- 
ing economic force they quickly realized how poten- 
tial a force it was. They saw many ways in which 
they could improve their situations and create new 
opportunities for themselves and their fellow-work- 
ers. Their efforts mest with such success that they 
were able to induce others to join them and as they 
increased their numbers they widened the scope of 
their activities and enlarged their program of 
advancement and progress. 

While those who became members of the organ- 
ized labor movement understood its lofty aims and 
praiseworthy purposes many of those who were not 
in direct contact with it failed to appreciate it and 
understand its principles, its creed and its policies. 
Some looked upon it as an evil and disturbing force. 
Because it came into conflict with employers of 
labor who, while they believed in the organization 
of capital, were opposed to the organization of work- 
ing people it was attacked and opposed by them in a 





20 THE AMERICAN TEACHER 


most merciless and aggressive way. The methods 
used by some employers, in their efforts to oppose 
and destroy organization among working people, 
were of the most reprehensible and inhuman 
character. 
SOUGHT UNDERSTANDING 

Organized labor has sought to be understood. It 
has pleaded for the opportunity to function and to 
serve not only the working people but the public as 
well. It asks that the exercise of the right to organize 
be accorded to the working men and women just as 
society accords to capital and employers and other 
groups of society the right to organize. Where any 
attempt is made to deny the workers this right they 
will fight for its recognition and preservation. 


It is this conflict between the workers who attempt 
te organize and those who oppose them which causes 
much of the strife and many of the strikes so 
burdensome and costly to workers, industry and 
society. The working people and their friends observe 
with very keen pleasure the new point of view enter- 
tained toward the organized labor movement and 
the better understanding of the very important place 
which the organized labor movement, as represented 
by the American Federation of Labor, occupies in the 
affairs and in the life of our country. 


Witt RECEIVE SUPPORT 


We are confident that as the organized labor move- 
ment is better understood and as it is given an oppor- 
tunity to demonstrate its efficiency and its: service 
in every community throughout the land it will 
receive the full support of all those who wish to see 
the constitution of the United States protected, 
American institutions preserved and human happiness 
and human welfare advanced. 

The organization of labor has a creed to which its 
membership subscribes and which it seeks to make 
operative in every sphere of its activity. Through 
the application of its creed in all human relations, 
particularly in industry, it seeks to elevate human 
life and to carry on the work of human betterment. 
This creed embraces within it the essential character- 
istics of the written religious and moral codes. While 
organized labor is non-partisan in its political policy 
it does not fail to take an interest in politics and 
to use its political power in support of candidates 
who it believes are representative of the people and 
who will honestly and ably defend their rights and 
enact legislation which will redound to the public 
good. 


One of the vital principles of our creed, in fact, 
the most fundamental of all is that men and women 
may be members of organized labor without regard 
ta race or religious affiliation. All men and women 
who work for wages are eligible to membership in the 
American Federation of Labor. In becoming mem- 
bers they are guaranteed the right to worship in 
accordance with the dictates of their conscience and 
they pledge themselves never to wrong a brother or 
to see him wronged if they can prevent it. 

FIGHTs FOR TOLERANCE 

The American Federation of Labor is a sound, influ. 
ential force in behalf of tolerance and in the defense 
of religious and political freedom. No law in the 
American Federation of Labor either abridges or 
denies the right of its members to belong to any 
church or denomination or to vote with or affiliate 
with a political party, nor is there any rule which 
can be invoked that would interfere with the free 
exercise of these rights which we hold to be inalien- 
able. 

The organized labor movement stands for an 
American standard of living, for high wages, reason- 
able hours of employment, the abolition of child 
labor. We demand the protection of women in 
industry, the creation of educational facilities and 
the compulsory school attendance of children. We 
demand the abolition of the sweat-shop and the 
abolition of the sale of convict-made goods in com- 
petition with free labor. 

We have led in the movement for the passage of 
workmen’s compensation legislation, of factory, mill 
and mine inspection laws and the establishment of 
sanitary and hygienic conditions in factories and 
workshops. We have demanded recreational oppor- 
tunities and facilities so that all people may enjoy 
civic and community life. 

DEMANDS Five-Day WEEK 

The establishment of the five-day work week is a 
part of organized labor’s definite program. Human 
welfare, the care of widows and orphans and of sick 
and disabled, happiness in home life, the development 
of opportunities for material, intellectual and social 
attainment constitute a large part of organized 
labor’s creed. 

The motives and the work of labor’s economic 
movement are many times misinterpreted and mis- 
understood when strikes occur having for their 
objective higher wages and improved conditions of 
employment. Many well-meaning and sympathetic 
friends fail to grasp the real objective of labor. For, 





THE AMERICAN TEACHER 21 


while the primary purpose of ofganized labor is to 
secure high wages and shorter hours of labor, its 
ultimate purpose is to help the workers and those 
dependent upon them to live more complete and 
happier lives. We strive to bring an increased amount 
of sunshine and happiness into the homes and lives 
of working people. Monetary and material values 
are secondary to human and spiritual values. 
Why SHortTer Hours 

It is unfortunate that the purpose of organized 
labor in trying to secure a reduction in working time 
is seriously questioned. Frequently it is charged, by 
those who are hostile to the Trade Union movement 
that the workers demand shorter hours for the pur- 
pose of indirectly increasing wages and decreasing 
output. They allege that working people, in fur- 
thering this social reform, endeavor to shirk respon- 
sibility, perform less work and thus inflict upon 
industry and society increased economic and financial 
burdens, They further allege that an increase in the 
leisure accorded workers through a reductién in 
working time tends to encourage shiftlessness, to 
increase crime and to develop a disregard for their 
work and efficiency. 

All of these allegations and charges -are untrue. 
They are contrary to human experience and are not 
in accord with facts. The shorter work day and 
the shorter work week are demanded by working 
people so that they may have opportunities for recup- 
eration, surcease from the monotony and noise of 
continuous toil in factories, mills, mines and work- 
shops and time to enjoy family and home life and to 
develop the spiritual, intellectual and cultural part 
of human life. Leisure and the opportunity to enjoy 
leisure will create an environment conducive to good 
citizenship and this is a matter in which all good 
citizens are interested. Our national life, the per- 
petuation and security of our democratic government 
depend upon the high quality and high standard of 
our citizenship. Long hours of labor, continuous 
employment deadens and dulls life and brings about 
a total disregard and indifference to problems and 
questions which so vitally affect our social and 
political life, 

Has REAL CONTRIBUTION 

We assert that we desire more opportunities for 
self-development, self-expression and _ intellectual 
advancement so that, as workers, we may play our 
Part, intelligently and constructively, in the civic 
and political affairs of the nation. We wish to con- 
tribute toward the development of better men and 


women rather than to emphasize the accumulation of 
increasing wealth. 

Trade unionism is an institution with a,creed. Its 
friends recognize it as an influence for good and its 
enemies concede its existence and credit it with hav- 
ing many virtues. Its friends seek to make it more 
effective, serviceable and responsive to the needs of 
the working men and women. Its enemies hesitate 
to undertake to destroy it because the experience of 
other nations throughout the world shows that if 
trade unionism is weakened or destroyed there will 
immediately spring up in its stead a force dangerous 
and destructive to society and free institutions. 

Must Be ProTecTep 

As an institution trade unionism must be pro- 
tected and as an economic force it must be permitted 
to function. We offer the services of this institution 
of trade unionism to the development of efficiency 
in industry, to the promotion of the moral, spiritual 
and material interests of the masses of the people 
and as a stabilizing influence in our national and 
industrial life. We solicit acceptance of its creed 
so that the standards of life and living may be raised 
to the point recognized as commensurate with the 
requirements of American citizenship. 





PROMINENT EDUCATIONAL MAGAZINES 
COMBINE 

The merging of two of America’s best known 
educational magazines went into effect November 
Ist, when The Educational Review, recently acquired 
from Doubleday, Doran and Company by the Sci- 
ence Press, was combined with School and Society. 
The magazine will be published weekly throughout 
the year, under the editorship of J. McKeen Cattell 
with the co-operation of William McAndrew. 

The Educational Review was established in 1891 
by Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler, now President of 
Columbia University, and was under his editorial 
direction for twenty-nine years. Dr. Frank P. 
Graves, formerly Dean of the School of Education 
at the University of Pennsylvania, and now New 
York State Commissioner of Education, acted as 
editor for four years, after which time William 
McAndrew, recently Superintendent of the Chicago 


Schools, became editor. 


School and Society was established in 1915, and 
since. its founding has been edited by Dr. Cattell. 
During its history it has absorbed The School Journal 
established in 1874 and The Teacher’s Magazine, 
established in 1878. 





THE AMERICAN TEACHER 


Just Observations 
By SELMA M. BorcHARDT 
Legislative Representative 


The good people of Arkansas have settled this ques- 
tion of EVOLUTION, so far as Arkansas is con- 
cerned. The referendum vote of that state decided 
that there is not and that there shall be no EVOLU- 
TION. The bill which was before the Legislature 
last year is so worded that it settles many questions. 
It practically prohibits the teaching of amy natural 
science in any high school or university of the state, 
including of course the medical colleges of the state. 

The Rotenberry Bill prohibited the teaching that 
“‘man ascended or descended from any lower form of 
animal.” This referendum vote settled part of this 
at least. 

The Reverend Ben Bogard now promises to rid 
many other states of the menace of the teaching of 
the natural sciences. Referenda are promised for 
Florida, Texas and Mississippi. 

Florida has indicated its willingness to be purified. 
A committee authorized by its last legislature, is at 
work black-listing “books inimical to good morals.” 
The list already contains the works of Bernard Shaw, 
H. G. Wells, Kroeber’s Anthropology, Allport’s Social 
Psychology and many others. 

a co coe 

Election is over. NOT ONE member of the Senate 
who was up for re-election, who had earned the dis- 
approval of organized labor, was re-elected. Senator 
Bruce of Maryland, Senator Bayard of Delaware were 
among those who went down. It was Senator Bayard, 
you'll remember who coined the phrase “the unholy 
trinity” when referring to the Child Labor Amend- 
ment, the Sheppard-Towner Baby Bill, and the bill 
for the creation of the Federal Department of Edu- 
cation. It was he who used the government frank or 
rather abused the government frank and sent out 
material libelously attacking the men and women 
who support humanitarian measures. He was immune 
to legal attacks; congressional immunity safe-guarded 
him. He couldn’t well be answered as the dignity 
of a governmental document protected him. But the 
people of Delaware have answered him. May the other 
makers of blacklists take heed from this example. 

+ ce * 

From Amsterdam we have received information on 
the Teachers International Trade Secretariat. This is 
the bona fide teacher trade union and its literature 
sounds fine. Its Constitution states that its object is 


the “improvement of the economic and social status 
of teachers, the protection of their political rights, the 
betterment of education in the broadest sense of the 
word and the cultural advancement of all workers,” 
In order to achieve its purpose, the constitution de- 
clares for academic freedom and independence of 
the teaching profession. It stands for educational 
opportunities for all children and calls for a plan of 
school organization which would make this possible, 


As would be expected it calls for an educational 
program which would seek to promote international 
good will and oppose Chauvinism and militarism. At 
present the teachers unions of France, Germany, Aus- 
tria, Holland, and Luxemburg belong. 


Their proceedings as well as their constitution show 
an idealism, a program of action closely similar to 
that of the American Federation of Teachers. 


A number of the organizations which belong to 
this organization belong also to another international 
teacher federation. 

We are happy indeed to work with our fellow 
teachers through the World Federation of Education 
Associations, but this does not prevent our benefit- 
ing also by an active co-operation with bona fide 
teacher trade unionists from other parts of the world. 

Your Committee on International Relations has 
prepared a brief summary of the proceedings of this 
organization which the national office will be pleased 
to send you. 

ce * * * 

Now just what makes teaching a profession? What 
is a professional organization? What is a teacher or- 
ganization? Not just a series of casual questions, but 
questions which a serious condition calls forth. The 
facts are that only eleven states have a teacher ten- 
ure law. Almost fifty per cent of the teachers of 
this country have not had any professional training. 
Teachers are appointed in many places because of 
their clothes, their religion, their friends, their club 
membership and other such weighty reasons. A can- 
didate for a school board in West Virginia last year 
announced that if elected he would not vote for the 
appointment of any teacher who willfully refused 
to buckle her galoshes. In North Carolina a teacher 
was dismissed because she wouldn’t teach Sunday 


“School. In Tennessee and Kentucky and seventeen 


other states at least, teachers are ordered to belong 
to the National Education Association. In one place 
in Tennessee a county superintendent actually with- 
held the amount of the N. E. A.’s dues from 





THE AMERICAN TEACHER 23 


teacher’s salary. It’s this last point which seems to 
me more serious than anything else. 

Through this educational organization school offi- 
cers are robbing teachers of their personal dignity, 
their professional status and incidentally the neces- 
sary respect of the community. We feel that the 
forced membership of teachers in the N. E. A. or any 
other teacher organization is contrary to the ethics 
of the profession and we sincerely hope this degrad- 
ing practice so prevalent now, will be discontinued. 

How can we expect the public to stop molesting 
us, to stop denying us our personal dignity as teach- 
ers, if a large educational organization itself is the 
greatest sinner? 

% * * % 

It may not be quite proper to indulge in personali- 
ties but when the person is Harry Fox, president of 
the Wyoming State Federation of Labor one just can’t 
help it. In a recent letter he said, “Of course, we'll 
work with the teachers of Wyoming to help them 
get a tenure law, if they will only tell us what they 
want.” Of course, he will help. It’s working with 
folks like Harry Fox, an idealist, a thinker, an able 
executive, a beautiful friend to teachers and other 
workers, the very incarnation of those ideals which 
led us to affiliate with organized labor, that makes 
that affiliation the joy and gratification that it is. 





CIVIL LIBERTIES SUMMARY FOR LAST 
THREE MONTHS OUT 


“The most serious civil liberty issues since the 
Colorado coal strike last winter” arose in the months 
of July, August, and September, according to the 
American Civil Liberties Union, which has just is- 
sued a case report covering that period. 

In the New England textile strike districts, says 
the report, “prohibition of strikers’ meetings, the use 
of state troops, and brutal police attacks on picket 
lines resulted in serious riots. Hundreds of pickets 
were held in excessive bail, convicted on minor 
charges, and given unusually heavy sentences.” 

“Sacco-Vanzetti memorial meetings on the anni- 
versary of the execution of the two men were broken 
up or forbidden all over the country,” the summary 
continues. The first criminal syndicalism prosecu- 
tions in over four years were started against ten 
Workers Party members arrested when Kansas City, 
Kansas, police broke up such a meeting. 

The Workers Party and allied organizations met 
police interference in holding meetings and in con- 
ducting organization activities in California, Illinois, 


Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, 
and Pennsylvania, according to the report. Speakers 
at Workers Party election campaign meetings were 
arrested, and audiences were dispersed. Arrests for 
distributing literature and soliciting strike relief 
funds occurred repeatedly. Police bans on meetings 
under labor or radical auspices in half a dozen cities 
were abandoned after protests or threats of legal ac- 
tion by the American Civil Liberties Union. 

Pittsburgh police broke up the National Miners’ 
Union convention there when it was attacked by 
adherents of the United Mine Workers. About five 
of the aggressors and 125 delegates were arrested. 

Cited by the report as notable in the three-month 
period are: 

(1) The decision of the Court of Quarter Ses- 
sions at Philadelphia upholding the right of police 
censorship of meetings. 

(2) The decision of the Minnesota Supreme 
Court upholding that state’s recent law which per- 
mits any county judge to enjoin in advance publi- 
cation of any newspaper he deems “malicious, scan- 
dalous, or defamatory.” 

(3) Defeat of the Pittsburgh postal authorities’ 
raid on the National Miners’ Relief. 

(4) Release of the last criminal syndicalism 
prisoner in the United States—Leo Ellis, an I. W. W. 
who finished a two-year term in Folsom Penitentiary, 
California. 

The report concludes: “It is notable that not a 
lynching or mob violence case is reported for the 
entire period.” 


AN ADVENTURE IN SELF EDUCATION 
(Continued From Page 5) 
and colleges should begin and continue. It places 


full responsibility upon the people who are to engage 





‘in their own education. Education, it is believed, is 


a “close look” within the self,—also within the group 
—a drawing out of the self, for the sake of the 
group. It can never be realized in any measure at 
all adequate for the needs of our age, by the enforced 
schooling of 25,000,000 of our population, by our 
regimented and standardized teachers and administra- 
tors, by the dull and meaningless academic and- 
and scholastic performances of our school communi- 
ties. Ashland College proposes to receive only those 
who are already conscious of themselves and of the 
real world, to keep them out of this actual world 
long enough only to get a somewhat better under- 
standing, if they can, of themselves and of “the 


issue of the world.” 





THE AMERICAN TEACHER 





BOOKS 


“There is no frigate like a book 
To bear us lands away.” 
—Emily Dickinson. 








~ y, 


““A little library growing larger every year is an 
honorable part of a man’s history. It is a man’s duty 
to have books: a library is not a luxury but one of 
the necessities of life.’—Henry Ward Beecher. 








“LET FREEDOM RING” IS PUBLISHED 


“Let Freedom Ring” a new book by Arthur Gar- 
field Hays, member of the executive committee of 
the American Civil Liberties Union, is now off the 
press and can be supplied by the Civil Liberties 
Union. 

Mr. Hays, a prominent New York attorney, has 
been in the thick of the fight for civil liberties and 
took part in such outstanding battles as the Tennes- 
see evolution trial of Scopes, the Boston prosecution 
of H. L. Mencken for the sale of The American 
Mercury, the Sacco-Vanzetti affair, the Pennsylvania 
coal strike and other cases. From this material he 
makes a narrative of dramatic suspense and a story 
of significant episodes in the age-long fight for 
freedom. 

“Let Freedom Ring” is illustrated by many pic- 
tures and cartoons. It can be obtained from the 
American Civil Liberties Union for $2.50 per copy. 





OUTLINES OF PUBLIC UTILITY ECONOMICS 
By Martin G. Giakser, Macmillan, New York 
1927, 847 pp. Price $4.25 


In the October American Federationist we find a 
review of Professor Glaeser’s Outlines which says 
that the book is an impartial text-book and per- 
fectly all right for the schools. The reviewer says, 
“T am convinced that the book is what it pretends 
to be—a svstematic and impartial attempt to analyze 
the difficult economic legal problems common to the 
operation and regulation of those industries which 
‘we recognize to be affected with a public interest.” 
And again, “for one determined to go to the bottom 
of our public utility problems Professor Glaeser’s 
‘volume is an indispensable foundation.” 

Glaeser himself says in his book that the manu- 
script was examined by Edward Gruhl and F. W. 
‘Doolittle, Vice Presidents of the North American 


Company and by E. W. Morehouse and Dr. Ely of 
Ely’s Institute before it was published, and further. 
more that its publication was due to the financial 
assistance given by the Ely Institute. Since the North 
American Company is one of the largest public utility 
holding companies in the United States, and since 
the Ely Institute which went over the manuscript 
and wrote the introduction to it, has received from 
the N. E. L. A. alone $75,000 during the last three 
years, one has a right to infer that Glaeser’s book 
is a desirable textbook from the standpoint of the 
public utilities. 

That it is a “desirable text book” from their stand- 
point the following testimony from the Federal 
Trade Commission shows: ~- 

(From The United States Daily, August 18, 1928) 

Arthur F. Herwig was called as a witness on July 
2 and testified as follows: 

Direct examination by Mr. Healy: Where do you 
live? A. Milwaukee, Wis. 

Q. What is your business? A. I am director of 
the Wisconsin Public Utility Information Bureau. 

Q. How long have you been director? A. Since 
December, 1920. 

ob oe te co 

Q. Now, your report shows that your committee 
has co-operated with Wisconsin University professors 
in preparation of books on utility engineering and 
utility economics. What University professors did 
your committee co-operate with in the preparation 
of books on utility engineering and utility economics? 
A. I would like to say that I did that personally. It 
was due to a personal relationship between Professor 
Glaeser of the University of Wisconsin, whom I met 
when I was secretary to the Pension Laws Commis- 
sion. He happened to be secretary to the Acquisition 
Committee in Milwaukee, which was preparing a plan 
for the city to go into partnership with the electric 
railway system there. I think I met him later on a 
train, and he told me he was going to write a book 
on public utility economics, and I was very enthu- 
siastic about it. 

Q. Did he tell you at whose suggestion, if any 
one, he was going to write that book. A. No, sir. He 
was a teacher of it, and had been teaching on that 
subject at the University for many years. 

Q. Well, was there anything said about your co- 
operation at that time? A. No, sir. 

Q. What else was said during the course of that 
conversation relative to his book? A. I told him I 
thought he would have a great opportunity in writ- 








8) 
july 


you 
of 


nce 


ind 











ing a book on public utility economics, if I remem- 
ber my conversation that there were no booklets now 
in use that I knew of; that the subject was being 
considered by universities throughout the country, 
and people were beginning to appreciate that they 
had no conception of regulation; that real regula- 
tion had not been—that the story of real regulation 
had not been entirely told, that is, of how public 
utilities had operated, and I told him that I thought 
he had a very good future in view of such a book. 

Q. In what university was Professor Glaeser? A. 
The University of Wisconsin. 

Q. Is he still there? A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What followed that; what was the next thing 
that developed in regard to this text book? A. I 
think some, probably a year or so later, I can not 
be positive, I think he sent me one or two chapters 
of his booklet, of this book, and he asked me to read 
it over and to say whether he had used the latest 
facts in it. 

Q. Did you submit what he had sent to you to 
some of the utility men? A. I submitted it to Mr. 
W. R. McGovern. 

Q. Connected with what company. A. The 
Wisconsin Telephone Company. 

Q. And he made some comment on that book? 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And you passed them on to Mr. Glaeser? A. 
Yes, I think I did; I am not sure. 

‘Q. Do you know whether he altered the text 
in any respect as a result of these comments? A. No, 
sir, he did not; not that I know of. I told him that 
I submitted it to Mr. McGovern because it contains 
some valuable statistics; that Mr. McGovern being 
a valuation man, knew what those statistics were, 
knew as to the accuracy of them. 

Q. Do you know who printed the book? A. I 
made a story of it. If you will let me refer to the 
story I have in our clip sheets I could tell you who 
published it; I do not recall; I do not know. 

Q. Do you know anything about who took part 
in the financing of it? A. No, sir. 

Q. Have you any information that any public 
utility company or any group of utility companies 
contributing anything towards the expense of the 
publication? A. No, sir. 

* * = & 

(From The United States Daily, August 2, 1928) 

(Testimony of John B. Sheridan, Director of the 
Missouri Committee on Public Utility Information, 








THE AMERICAN TEACHER 25 






and Chairman of the sub-committee of the N. E. L. 
A., June 21, 1928) 

Q. : Here is a very sensible letter from Mr. Fred 
Cutcheon of the St. Joseph Gas Company, suggesting 
that if the work on textbooks goes too far the public 
will get the idea that the textbooks are being used 
as propaganda for public utility companies and that 
the reaction will be worse than the original misin- 
formation? A. Yes. 

Q. Then you wrote to Mr. Cutcheon on the 14th 
of September telliig him that the work being done 
by Mr. Jenkins, of the Commonwealth Edison Com- 
pany, in respect to textbooks, showing that the com- 
mittee was proceeding with the utmost caution? A. 
Yes, sir. 

ce * + 

Q. Here is a letter to Mr. Cadby, dated May 21, 
1926? Yes, sir. 

Q. Showing that the textbook situation is being 
handled by tactful personal contact by the national 
committees in charge? A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You say as follows: “My idea was that we 
should go direct to the textbook writers, tell them 
their books were all right for the period for which 
they were written, but that changes in the last 10 
years make a new textbook necessary.” A. Yes, sir. 

Q. “This will give the boys a chance to write 
new textbooks and make some more money, and we 
can show them individually just wherein the old 
textbooks are obsolete?” A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Document 2979 is a letter from Mr. Carl D. 

Jackson, dated March 28, 1927, is it not? A. Yes, 
sir. 
Q. Showing that a year or two before Mr. Glaeser 
undertook the preparation of a textbook, and saying 
that this was largely at the suggestion of the com- 
mittee on co-operation with educational institutions? 
A. Yes, sir. 

(From The United States Daily, July 25, 1928) 

(Testimony of John B. Sheridan, June 20, 1928. 
Judge Healy examining). 

Q. And do you remember writing to someone 
that as a result of the activities of the National Asso- 
ciation, a book which fairly presented the subject of 
utilities had been prepared by a man named Glaeser? 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you know whether that textbeok by Glae- 
ser was distributed in Missouri? A. I think that one 
of our managers in Missouri purchased ten copies or 
maybe twenty, I do not know the exact number, 
and sent out to his local managers in Missouri. 






















































THE AMERICAN TEACHER 


Q. Do you know who Mr. Glaeser is? A. I have 
heard of him. 

Q. What institution is he connected with? A. 
I think it is the University of Wisconsin. 

Q. Do you know what his public utility connec- 
tions are? A. No, sir, I do not. 

Q. Do you know what the arrangement was un- 
der which he prepared the book? A. I do not. 

Q. Or what publishing house printed it? A. I 
think it was MacMillan, if I do not make a mistake. 

Q. I think it was too. Here is a paper now 
marked Exhibit 2623 from Mr. Cutcheon, of the St. 
Joseph Gas Company. A. That is correct. 

Q. He suggested that every high school principal 
should have the text book and that the gas company 
would be willing to bear its share of the expense? 
A. Yes, sir. 

* * * & 

Carl D. Thompson, Secretary, The Public Owner- 
ship League of America, says: 

“A book on public utility economics that was 
written by a university professor at the suggestion 
of public utility corporations, the manuscript of 
which is partly at least reviewed by private corpo- 
ration men, and when published was recommended 
for circulation in the schools by representatives of 
the utility companies, to say the least would not be 
likely to defend any vital issue in which tne general 
public was immediately interested. 


Professor Glaeser’s book is quite orthodox, and 
with but few unimportant exceptions follows the 
usual “safe and sane” lines followed by the university 
economists that have been subsidized by the power 
companies. Much of it is good and true, and per- 
haps valuable, but so far as I can discover whenever 
Mr. Glaeser has encountered a public utility prob- 
lem in which the interests of the general public were 
really at stake, he has either evaded it entirely or 
taken a position quite agreeable to the private 
corporations. In some cases where I had hoped to 
find a real contribution, as for example on the ques- 
tion of holding companies, we suddenly encounter 
a footnote stating that a study is just being under- 
taken by semeone else, which when published will 
probably give us the light we are seeking. After 
glancing through the book in a casual manner I am 
impressed with the thought that it is no wonder 
that the young men who come out of the economics 
departments of the universities today are bewildered.” 

In view of these diverse opinions, it might be well 
to read the book rather carefully. But be sure that 


your eyes are open and that you have cut your eye 
teeth. 





THE NEW ECONOMICS FROM 
COMMON WEALTH 
Workers’ College in the Heart of the Ouachitg 
Mountains Gives Labor a Dynamic Philosophy 


MENA, Arkansas—Dr. William Edward Zeuch, 
Director and Professor of Economics at Common- 
wealth College, is formulating and giving to his 
students a new approach to the whole field of eco- 
nomics, 

“Power Economics,” as Dr. Zeuch calls his new 
approach, supplies the American workers with a 
dynamic labor philosophy that is typically American, 
Dr. Zeuch disclaims originality except for the organ- 
ization and systematization of extant materials and 
for emphasis upon power as the dynamic element in 
the evolution of economic processes and institutions, 
“The sources from which I have developed’ Power 
Economics,” he says, “are the studies of Franz Oppen- 
heimer upon the origin and evolution of the State, 
the economic writings of John R. Commons, the 
pragmatic philosophy of Pierce, James, Dewey and 
others, and the behavioristic psychology of J. B. 
Watson and his followers.” 

The main theses of Power Economics may be stated 
briefly as follows: 

1. All economic activity is concerned with the 


problems of value and valuation which arise in trans- 
actions between buyers and sellers, borrowers and 
lenders, employers and employes, landlords and ten- 


ants, etc. 

2. The transaction is limited, shaped, and con- 
trolled by working rules (customs, laws, accepted 
practices) operating within the limits set by natural 
forces and the methods and efficiency of production. 
Working rules because of their effect on the use of 
natural resources and the methods of production as 
well as because of their direct bearing play the dom- 
inant role in determining the nature of the trans- 
action. 

3. The working rules (customs, laws, accepted 
practices) are either a direct or an indirect expres- 
sion of the political or economic power of a dominant 
group or a coalition of dominant groups. 

4. Working rules (customs, laws, accepted prac- 
tices) change with the rise to power of a new group 
or new groups in new kinds of transactions, as in 
the gradual transition from feudalism to capitalism, 
or from a shift or re-proportioning of power in the 











same transaction, as in the gtowth and extension of 
labor legislation and collective bargaining today. 


5. The establishment of new working rules as 
the expression of the interests of a new group or 
groups emerging to dominance is retarded by the 
customs and accepted practices established by the 
previous dominant group or groups. 

6. The real struggles in the eras of slavery and 
feudalism were not class struggles between patrician 
and slave and lord and serf but group struggles be- 
tween rival cliques within the dominant caste to 
determine which was to reap the spoils from the 
existing working rules. Up to the industrial revolu- 
tion the emergence of the workers from slavery 
through serfdom to the wage system was largely 
incidental to the needs of the changing dominant 
groups and somewhat also, perhaps, to a growing 
humanitarianism. 

7. Today the contest is between the organized 
workers and the owners and employers for the right 
to set or change the working rules. The numerical 
strength of the organized workers made effective 
through political democracy and collective bargain- 
ing has gradually encroached upon the power of 
owners and employers and can result only in the 
ultimate permanent dominance of the organized 
workers and the elimination of the opposing groups 
by absorption. 

It will -be observed that Dr. Zeuch, going to 
history rather than to Hegelian metaphysics, con- 
ceives of the historical process as a group struggle 
rather than as a class struggle; also that he has 
discarded the Marxian theoretical economic formulas 
as unessential yet has achieved a dynamic labor 
philosophy that looks forward, not to the stabilized 
capitalism of John R. Commons but to the final 
emergence of the organized workers to a dominant 
position where they will formulate the working rules 
of our economic society for the common good. 





WAR AND PEACE IN UNITED STATES HIS- 
TORY TEXT-BOOKS, By Isabelle Kendig-Gill, can 
be obtained from the National Council for Prevention 
of War, 532 17th St., Washington, D. C. 


Theodore Roosevelt once said: “Without abating a 
jot from one’s devotion to his country and flag, I 
think a history can be made just enough to warrant its 
being received as an authority equally among Ameri- 
cans and Englishmen.” Do our text-books live up to 
this standard of impartiality? Isabelle Kendig-Gill 


THE AMERICAN TEACHER 








27 





inquires in War and Peace in United States History 
Text Books. 

This study is based on an examination of 31 text- 
books reported by school authorities as used or rec- 
ommended in every state in the country, from the 
primary grades through high school. 

Treatment of War 

a. Twenty-five texts studied with special ref- 
erence to this point show an average of 25% 
of the space in each book given to war. 

b. Five of the texts in this group are biographi- 
cal collections of hero stories. These devote 
an average of 50% of their space to war and 
military exploits. 

c. The remaining twenty general histories de- 
vote about 19% of their space to war. 

d. - Since both types of books are used in nearly 
every school, they should be considered to- 
gether. Therefore, it is fair to state that 
25% of the material in school histories deals 
with war. 

Treatment of the World War. 

Current phrases, and popular catchwords have been 
accepted without question in denouncing Germany 
and proclaiming the guiltlessness of the Allies in the 
World War. The results of the War are given almost 
entirely in terms of the penalties exacted from Ger- 
many. There is usually, however, a somewhat boast- 
ful evaluation of the cost of the war to us in billions 
of dollars a day, and in one text there is a statement 
that “our losses were trivial” as compared with those 
of the other nations involved, “less than 50,000 were 
killed and somewhat over 50,000 died from exposure 
and disease.” Nowhere is there any fundamental an- 
alysis either of the political and economic situation 
out of which the war grew or of its spiritual and 
moral costs to the world. The Peace Treaty is usually 
disposed of in a sentence and without criticism. The 
general impression one gains after reading these ac- 
counts is only of a brave and triumphant crusade 
against the Powers of Darkness in which we bore an 
heroic part. 

The Peace Movement 

While the labor movement and the woman move- 
ment are now treated in practically all general his- 
tories, only six of these texts take any cognizance of 
the peace movement per se, though many more com- 
mend the growth of public sentiment for arbitration, 
the limitation of armaments, etc., as steps toward 
world peace. These six show amusing variance in their 
conception of what the peace movement really is, and 





































28 THE AMERICAN TEACHER 


several of them dispose of it in a phrase or a sentence. 
No history treats it adequately as a definite move- 
ment originating in the early days of the Republic, 
growing steadily in scope and strength, numbering 
many thousands of adherents, including some of our 
greatest writers and statesmen, and registering dis- 
tinct progress at The Hague and the Pan-American 
Conferences, and more recently in the movement for 
limitation of armaments and the establishment of 
some form of association of nations and permanent 
world court. 

Summary 

None of the history texts examined give a complete 
picture of war, showing its dark side as well as its 
heroic, or make any fundamental analysis of its causes 
and results, The prevailing tendency is toward its 
glorification. 

In general, the peace efforts of the United States are 
ignored or inadequately treated. 

There is apparently little effort made to promote 
friendliness with other nations; but race prejudice is 
somewhat evident in speaking of the Chinese, Mexi- 
cans, Germans, Russians, and our own recent immi- 
grants. 


The World War is described in the popular phrases 
current during its progress, with no attempt to an- 
alyze its underlying causes and results. The Treaty 
of Peace is accepted without criticism. 





STORIES AND POEMS FOR OPENING 
EXERCISES 


With a vision, no doubt, of countless beset teach- 
ers and impatient children pouring over rows of 
books in search of a story or poem for school or 
church program, Elizabeth Ohr, who heads the School 
Libraries Division of the Indianapolis Public Library, 
has prepared an index called Stories and Poems for 
Opening Exercises. It has just been published by 
the American Library Association. 

Not only has Miss Ohr compiled a list of works 
suitable for delivery at opening exercises, but she has 
grouped them under some two hundred headings, 
alphabetically arranged, so that if an exercise of this 
kind is to fall about February 22, one may look 
under Flags, Independence Day, Memorial Day, 
Patriotism or George Washington for material which 
bears, in some sense, on the topic of Washington. 

Other subjects, taken at random, are Mystery 
Stories, Love of Home, Bees, Internationalism, Cheat- 
ing, Nonsense Stories. Nature stories and poems are 
abundant, as are works on Animals, the Bible, 


Flowers, Courage, Selfishness, Spring and the Wind, 
All of the ordinary needs are filled, and many of the 
less usual. Energy is there, as are Advice, Egotism, 
Frogs, Ingenuity, Good Luck, Loquacity. The im- 
portant holidays are well observed—the New Year, 
Valentine’s Day, Easter, April Fools’ Day, May Day, 
Decoration Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, 
Hallowe’en, Thanksgiving, Christmas. 


A key lists forty-one books in which the recom- 
mended selections are to be found. The moderate 
cost of these books gives the index a highly usable 
and useful application. 


STORIES AND POEMS FOR OPENING EXER- 
CISES. Elizabeth Ohr. Chicago, American Library 
Association, 1927. 40p. Paper. Single copy, 40c; 
10 copies, 35c each; 25 or more, 25c each. 





, ANNIVERSARIES AND HOLIDAYS; A calen- 


dar of days and how to observe them. 1928. 3,08 pp. 
$6. American Library Association, 86 East Randolph 
Street, Chicago, Illinois. 


In speaking of the interruption of the regular 
school day by special observance of so-called special 
days, the Pennsylvania School Journal said in its April 
issue: “Instead of being sources of annoyance and 
irritation, the celebration of special days may be used 
to motivate and enrich the materials of instruction 
and to provide opportunities for teaching patriotic 
and ethical ideas.” 


This same thought was in the mind of Mary E. 
Hazeltine in the preparation of her book, Amniver- 
saries and Holidays, which has just been published by 
the American Library Association. Schools, public 
and parochial, will welcome the mass of material it 
presents about national heroes, leaders in science, in- 
vention, religion, art and letters. 


Within the compass of 300 double column pages 
are brought together, in calendar arrangement, the 
birthdays of important persons, anniversaries of note- 
worthy events, feast and fast days of the Christian 
and Jewish calendars. Important days are given 4 
brief historical paragraph. Material for appropriate 
observance of the day is cited and often there are sug- 
gestions for programs, pageants, theatricals, etc. A 
separate section of the book is devoted to program 
making. Aside from this the book is a valuable work 
for quick reference. It answers hundreds of ques- 


tions and brings to light many sources of material 
which schools will find useful. 








len- 


PP- 
Iph 


lar 
cial 
oril 
ind 


on 
tic 








URGES EDUCATORS TO BE PROPAGANDISTS 
FOR EDUCATION 


That the educator should also be a propagandist 
for education is the interesting thesis laid down in 
Edward L. Bernays’ new book “Propaganda” which 
Horace Liveright announced for publication on 
November 15th. Mr. Bernays, who helped to create 
the profession of public relations counsel, and acts 
in that capacity for some of America’s large cor- 
porations, for foreign governments, and social move- 
ments, thinks that “the normal school should pro- 
vide for the training of the educator to make him 
realize that his is a two-fold job: the education as a 
teacher and the education as a propagandist. * * *” 

“The teaching profession, as such, has a right to 
carry on a very definite propaganda with a view to 
enlightening the public and asserting its intimate 
relation to the society which it serves. In addition 
to conducting a propaganda on behalf of its indi- 
vidual members, education must also raise the general 
appreciation of the teaching profession.” 

Of special interest to students of Psychology, in 
view of the fact that Mr. Bernays is a nephew of 
Professor Sigmund Freud, is a chapter on “Mass 
Psychology.” 

Other sections of the book deal with how public 
opinion is moulded to the benefit of politics, business, 
art and science. Previous books by Mr. Bernays are 
“Crystallizing Public Opinion,” and “An Outline of 


Careers.” 





THE YOUTH MOVEMENT IN CHINA, by 
Tsi C. Wang, Ph. D. New York. New Republic, Inc. 
xv+245 pp. $1.00. 

The recent intellectual upheaval in China, variously 
described as the Chinese Renaissance, the Literary 
Revolution, the New Thought Movement, or the 
Student Movement, is here for the first time given 
a full treatment under the The Youth Movement in 
China. Excerpts from articles and letters 
of those who took an active part in the move- 
ment give interesting insight into their mental states 
and make the book something more than a lifeless 
chronicle of past events. In publishing this book the 
author has made a valuable contribution to the Eng- 
lish reading public. 





Remember that when you are in the right you can 
afford to keep your temper, and when you are in the 
ig you can’t afford to lose it.—Benjamin Frank- 
in, 


THE AMERICAN TEACHER 






29 


BARNARD SUMMER SCHOOL IN SECOND 
ANNUAL SESSION 


NEW YORK CITY (W. E. B.)—The Barnard 
Summer School for Women Workers in Industry 
opened its second annual summer session on July 2 on 
the campus at Barnard College, Columbia University. 
Forty-three students were enrolled under the tuition 
of eight instructors (including the director). The 
student body is made up of women workers from the 
principal metropolitan industries, such as ladies’ and 
men’s clothing, cleaning and dyeing, millinery, neck- 
wear, batik work, collars, shoes, sport goods, novel- 
ties, pianos, chewing gum and electrical goods, rep- 
resenting twelve different national backgrounds, rang- 
ing from English, Canadian and Scotch to Austrian, 
Russian and Turkish. 

An important experiment is being tried this year 
with the courses of study. The students are graded 
into three different groups, introductory, intermediate 
and advanced, and the students in each group have a 
course of study developed around their own problems 
rather than around any particular academic subject. 
In the advanced section, for example, the general 
problem or main course of study is “The Status of the 
Worker.” Miss Emily Hutchinson, instructor of eco- 
nomics, traces the evolving status of the worker from 
the economic point of view, and Miss Lucile Kohn, 
instructor in history, treats it from the historical 
standpoint, using such literary sources as are available. 
“The advantages of this new method are very evi- 
dent,” said Miss Friedman, director of the school. 
“There is a greater unity in our work than before 
and a simpler and more common sense approach for 
the worker to an understanding of her problem.” 
Speaking of the Summer School, which is the only 
non-resident workers’ summer school in the country, 
Miss Friedman said: “Our experiment has already 
proved that the plan is practicable; that we can get 
a splendid quality of work done where students live 
at home. Furthermore we do not break up their daily 
habits as is done in a resident summer school with the 
distractions of the community life. After a year at a 
school like Barnard, a student should make a greater 
use of her time at a resident summer school such as 
Bryn Mawr. The fact that we have succeeded at 
Barnard encourages us to believe that you can suc- 
ceed on any urban college campus.” 





The average salary of teachers in 1913 was $515; 
in 1923 it was $1023. ‘The relative purchasing 
power was $593. 








































THE AMERICAN TEACHER 





Local News 





Cuicaco, Locats No. 2, No. 3, aND No. 199 


From all indications December 7 will be a gala 
and happy occasion. It is then that the teachers of 
Chicago will meet at the Palmer House to honor the 
new Superintendent of Schools, Mr. William J. Bogan. 
Locals 2, 3, and 199 have sponsored the dinner but 
it is in no sense an exclusive affair. Teachers and 
friends have been invited to participate, that is in so 
far as the two thousand seating capacity of the din- 
ing rooms will permit. 

Another undertaking, the preparation of a Cate- 
chism is engaging the attention of a joint committee 
composed of Mr. James A. Meade, president of Local 
2, Mrs. Lucie H. Schacht, president of Local 3, Miss 
Dorothy Weil, Chairman of the Press Committee of 
Local 3, and Miss Agnes B. Clohesy, President of 
Local 199. The Catechism is to be a statement of 
deeds, and a confession of the faith and beliefs of 
the three locals, in pamphlet form, to be used in 
persuading others, non-members, to think likewise. 


At the regular monthly meeting of Local 3, Octo- 
ber 19, Miss Lillian Ackerman, a Federation member, 
recently appointed principal of the Goodrich School, 
talked on “Being a Principal.” She said in part that 
one is told that the chief duty of the principal is to 
supervise the classroom work. She had found it to 
be the solution of social problems in a foreign neigh- 
borhood. Incidentally 35 new members were voted 
in. Following the business meeting some thirty of the 
members stayed to dinner at the Woman’s City Club 
at which Miss Beulah Berolzheimer, the former presi- 
dent, was the guest of honor. Later the members of 
Local 3 adjourned to the meeting of the Federation 
of Men Teachers, held at the Men’s City Club. Mr. 
H. Wallace Caldwell, President of the Board of Edu- 
cation, talked on “Co-operation of Teachers’ Organ- 
izations with the Board of Education.” 

FLORENCE E, CLark. 





Secretary-Treasurer Hanson was one of the dele- 
gates of the Chicago Federation of Women High 
School Teachers at the convention of the Illinois 
State Federation of Labor at Herrin, Illinois. Mrs. 
Hanson did some organization work in southern IIli- 
nois during this time and is invited to return later. 
There is a very considerable interest in the teachers 
union movement. 

From Herrin, Mrs. Hanson went to the American 
Federation of Labor convention at New Orleans as a 
delegate of the American Federation of Teachers. 
She will spend some time in the south in response to 
calls for an organizer, making Atlanta, Georgia, her 
headquarters. 


SACRAMENTO, LocaL 31 

Sacramento Local 31 announces the good news of 
twenty-four new members this month. A recep. 
tion was held to welcome them and to greet old 
friends. A committee has been appointed to arrange 
for the celebration of the organization’s tenth anni- 
versary. The problem of the payment of. summer 
salaries is being studied and a committee has been 
named to confer with the superintendent, Mr, 
Hughes. 

MARGARET Moore, 
Chairman, Press Committee, 





St. Paut MEN, Loca. 43 

The St. Paul Federation of Men Teachers held two 
meetings in the month of October, one a meeting 
of building representatives to work out plans for 
organization growth. The report of the Joint Salary 
Committee of the two Federations shows a very 
kindly public feeling, and the prospect of a still 
further salary increase is good. 

Court SANDERS, Secretary. 





BROOKWOOD TO FIGHT A. F. OF L. BAN AT 
CONVENTION | 

KATONAH, N. Y.—All efforts on the part of 
Brookwood Labor College to get a hearing before the 
Executive Committee of the American Federation 
of Labor having failed, and the committee having is- 
sued its warning to all affiliated bodies to withdraw 
support from the college, Brookwood now intends to 
carry its case before the delegates at the New Orleans 
convention for an opportunity to examine and answer 
the charges made against it. 

A letter sent out by President Green on October 
30, recommends that all affiliated bodies withdraw 
their support because they can not consistently sup- 
ply funds to “send students to Brookwood College 
where they live in an atmosphere antagonistic to the 
A. F. of L. and are taught theories which are in con- 
tradiction to the philosophy of the American labor 
movement.” 

An open letter of the Brookwood Board of Direc- 
tors to the delegates at the New Orleans convention, 
commenting upon these charges, says: 

“Having never received any direct and detailed 
statement about the complaints against Brookwood, 
it is impossible to make an answer. We flatly deny, 
however, the validity of certain inferences obviously 
meant to be drawn from vague statements in the 
press about ‘Communism’ and ‘hostility to the Amer- 
ican Federation of Labor.’ 

“Brookwood has not considered it to be part of its 
duty as an educational institution to promulgate the 
views and policies of the American Federation of 








ee, 


t of 
> the 
tion 
g is- 
lraw 


wer 


on, 
led 


ny, 
sly 


er- 


22 


Labor or of any other movement or organization, 
without critical analysis. 


“Brookwood has considered it to be its task to as- 
sist its members to an understanding of the A. F. of 
L. and its policies, to study all problems affecting the 
labor movement in the light of the facts, as calmly 
and scientifically as possible, teaching students how to 
think, not what to think, and resolutely refraining 
from any attempts to indoctrinate students with any 
particular theory or ism.” 


The directors emphatically state, furthermore, that 
“Brookwood is not controlled by, financed by, or 
committed to the policies of any political party, or 
subject to the control of any group or any indivi- 
duals other than its own directors, all of whom are 
members, and in many cases, officers of long stand- 
ing in A. F, of L. unions. 


“We firmly believe that our labor movement needs 
more, not less of such education as this, and that if 
our labor movement were afraid of such education, 
it would indeed be in an unfortunate condition.” 


The fundamental labor principles of fair play, col- 
lective bargaining and conference about grievances 
have been “thrown to the winds in this case,” the 
directors’ letter claims. The initial action was taken 
without Brookwood being notified that an investiga- 
tion was under way. When the Board of Directors 
asked for a hearing. President Green wrote that he 
“would refrain from taking any decisive action until 
after the members of the Executive Council had had 
ample opportunity to acquaint themselves with the 
protests filed and the requests made for a hearing.” 


“We never received any further reply in this mat- 
ter,” the directors complain, “and Brookwood was 
again condemned at the October meeting of the 
Council without being notified of the meeting, with- 
out getting a hearing, without any effort being made 
by the Executive Council to get an official statement 
of the Brookwood side of the case, and without any 
heed being paid to the repeated requests that we be 
furnished a copy of the complaints against us, the 
evidence on which they were based, and the source 
of such evidence.” 


Matthew Woll wrote certain of the labor directors 
of the school on October 16, stating that President 
Green had received several requests that the Brook- 
wood side of the case be heard, and inviting them, 
in consequence, to answer a questionnaire which he 
enclosed. 


THE AMERICAN TEACHER 





31 


The directors in a joint reply indignantly reminded 
him that the labor movement was accustomed to deal 
in organized fashion, and that while they would be 
glad at the proper time and-place to speak personally 
about their connection with the school, a request for 


the “Brookwood side of the case” should be presented, 
not in this back-door fashion to them as individuals, 


but to the board of directors officially; that condem- 
nation without a formal hearing savoured of Star 
Chamber proceedings. To this they received no reply. 


Brookwood is a part of the labor movement, the 
directors point out in their letter to the delegates. 
“It is affiliated with the Workers Education Bureau. 
All its directors are members, and many of them of- 
ficers, of A. F. of L. unions. Its instructors are all 
members in good standing of Local 189, American 
Federation of Teachers. Its students are trade union 
members, each of whom must be endorsed by at least 
two responsible officers of his union.” 


The American Federation of Teachers is greatly 
incensed over the highhanded way in which the Ex- 
ecutive Council violated the labor principle of craft 
autonomy in this case. Although the action of the 
council threatens the existence of Brookwood Local 
189 and impugns the integrity of its members, the 
American Federation of Teachers was not consulted 
or even notified before the council first acted in 
August. When the officials of the union sought a 
conference with President Green before final action 
should be taken, it was not granted. 


Since the Executive Council of the A. F. of L. 
has refused to give Brookwood a hearing or to say 
upon what evidence it condemns the school, the 
Board of Directors is appealing to the delegates at 
the New Orleans Convention for an opportunity to 
appear so that they “may have the elementary priv- 
ilege thus far denied them of studying those charges, 
replying to them, and submitting their own evidence 
as to the aims, activities and achievements of Brook- 


wood.” 





FRENCH TEACHERS FIGHT 


PARIS.—Propaganda against the French Teachers’ 
Union which has 80,000 members and is affiliated 
with the General Confederation of Labor, has this 
year run its usual course in the press. Threats to secure 
legislation forbidding the teachers to belong to a 
trade union have been met by the union’s counter- 
attack on the big business groups of which Premier 
Poincare is the spokesman. 


















































































November 8, 1928. 
Editor, 
American Teacher, 
Chicago, IIl. 

I note in your issue for November, 1928, a para- 
graph referring to reports that Communist students 
are being forbidden by the Communist Party or its 
local units to attend Brookwood. The writer hails 
this as “good news,” and a “relief for Brookwood.” 
I realize, of course, that Brookwood is not responsible 
for the sentiments of the writer, and that also if the 
writer had been able to set forth in detail what was 
in her mind, we might be in agreement with her on 
many points. It seems to me, however, that errone- 
ous inferences might be drawn from some of the 
phrases used, and because I feel that it is of the ut- 
most importance to Brookwood, the workers’ educa- 
tion movement in this country, the American Fed- 
eration of Teachers, and indeed the American Fed- 
eration of Labor itself, that at the present time issues 
should be clearly drawn, that we should fight for 
what we really believe, and not on sham grounds, 
and that we should make it as clear as poor mortals 
can just what we do stand for, in the hope that others 
in turn will make as heroic an effort as possible to 
understand us, and to judge us on real issues, I want 
to make a very brief comment which I hope may 
appear in the next issue of THE AMERICAN TEACHER. 

Insofar as opposition on the part of Communists 
to Brookwood is an indication that we are not under 
the control of the Communist any more than of any 
other political party, and that we teach analytically, 
not considering it our duty as an educational insti- 
tution to promulgate without analysis the views and 
theories of any movement or group, I welcome what 
such opposition may do to clear the air and show 
what we do and do not try to do, and be. 

Personally, however, while I am not a Communist, 
as is perhaps unnecessary to repeat, I do not regard 
it as an unmixed good if Communists or persons of 
any other political faith are to be prevented from 
coming to Brookwood, chiefly because that is another 
indication of the bitterness and disunity which exist 
in the labor movement at the present time, and which 
I deplore immeasurably. 

Furthermore, I have held that a school where labor 
men and women of all shades of opinion, with varied 
background and points of view could rub elbows 
(and minds?), could for a time study together in an 
atmosphere of freedom, and come to know each other 
and each other’s views, might render an important 


THE AMERICAN TEACHER 








service to the American labor movement. Something 
of that sort, at any rate, Brookwood has tried to do, 

But most important of all, through all the years 
of its existence Brookwood has adhered strictly to a 
non-sectarian labor policy, the policy of accepting 
qualified students who had the endorsement of their 
local or international unions or of at least two respon. 
sible officers in their union, irrespective of their reli- 
gious, political, social or economic views or affilia- 
tions. We want both our friends and our foes to 
know that'this has been and still is our policy, and 
that there has been no disposition to alter it. 


A. J. Musre. 





TOBIN RESIGNS 


The Executive Council of the American Federa- 
tion of Labor at its meeting in Washington, D. C., 
the week of October 15, accepted the resignation of 
Daniel J. Tobin, Treasurer of the American Federa- 
tion of Labor, which was tendered at a meeting of 
the Executive Council at Atlantic City on August 7. 
The Executive Council filled the vacancy thus 
created through the selection of Martin F. Ryan, 
President of the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen of 
America and Sixth Vice-President of the American 
Federation of Labor. 

The Council then selected John Coefield, Presi- 
dent of the United Association of Plumbers and 
Steam Fitters of the United States and Canada, and 
Arthur -O. Wharton, President of the International 
Association of Machinists, to fill the vacancies created 
by the death of Vice-President James Duncan and 
the selection of Vice-President Ryan as Treasurer of 
the American Federation of Labor. 





“It took $3.00 in 1920 to buy as much as $1.00 
bought in 1890. Reducing the school expenditures 
of the United States in 1920 to their equivalent in 
dollars of 1890 and making due allowance for 
increased attendance we find that in those 30 years 
our school costs increased from $1,005,000,000 to 
$1,040,000,000. This annual increase of $35,000,000 
is less than one cent per day per pupil. When we 
take into account that the increase in attendance 
has been largely in the upper grades and high schools, 
where the cost per pupil is greatest, we find that the 
cost of elementary education per pupil was actually 
less in 1920 than in 1890.—Dr. John W. Withers, 
New York University. 








ee aaa