REFERENCELACHER > RY i THE 53 | AMERICAN TEACHER Alv/ vil I (Hl Wi HAIL | DEMOCRACY IN EDUCATION FDUCATION FOR DEMOCRACY THE ORGAN OF THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS PUBLISH THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, CHICAGO DECEMBER, 1930 CKs VOL. XV. No. 3 WATKT XS TKTISTIMWTLWIAIWUIWI LUI IJIIIIILLUEST_ Proceedings of the Fourteenth Convention of the American Federation of Cearchers MEMPHIS, TENN. JUNE 29—JULY 3, 1930 Price 50 Cents Every member should have a copy in order to be fully informed of the progress and program of his organization. Convention addresses are given in full. Much excellent and in- spiring reading will be found in this volume. Ready for distribution October 1. Place your order early. American Federation of Teachers 506 South Wabash Avenue - - . CHICAGO, ILLINOIS *. The Acid Test What more exacting test cam there be of dictionary leadership than the judgment of CONTENTS the educational world? Every State that has adopted an unabridged dictionary for use in its schools has chosen exclusively er WEBSTER’S NEW ee I I oid cas eawuncach wm 9 INTERNATIONAI Child Labor and the White House Confer- DICTIONARY Dt dl Wihidn ened ebetbesesdeeeenss aaas 1 The Colleges voted overwhelmingly in favor Anne S. Davis. of Webster as the standard of pronuncia- tion in answer to questions submitted by TE (55 <: tend nits abebbanddensbbeanen 6 the Chicago Woman’s Club. Nearly 100% of all schoolbooks are based em the Report of Committee on Education, A. F. New International for pronunciation, spelling, com 5 pounding, and division of words. of a Convention eeoovcseenceesenseeeees 10 The New International has been universally accepted by those best fitted to judge. The Montefiore Special School............ 18 Edward H. Stulken. p It is im accord with the Te hil acct ail chan laine hnnebniil 21 best modern penction Use it in scheets President Green’s Appeal for Danville i ” rere SD: dartvnceeersenenvnketevensense 26 Write for eur free booklets ] of interesting ways te teach ES Pe eS er Te 27 c the use of the dictionary. T i LE | zy SO aid ta cae ma cmaincilil 28 gE g GET THE BEST ZZ News of Our Members................... 32 G. & C. MERRIAM COMPANY SPRINGFIELD, MASS. a The American Teacher patered as second class matter Oct. 27, 1926, at the post office at Chicago, Ill., 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. Published monthly except July, August and September by American Federation of Teachers, 506 South Wabash Avenue, Chicago, Ill. ————— DECEMBER, 1930 Two Dollars a Year Volume XV, No. 3 Child Labor and the White House Conference on Child Health and Protection Anne S. Davis, Chairman, Committee on Vocational Guidance and Child Labor Child Labor is one of the subjects to be dis- cussed at the White House Conference for the Health and Protection of Children, to be called by President Hoover, in Washington, November 19th to 22nd, 1930—the third Conference of its kind to be called by a President of the United States in the interest of children. The Committees on Vocational Guidance and Child Labor of the White House Conference have been attempting to discover how the chil- dren of America can best be protected from ex- ploitation on the one hand, and, on the other, how they can be given the fullest possible op- portunity for development. It has been engaged for the past year in bring- ing together all the available information on the present status of child employment, on the con- ditions of work in all the different occupational groups, on what happens to children after they go to work, on the industrial accidents that occur, on the legal regulations that are in force to safe- guard the child at work, and whether they actu- ally do succeed in giving him the protection that he needs. Because school failures and dissatisfaction with school lead to early school leaving, the Committee has been attempting to determine the progress that has been made in the right adjustment of the child in school. Such adjustment constitutes an important part of Vocational Guidance. Though child labor is not as common as it was during the Industrial Era in the East or that characterized the early stages of textile develop- ment in New England, or that followed the open- ing of the mills and factories in the South after the Civil War—child labor is still with us. No longer is it common for children of 8 and 9 and 10 years of age to work in factories and mines; no longer do children of 11 and 12—as thousands did only 20 years ago—toil in lint- laden air of the cotton mills ten hours a day or through the long hours of the night. But thou- sands of children only slightly older do this and many another taxing and disagreeable and dan- gerous task, as well as many a task that may not be taxing or disagreeable or dangerous but that makes it impossible for the children to do any of the things that are believed to be essential, if they are to come to maturity with health and vigor unimpaired. While the number of children under 16 has decreased in the last 20 years, according to the number of employment certificates issued in dif- ferent parts of the country, there is every indica- tion that children are employed by the hundreds and thousands in a great variety of non-agricul- tural occupations, chiefly in factories, but also in stores, offices, laundries, restaurants; as laborers and semi-skilled operatives in many’ kinds of manufacturing industries; as salesboys and girls, delivery boys, shipping clerks, bundle, messenger and errand and office boys and girls, newsboys, garage workers, filling station attendants, porters, railroad laborers, telegraph messengers, telephone operators, servants of all kinds, bootblacks and barbers’ helpers, and almost every conceivable other type of employment, including singing and dancing in vaudeville and performing in travel- ing carnivals. Various as the jobs are, almost all of them have this in common, that they are unskilled, mechanical and monotonous, offering the child little opportunity to acquire either ex- perience or skill likely to be of value to the adult worker. For example, apprenticeship to the skilled trades among children under 16 appears to be practically non-existent. Most of the chil- dren go from their children’s jobs into work that requires only greater physical strength or 2 THE AMERICAN maturity and can be learned at the most in a few weeks’ time. Many children work in badly ventilated, poorly lighted, unsanitary places. Many work long hours—50 hours a week or longer in fac- tories, stores, laundries, restaurants, etc., is com- monplace for 14 and 15 year boys and girls— and hours of work in many kinds of domestic and personal service, generally unregulated, are longer. Many are employed in or in connection with machinery that offers a high degree of hazard for the immature, and many are in oc- cupations in which dusty or lint-laden air, fumes, and poisonous substances create conditions favor- able to tuberculosis and to industrial poisoning, to both of which children and young persons are especially susceptible. Some do taxing and ex- hausting work. The glass industry, for example, an old employer of children still, though much less extensively than of old, employs children under 16 in furance rooms, exposed to extremes of temperature, glare and injurious dusts and fumes. Although the majority of regularly em- ployed child workers at the present time are 14 and 15 years old, certain kinds of work, such as work in canneries, industrial home work and newspaper selling, employ large numbers of very young children. In canneries, young children frequently work exceedingly long hours, gener- ally 10 or more a day, and boys of 16 and 17 sometimes work 80 hours or 90 hours a week; the work is often under extremely uncomfort- able conditions and is sometimes dangerous. Newsboys, the majority of whom are under 12 years of age, often sell papers on the streets until nine or ten o’clock at night, or later, and in some cities their conditions of work are demoral- izing in the extreme. Other work, also, in which children are em- ployed, as, for example, in pool and billiard rooms, and bowling alleys, has been found to be dangerous to morals. Many employments con- nected with the stage and other public exhibitions foster undesirable character and personality traits, even when they are not actually subversive of moral standards. Perhaps one of the most demoralizing conditions of the work of children is the fact that they are frequently unemployed and subject during their most plastic years to the deteriorating effects of idleness. TEACHER Many thousands of boys and girls are injure in industry each year. Exactly how many they are, no one knows, as less than a third of th States compile regularly statistics of injuries t minors. A rough estimate based on informatig available from 16 States, and believed to under. state the actual number, would indicate that jp these States at least between 20,000 and 25,00) persons under 18, and approximately 3,000 mp. der 16, are injured annually, while in 13 of they States reporting, at least 1,100 young persons under 18 are killed or permanently disabled. | addition, harmful dusts and vapors, excessive heat or cold combined with dampness, cramping posture, over-fatigue, are factors which affect far larger numbers of children than are affected by accidental injury, although their results are not so dramatic. Prohibition of Hazardous Occupations Most of the States have attempted through legislation to give minors of certain ages protec- tion against injury by prohibiting their employ- ment in certain especially hazardous occupations. Such legislation is far from uniform in the amount of protection it affords and in genera is inadequate, as it has been formulated with little reference to modern conditions or to such knowledge of occupational hazards as is avail- able. Little has been done to. regulate the employ- ment of 16 and 17 year old minors in hazardous occupations, although high accident rates among them have shown this group to be in special need of protection. Children in Agriculture Agriculture in several respects presents the most serious of all child labor problems. It has always involved more child workers than all other occupations together ; it includes a large number of the young workers; it employs thousands of children as migratory workers; it presents dif- ficult problems of control. Much of the work is characterized by long hours, repetitive proc esses, unsuitable and sometimes hazardous condi- tions, interferences with school attendance and absence of supervision. Kinds and Conditions of Work During the last decade studies of child labor in agriculture and educational surveys, which show on var chi are COt no’ hot oft de cre tot at op t01 tio he gagaenake8 &a injured ly thes Of the UTies ty rmMation under. that in 25,00) 00 up. f these persons ed. Ih Cessive am ping fect far ted by ire not ns hrough protec- mploy- ations. in the reneral | with > such avail- nploy- irdous \mong | need s the it has other mber ds of ; dif- work proc- ondi- and or in show THE AMERICAN TEACHER 3 he effect of the use of children for farm work on rural school attendance, have been made by various public and private agencies in 37 States. These studies cover work done by children in general farming, on grain farms, in truck garden- ing, and in the cultivation or harvesting of cer- tin crops—such as cotton, sugar beets, tobacco, onions, berries and small fruits, orchard fruits ad hops. On the whole, the most extensivé yse of child labor occurs in “one-crop” com- munities. : ; ; Physical Considerations Undoubtedly, many of the farm tasks in which children assist are harmless, provided that they are not carried on by too young children or too continuously. But this is exactly what happens. Very young children are employed, the work is not suited to their strength, daily and weekly hours are long, usually exceeding 8 hours and often exceeding 10 or 12 hours a day. In cer- tain types of farm work, moreover, there are definite factors that are unhealthful—such as the cramped positions of workers pulling and topping beets, weeding onions, or suckering and worming tobacco, the exposure to the dampness and cold at the end of the beet and the cranberry seasons, the danger involved in the use of knives and the operation of farm machinery. Among migra- tory workers, congested and unsanitary condi- tions in labor camps are also detrimental to health. Interference with School Attendance Child employment is an important factor in the poor showing of rural schools with regard to attendance, and an indirect factor in the per- petuation of inadequate rural school facilities. ltis significant that the 15 States with the high- ést percentage of non-attendance are also the 15 States with the highest percentage of children employed in agriculture. Not only is absence from school on account of farm work very extensive, but often, with kgal sanction, the length of the school term and the compulsory attendance period is shorter in tural than in urban communities. In some States, there are exemptions in the Compulsory Attend- ance Law for the express purpose of allowing children to work on the farm and, in general, enforcement of the attendance law in rural com- munities is lax. Especially serious is the effect of farm work upon the schooling of migratory children, many of whom leave school two or three months be- fore the end of the session and do not re-enter until late in the Fall. These children seldom attend school in the community to which they migrate. Retardation among children absent for farm work is much greater than among other rural children, and is also greater among city children who migrate during the agricultural season than among other city children. Legal Regulation The legal regulation of child labor is entirely by State laws. There has been no Federal regu- lation since the Federal Child Labor Tax Law was declared unconstitutional in 1922. Each State has a Child Labor Law, but the laws vary greatly both in the adequacy of their provisions and in the stringency of their enforce- ment. They are very uneven in the amount of protection they extend to the child at work, and many employments are not covered. Work in factories and stores is included under most Child Labor Laws. Other work is not so generally regulated. Although 15 States and the District of Columbia apply the minimum age provisions to all gainful employments, and 28 to a more or less comprehensive list of employments, 5 set no minimum age for employment except in fac- tories and certain dangerous or hazardous oc- cupations, and 2 none except for certain danger- ous and hazardous occupations. The various kinds of domestic and personal service, agricul- tural work and factory work in the home are usually unregulated by Child Labor Laws. In some States, canneries are exempt from the op- eration of the Child Labor Law. The Child Labor Committee of the White House Conference, in the light of present knowl- edge and understanding of the mental and phys- ical needs of the child and the adolescent, has set up certain standards of protection for em- ployed children, for consideration by the Con- ference. They should be looked upon merely as a point of departure for higher goals, which, it is expected, will be revealed through the con- stantly growing contributions of scientific re- search. 4 THE AMERICAN In the first place certain social, economic and educational measures are urged by the Committee as a possible solution of child labor. It is proposed that special attention be directed toward the solution of such problems as adult unemployment, farm economics and a living wage, since an income earned by the chief wage earner of the family, sufficient to maintain a de- cent standard of living, is basic to a normal solu- tion of the problem of child labor. It urges an extension of systems of State aid to widows and dependent children in the form of Mothers’ Aid Laws with adequate expenditures. As an educational measure, special attention should be given to the type of instruction in the schools to meet the needs and abilities of all chil- dren—since causes connected with school have furnished, for a large proportion of young workers, the chief motive in withdrawal from school to go to work. The committee recommends that certain gen- eral legislative standards be set up for all kinds of gainful employment of children, and that spe- cial consideration be given the legal regulation of certain employment, such as agriculture, indus- trial home work, work in canneries, street work, employment outside of school hours, and the- atrical work. The standards to be proposed are standards already set up in some States. In general, the Committee believes that for the protection of childhood a 16-year minimum should be set for entering employment—and that higher age minima are desirable for physi- cally or morally dangerous, or injurious employ- ments. ; It proposes that all children attend school up to the age of 16 years, unless physically or men- tally incapacitated, for at least nine months a year, for the entire time that the public schools are in session, in order that all American chil- dren shall have an equal opportunity for educa- tion. It recommends further that children entering employment shall have physical examinations and that provision be made for periodic examinations, after entering employment. It recommends the establishment of at least an 8-hour day and a 44-hour week for those under 18 years of age. The Committee points out that for almost a hundred years the States have been regulating TEACHER Child Labor; that although there has been pro gress, it has been slow and uneven. Since som States fall far below others in the amount of protection they afford—it is earnestly urged thy through the Conference some means may be dig. covered to equalize opportunity and protection for all children in all the States. DO YOU KNOW— 1. That more than a million children in th United States under 16 years are gainfully em. ployed, and a third of these are 13 years o under ? 2. That 1,400,000 children between the age of 7 and 14 are not attending school? 3. That 15 states do not require a certificate of physical fitness as a condition for employment? 4. That over 52,000 children are employed in manufacturing in states which still permit them to work more than 48 hours a week? 5. That 21 states permit 14-year-old children to run elevators, and 15 permit them to oil, wip and clean machinery in motion? 6. The provisions of the Child Labor Law of your state? 7. What provision is made for enforcement? 8. How your state compares with other states in its protection of children? 9. How the laws of your state compare with the standards recommended by the White House Conference on Child Health and Protection? What about a Child Labor Committee in you local, to see that you and everyone else in yow community know the answers to these questions! What about a better child labor law on the statute books of your state us an objective? In time the public will understand two things about child labor: 1. It is wasteful of children, stunting and aborting them. 2. Their childhood is too precious as a time for education to waste it in monotonous work, ° —Jane Addams. In the United States there are 35,000,000 workers whose weekly earnings average $23.17 and 35,000 millionaires with annual incomes of $50,000 and up. Do the children of all have equal opportunities? en pro. ce som ount of zed that be dis. otection | in the lly em. ears oF he ages rtificate yment? ployed permit ? hildren 1, wipe Law of =ment? ’ states e with House ion? n your 1 Now tions! om the ye? things y and > | time onous mS. orkers 35,000 id up. THE AMERICAN A RESPONSIBILITY RECOGNIZED Section 46A, Chapter 368 of the Laws of Mas- gchusetts for 1930, provides that the school committee of every town shall employ a teacher of teachers on full or part time, to offer instruc- jon to crippled children, when there are five or nore, in their homes or at such places and under wich conditions as the committee may arrange. if there are less than five children, the service is wot mandatory. The program requires the ap- proval of the State Department of Education. An Act was passed this year by the Virginia legislature fixing on the State Department of Health a responsibility for the work in behalf of cippled children. It will be carried on in con- section with the University of Virginia Hospital and the Medical College Hospital system, and the State Department of Public Welfare. The acompanying appropriations are reported to be $50,000. The Jersey City Board of Education recently passed a resolution directing: its secretary to ak “all employers of labor who employ twenty or more persons to find room for one of the cripples” graduating from the school for crippled children. Masons, Elks, Knights of Columbus and other civic and fraternal organizations were asked to cooperate in the project. This Board of Education realizes fully that a program for cripples is not complete until it provides a place of employment for those handicapped persons who are trained for remunerative occupations. A COMPLETE STATE PROGRAM A complete state program for crippled chil- dren has been outlined as one which includes ways and means to (a) Locate crippled children continuously. (b) Get expert diagnoses to them in all parts of the state promptly. (c) Secure a proper distribution of beds for acute, convalescent and custodial cases. (d) Furnish adequate social welfare and fol- low up service, and parent cooperation. () Provide specialized medical and surgical care. (f) Make proper use of special therapies and appliances. (s) Safeguard the quality of all types of serv- ice rendered. TEACHER 5 (h) Educate all at home, in school, in special classes, in convalescent institutions, or wherever they may be. (i) Make available vocational guidance and training as well as placement service which will secure and safeguard remunerative em- ployment. (j) Provide the funds to pay the costs of all services. (k) Keep the general public interested through the human touch which enlightens and en- livens everybody to the importance of the rights of crippled children and the economy represented in fitting them into the normal life of their communities. —Monthly Letter of International Society for Crippled Children. ONE REASON WHY ADULTS ARE JOBLESS Says Child Labor Ban Would Create At Least 250,000 Jobs; Raising School-Quitting Age Would Relieve Unemployment, U. S. Bureau Chief Holds At least 250,000 jobs would be made available to adult workers if the United States abolished child labor, Miss Grace Abbott, chief of the Chil- dren’s Bureau of the Department of Labor has said. There are at least that number of children be- tween 14 and 18 years old employed in occupa- tions regulated by child labor laws, Miss Abbott said, and more than three times that number on farm, domestic and street jobs. “It is certainly one of the most tragic phases of our time that parents are looking for jobs while children are at work,” she declared. Raising the age-limit at which children are permitted to quit school would be an excellent method for the various states to aid in curbing unemployment, Miss Abbott pointed out. “Only one state—Ohio—has a legal limit of 16 years,” she said. “Five states require children to stay in school until they are 15 years old, but the bulk of the others let 14-year-old boys and girls quit their classes and go to work. “As long as any. adult is looking for work, no child under 16 should be out of school. If all the states would go as far as Ohio has gone and make 16 years the school-quitting limit, 250,000 children would be released from toil.” —Labor. 6 THE AMERICAN The ‘American Teacher Democracy in Education Education for Democracy Published Monthly, except July, August and September Official Organ THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS OrGANIzED Aprit 15, 1916 Affiliated With the American Federation of Labor Editorial Office: 506 South Wabash Ave., Chicago, Illinois Telephone Harrison 2950 Editors: . FLorENceE Curtis HANSON _ Lvce W. ALLEN At the time r explication, a pill will be found i 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. Barker, Atlanta No. 89; 685 Myrtle Street, N. E., Atlanta, Georgia. Legislative Representative and Vice-President SetmMA M. Borcuarpt, Washington No. 8; 1741 Park Road, N. W., Washington, D. C Vice-Presidents ApRAHAM LeEFKOw!Tz, New York No. 5; 10414 27th Avenue, East Elmhurst, Corona, New York, =. ¥. Henry R. LINvILte, New York No. 5; 70 Fifth Ave., New York, N. Y. A. J. Muste, eens Se Brookwood, Katonah, CaRLoTTA PitrMAN, Memphis No. 52; 131 Clark Place, Memphis, Tenn. Fiorence Roop, St. Paul No. 28, 372 St. Peter St., St. Paul, Minnesota. W. B. SatrertHwalte, Seattle No. 200, 1837 12th Ave., West, Seattle, Washington. Lucie H. Scuacut, Chicago No. 3; 6714S. Union Ave., Chicago, Illinois. E. E. SCHWARzTRAUBER, Wisconsin University No. 223; 1404 Vilas Ave., Madison, Wisconsin. W. J. Scorr, Atlanta No. 89; 212 Kings Highway, Decatur, Georgia. Cuartes B, StittMan, Chicago No. 2; 827 Ridge Ave., Evanston, IIl. Secretary-Treasurer FioreNce Curtis Hanson, Chicago No. 3; 506 South Wabash Ave., Chicago, Illinois. Associate Secretary Lucie W. ALtien, Chicago No. 3; 506 South Wabash Ave., Chicago, Illinois. TEACHER Organization From coast to coast, from Canada to the Gulf, comes the news of, the growing interest jp teacher unionism. Out in California we hear of active efforts to organize the teachers of the state. The State Federation of Labor, the cep. tral bodies, the local unions, the Labor press are all enlisted in the movement. Paul Scharrenberg, Secretary-Treasurer of the California State Federation of Labor, has this to say on the subject: “Organized Labor has an unbroken record in the support that it gave to the public schools, education and teachers’ rights as citizens. In 1916 the Amer. ican Federation of Teachers was organized and affil. iated with the American Federation of Labor. Short. ly after that several locals were started in the state of California, and a State Federation of Teachers was organized. The struggle of the teachers is the same as that of any craft affiliated with Labor, only their struggle is much more difficult—in keeping with their calling. “At present it is a fight for: (1) The right of free speech. (2) The right to vote according to the dictates of one’s conscience. (3) The right to appeal to courts of law for redress of grievances. (4) The right to unite with any organization provid- ing said organization does not conflict in any way with the U. S. constitution. “In the state of California we have 42,500 teachers, Just think what achievements could be theirs if we could organize this body of intelligent citizens ani if they became affiliated with the American Federi- tion of Labor. “I take the liberty to ask all the Central bodies and Labor publications of this state to assist the State Federation of Teachers in their drive for new members. I also ask the secretaries of the Centra Labor bodies to help organize the teachers within their localities. I wish that each Central Labor Council and each Labor paper would send in the names of the most active teachers in its district, such communications to be addressed to Paul Schar- renberg, Secretary-Treasurer, California State Fed- eration of Labor, Underwood Building, 525 Market Street, San Francisco.” From the president of the North Dakota State Federation of Labor, N. H. Hinkle, comes tht following invitation: “It would be a good idea if your Internationa organization would send an organizer into the state and see if it would be possible to get the other city schools to organize. “r j tion Inte - the effot can can who reali way M Stat ave erat: state sixt} of st W of s Scot O: resol the . the « into At adop this | Or; they Status of co: as we leader the | teachi be fit free r Th eratic teach phis | Mer ness ¢ force group our a cially We be; Wit every realiz: ilf, the are the this the ‘ion ler- ffil- fate ers the nly ing nal tate ther THE AMERICAN TEACHER “The officers of the North Dakota State Federa- tion of Labor will aid and co-operate with your International . “There is legislation needed in North Dakota for the benefit of teachers and it will be through the efforts of the State Federation that this legislation can be obtained. The sooner this organization work can get under way, the sooner all of the people who are interested in this work will be able to realize their desires and get what they want in the way of legislation.” Mr. C. W. Swallow, president of the Louisiana State Federation of Labor, writes us that there is avery considerable interest in the American Fed- eration of Teachers among the teachers of his state and invites us to come to Louisiana for sixty days, assuring us with practical certainty of several locals. We have under our hand a score and more of similar letters, including ones from Nova Scotia and Porto Rico. On page 16 of this issue you will find the resolution passed by the Boston Convention of the American Federation of Labor, encouraging the organization of “the teachers of the nation into unions.” At Toronto, Canada, last year this same body adopted as a part of its educational program this principle: Organization of teachers in such strength that they may be in-a position to determine their own status, questions of professional conduct and terms of contract, and exercise fully their rights as citizens as well as teachers, thereby attaining the place of leadership to which they are entitled in order that the best and strongest may be attracted to the ‘eaching calling and as free men and women may be fit builders of the citizens of tomorrow in a free republic. The primary objective of the American Fed- eration of Teachers is the social education of teachers. As President Barker said at the Mem- phis Convention: Mere members will add nothing to the effective- ness of our purpose, which is to develop the social force in teachers and furnish a means for effective group action on the part of teachers. . All our activity is for the purpose of developing so- tially effective teachers and schools and necessarily we begin with the teachers. With this philosophy and this support, and ‘very member doing his full share, complete realization of our hopes is assured. Meeting Your Responsibility Are you doing your share or is George doing it? The San Francisco Labor Clarion has this to say on the subject of responsibility for social progress. “Kids hanging onto the rear ends of street cars and automobiles are a lot like non-union men riding along at the expense of union men. In many an industry the union scale fixes the rate for all. The non-union man is nothing but a hitch hiker, riding on union gasoline at the expense of those who keep unions going, paying dues and attending meet- ings—and going on strike when necessary. If there is any person on earth whose position is unenviable it is the non-union worker who won't get into the union of his calling. There he goes, hitch hiking his way along to higher wages, better conditions and shorter hours, free to desert and run away when any effort is required to maintain the benefits he gets.” Theodore Roosevelt says much the same thing in different words: If I were a factory employee, a workingman on the railroads, or a wage-earner of any sort, I would un- doubtedly join the union of my trade. If I disapproved of its policy, I would join in order to fight that policy; if the union leaders were dishonest, I would join in order to put them out. I believe in the union and 1 believe that all men who are benefited by the union are morally bound to help to the extent of their power in the common interests advanced by the union. What is a trade union? The standard dic- tionary definies it, “An organized association of workmen formed for the protection and promotion of their common interests.” The bona fide trade union of the teachers is The American Federation of Teachers. The Labor Clarion and Theodore Roosevelt are tell- ing the teachers that the proper place for them if they are accepting their social responsibility is in the teachers’ union—The American Federa- tion of Teachers. We are encouraged by the increasing number of teachers who are too proud to be “hitch hikers,” to be recipients of benefits toward the securing of which they have made no effort. But there are too many still who sit on the sidelines. Worker or drone, host or parasite, union or non-union—in or out of the Teachers’ Union. Which are you? 8 THE AMERICAN TEACHER Child Labor Day Since 1907 the last week end in January has been designated as Child Labor Day, and the observance is becoming each year more general. In 1931 we may confidently expect that the nation will turn with the gravest concern and a new enlightenment to this serious problem. President Hoover has long been known as one of the students of social problems who have seen most clearly the serious import of the na- tion’s failure adequately to handle the question of protecting its childhood. Hence it is not sur- prising that we find him early in his admin- istration, calling for a conference on child wel- fare. The White House Conference on Child Health and Protection will be held November 19-21 in Washington. The result of this con- ference we believe will be an awakening of the nation to a determination to deal with this ques- tion in a practical adequate way. At this conference will be presented for dis- cussion the reports of various groups which, for considerably more than a year, have been study- ing child welfare in all its aspects, and formu- lating recommendations of lines along which future work should develop. This seems to promise that a more wide spread appreciation of the problem will prevail and that practical plans for solution will be found. Three of the main subjects of this conference, Child Labor, Vocational Guidance, and the Han- dicapped Child have been matters of deepest concern to the American Federation of Teachers since its organizatiin. The records of the national conventions show scarcely a year in which some new statement of interest in these problems fails to appear. The membership therefore, we con- fidently believe, will join most heartily with other forces in helping to put the question of Child Labor before their communities next January, and in all movements to bring about necessary changes in our methods of dealing with it. The National Child Labor Committee (215 Fourth Ave., New York City) can be called on by clubs, schools and individuals to assist them with posters, programs and leaflets of informa- tion. But you who are cognizant of the need, must furnish the zeal and the will to do in your community. A. F, of L. Convention The Fiftieth Annual Convention of the Ameri can Federation of Labor is now history. Dy to coincident events, as the American ste convention and an intervening holiday, it got o to a slow start, which was, however, amply of- set by the speed and industry of the last week This convention was the largest in attendance oj delegates of any in the history of the A. F, of L. save one. Overtopping all other topics in importance an¢ interest was the question of unemployment, with its related questions of low wages, long hours, automatic machinery and scientific processes. It was recommended that President Hoover name a commission to provide jobs and relief ona national scale, and that governors and mayors name state and local committees to a similar end. President Hoover immediately moved to give the A. F. of L. policy a trial. Within six months we shall know whether we need any- thing else; and by that time the studies of un- employment insurance and other remedies recon- mended by the convention to the executive coun- cil will have been completed. The five-hour day, the injunction question, and old age pensions were leading issues. Among the high lights of the convention were the bril- liant report covering the question of shorter hours of daily labor as a partial remedy for technological unemployment, presented by the committee having this matter under considera- tion; the scholarly address on the injunction evil by Andrew Furuseth, president of the Seamen’: Union; the forceful home-thrusting address on Labor’s own problems by Father Maguire, presi- dent of St. Viator’s College; and the masterly, impressive appeal of United States Senator David I. Walsh, of Massachusetts, on the causes of unemployment. The Boston Central Labor Union provided most hospitably for the comfort and entertain- ment of the delegates. Visits to historic scenes about Boston, a trip down the Bay with a shore dinner, a banquet, were among the pleasures which made this convention one to be long re membered with gratitude by the delegates. All officers were reelected without opposition. Joseph P. Ryan, President of the International Longshoremen’s Assn. and of the New York erati tion desp ticul chilc victi ing, dons Nat pani pers acre he | sche bloc kne dov acre sco! spri afte pul acy Th \ meri -egio rot of ly off: week 1ce of F, of e and with Ours, s. It name on a AyOrs milar d to 1 six any- Ul com- oun- tion, ong bril- rter Central Trades and Labor Council and Joseph Moreschi, president of the Building Laborers, were elected delegates to the British Trades Union Congress. Charles J. Case was named delegate to the Canadian Trades and Labor Con- gress convention. After a spirited contest, Vancouver, B. C., was chosen as the next convention city. President Green closed the convention with these words expressive of the spirit of the meet- ing, “We will not deceive the workers with rosy pictures of easy victories from unsound theories. That is why the American Federation of Labor is honored in the councils of the nation and pub- lic opinion. Another brilliant page has been written in the records of the American Federa- tion of Labor.” OUR COVER DESIGN In the Beet Fields Of particular interest to the American Fed- eration of Teachers is the news that organiza- tion among the beet workers is under way. This desperately exploited group of workers has par- ticular appeal because of the great number of child workers who are the most helpless of the victims of the ruthless exploitation. Beets need constant cultivation—thinning, hoe- ing, weeding, pulling and topping. All must be done by back-breaking toil with heavy hand tools. Native Americans won’t do it. The sugar com- panies send their agents into the southwest and persuade Mexicans to sign beet labor contracts by families, the father basing the number of acres he can handle by the number of children he has that can be put to work. The beet workers’ children are taken from school in early spring to help with planting, blocking and thinning. They crawl on hands and knees, carrying heavy hand tools, up and down rows, five miles of rows to the acre, from one acre to the next, under the scorching sun through all the daylight hours of spring and summer. They must stay in the fields after school starts in the fall to help with the pulling and topping. The effect of this sort of life is tragic. Illiter- acy is pronounced. Child mortality is appalling. The National Child Labor Committee reports THE AMERICAN TEACHER 9 investigating 286 families of which 187 lost 443 children by death. Other investigations have shown an even higher death rate, the average being over 28%. Investigations of housing find that more than half of these families sleep in one and two room shacks, that families of from five to eleven members sleep in one room. Crowding, polluted water, insufficient food and hard labor account for a high death rate among both adults and children. The contract provides that the grower shall furnish a habitable house and suitable drinking water near it and that children under eleven shall not be allowed to work in the fields. But the United States Department of Labor and other agencies find shocking sanitary conditions, that compulsory school laws are unenforced, and that children as young as six do work in the fields from nine to, in some instances, as high as sixteen hours a day. The average yearly earning per family is $600 to $650, and trickery, unfair terms and rules and fines make it unusual for the family to close the season with any of the income left. The stories of exploitation and abuse would hardly be ac- cepted from less reliable sources. These Mexican workers are hearing now for the first time the message of self protection through organization. The Beet Workers’ Asso- ciation has been formed and claims a membership of 20,000. They have applied to the American Federation of Labor for a charter. Organizers of both the A. F. of L. and the Trade Union Unity League (communist) have organizers in the field. No greater work for humanity could be credited to organized labor than the rescue of these wretched victims of industrial feudalism and oppression. “ACCOUNT YOURSELF HAPPY if it be your lot to espouse, in the beginning, some noble and unpopular cause, to stand by its cradle, to throw yourself upon its broad altar, to see it grow, to help it grow, to see it first arouse curiosity, then attention, then contempt, then hatred, then fear, then respect, always grow- ing and growing, until at last, over prejudice and hate and laws and old customs and vested interests, the irresistible current makes its way.” —Senator George Frisbie Hoar, to the Students of Harvard University. THE AMERICAN TEACHER Report of Committee on Education American Federation of Labor Convention, Boston, Mass., October 6-17, 1930 In keeping with the record of organized labor for maintaining a progressive attitude toward education in our schools, colleges and technical institutions of learning, your Committee on Edu- cation desires to express to this Convention its congratulation that intelligent, constructive forces throughout the nation are looking more and more to labor for the development of increased social support for education. Owing to the widespread character of trade union organization, it has been a source of satisfaction to us that occasional ten- dencies in public education toward favoring the few at the expense of the many, have been dis- couraged and the democratic distribution of op- portunities through education have been pro- moted. Likewise, a tendency toward centraliza- tion of control of education through govern- mental agencies has been disapproved by us. We note with approval the fact that leading educators now generally favor decentralization, and urge, leaving education in the hands of the several states and their communities. In order that the historic concern of organized labor with education, and especially with public education, may be maintained, your committee recommends that state federations of labor and local central labor bodies be urged to maintain committees on education which will include rep- resentatives of teachers’ unions wherever they exist. American Federationist A fact finding and fact distributing medium is invaluable to organized labor. Such a medium of information to our members and education to the public is the American Federationist. Your committee congratulates the organization and the editorial staff on both subject matter and appearance which compare favorably with any magazine published in the United States. Ii also congratulates the Federation that in addition to the improvement as a service agency, the maga- zine is becoming increasingly valuable as a busi- ness proposition. In the American Federationist are to be found discussion of labor problems and policies which concern labor, exposition of constructive methods and achievements as a guide to constructive polj- cies, summary of unemployment data and in. formation on official records and positions. The editorial policy is based on fact finding, fact fac. ing and fact using. It is successfully helping trade unionists to meet practical needs as well as to interpret those principles and policies which are the basis of true trade unionism. Your committee regards it as exceedingly re- grettable that every member of the American Federation of Labor is not a subscriber to anda reader of the American Federationist, in order that the philosophy of trade unionism may be understood by them and they be assisted in soly- ing the complex problems of our modern society that confront them. Your committee therefore urges that ali af- filiated organizations make it very definitely a part of their year’s work to arouse a greater in- terest in our official publication by securing paid subscribers and readers, and it further urges that each state federation of labor see that copies of this magazine are in the library of its state university and each central labor body see that copies are in the public and school libraries of its community. A. F. of L. Weekly News Service Outstanding among the services of the Ameri- can Federation of Labor is the publication of the Weekly News Service, maintained to assist the labor press. It furnishes news and informa- tion regarding labor activities conforming to the policies and need of the whole labor movement. Your committee desires in the words of the re- port to “express on behalf of the organized labor movement our appreciation of the service of those who have been instrumental in keeping our labor press clean and powerful for human welfare.” The labor press and members of the trade union movement owe a debt and gratitude to the American Federation of Labor and the editor of the A. F. of L. Weekly News Service for this clean, fair, able publication conducted consistently and intelligently for the promotion of Labor’s highest ideals. The on a SC ice tho both it keeps ute fa wage worke: it inte! ness d fare a lation: prospt spiritt busin¢ fessol Yor this € Yo ficers and | use 0 sist | valuz Yc trade Nati ment und deve inch prin Mar are and labc the uni to | the spe lite thi ing poli- | in- The fac- ping well hich re- ican ida der )lv- THE AMERICAN TEACHER 11 Monthly Survey of Business The Monthly Survey of Business is organized on a scientific method and procedure. The serv- ice though new last year has been of great value both inside and outside the labor movement. It keeps union executives informed as to last min- ute facts on the business situation as it affects wage earners, i. ¢., production, employment, workers’ incomes, manufacturers, earnings, etc.: it interprets the basic significance of present busi- ness developments in relation to our general wel- fare and progress. It has in mind the close re- lationship between workers’ welfare, business prosperity and our general social, intellectual and spiritual advance ; it goes to economists, libraries, business Organizations; it is used by college pro- fessors in their classes. Your committee desires to commend highly this excellent, careful, well-thought-out service. Your committee urges that the executive of- ficer$ of affiliated locals give hearty cooperation and prompt reply to requests for data for the use of the statistical bureau and in that way as- sist in making the service more complete and valuable. Your committee urges the cooperation of all trade unionists with our representatives on the National Advisory Commission on Unemploy- ment, John P. Frey and A. O. Wharton. Library The American Federation of Labor Library under the charge of a competent librarian has developed an excellent service. The library now includes practically every book of importance in print in English on Labor and related subjects. Many out-of-print labor books of historical value are included in the collection. Current state and federal government publications dealing with labor, trade union convention proceedings and all the official American, Canadian and English trade union journals are to be found jn this A. F. of L. Library. Your committee urges all labor organizations to cooperate by sending to the Library copies of their constitutions, all reports, publications, and special studies, research material, organizing literature, and wage agreements in order to make this collection a research center for those study- ing labor problems. Notes for Speakers A new and valuable service was inaugurated in May, 1930, in “Notes for Speakers.” The book- let will be published monthly and will contain educational material suitable for use in speeches, publicity, articles and union discussions. There has been an instant demand for the service. Your committee believes this to be one of the best means for educating young trade unionists in a sound understanding of trade union prob- lems and therefore recommends its wide use by the members of the American Federation of Labor. Organizing Literature Your committee wishes to express great ap- proval of the organizing literature prepared and the use to which it has been put. This literature is more effective than ever before. It is based on sound educational principles. It is at the disposal of the affiliated locals for organization purposes. Your committee urges that all affili- ated groups make themselves acquainted with this organizing literature and make use of all such literature as meets their needs. It also urges cooperation in this service on the part of organ- izations by compiling and forwarding to the American Federation of Labor headquarters facts of the services which they render. Legal Information Bureau The report of the Legal Information Bureau deserves special mention and approval. Eight Legal Information Bulletins were published, con- taining 47 decisions. These covered a wide field of activity; e. g., child labor contracts, compensa- tion for accidents, hours of labor, interpretations of compensation laws, yellow dog contracts and wages, complete records of the decisions that have been rendered are in the files at American Federation of Labor headquarters. It is recom- mended that full use of these be made by at- torneys of trade unionists and of organizations involved in litigation. Your committee desires to call emphatic atten- tion to a pamphlet issued by the Bureau, entitled, “What can I do about it?” It explains the in- junction, its effects, and results, and the manner in which trade unionists can be of assistance in curbing this evil, in simple, understandable non- legal language. It is recommended that all organizations see that this pamphlet has a wide distribution. Your committee commends without stint the work of the Bureau in preparing data and argu- ments explaining Labor’s opposition to the ap- pointment of Judge Parker to the Supreme Court bench. It congratulates the Bureau on this care- ful and scholarly work. Your committee commends the work of the Bureau in the preparation and examination of important bills. It recommends thaf all national and international officers again advise and re- quest their local unions to forward promptly to the Bureau copies of all legal papers relating to injunctions against them. It further recommends that the files of the Bureau which are at the service of all labor organizations, students and legislators, be called to their attention. Committee on Education Your committee appreciates fully the difficul- ties of the permanent Education Committee and sympathizes with them, but urges that efforts be made in the coming year to overcome these difficulties so that committee meeting may be held to deal with the vital problems before educa- tion and educators today, such as mass educa- tion, large school units, over large classes, propa- ganda in the schools, control of the schools by special interests, illiteracy, revenue problems, cur- tailment of school costs, etc. Your committee congratulates the permanent Committee on Education on the constructive work accomplished in the face of financial handi- caps and upon its successful cooperation with the National Advisory Committee on Education. Workers Education Bureau The Workers Educational Bureau has had an excellent year’s program and has made substan- tial advances the past year. The congresses held in industrial centers from coast to coast, dealt with vital problems and were productive of much of value. The report of the conference at Worcester, Mass., in October, 1929, is available and should be in the hands of students of labor problems. Your committee believes that these conferences are of such value that they should be continued and increased in number. 12 THE AMERICAN TEACHER The summer schools for workers held jp Arkansas, California, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, New York, North Carolina and South Carolina have done some very fine work. It is satisfying to note the increasing interest and usefulnes; of this type of school and it is urged that con. tinued and greater support be given to them. We note with special interest the new project in Workers’ Education tried out with success jp Chicago. Through the inspiration of Secretary Olander of the Illinois State Federation of Labor and the cooperation of Supt. William J. Bogan of the Chicago Public Schools, the facilities of the public schools were placed at the disposal of the Chicago Federation of Labor. The Schools Committee of the Chicago Federation of Labor headed by the President of one of the Teachers Unions of Chicago and having other members from the Teachers Unions as well as other crafts had the matter in charge. Prominent instructors from Northwestern University and the Univer- sity of Chicago were secured and large classes of trade unionists, lawyers, doctors, teachers, social workers, nurses, etc., were successfully conducted. The plan of cooperation between the state federations of labor and the tax-supported uni- versities has advanced, Texas, Oklahoma, Wyom- ing and New Jersey have accepted this pian and have made arrangements for such a cooperative plan. The plan of correspondence instruction en- dorsed last year has been worked upon. It is hoped to initiate the experiment during the year. Your committee urges this new development in Workers Education upon the attention of the members of the American Federation of Labor. Their attention is also called to valuable pub- lications of the Workers Education Bureau Press. “An Audit of America,” by Edward Eyre Hunt, and the column on “The Place of Agriculture in American Life,” by Dr. Wilson Gee, Pro- fessor of Rural Sociology at the University of Virginia, are recommended to you. Your committee recommends concurrence in this portion of the: Executive Council’s report and reaffirms its standards of workers education set forth in last vear’s report. Maternity and Infancy Your committee recommends that the officers of the American Federation of Labor make every effor ing t and | legis tens! ingtc is a ress. law spec tion. the argu the tion cont free the legi tion teri tior the of cha edu dev or jud aid as cor shi bit aid cla pre fai no ch 1 in ania lina, ying Ness ject S in ibor gan of | of Dols bor ers eT ifts ors rer- of ‘ial ate ni- nd rs THE AMERICAN TEACHER 13 effort to settle the controversial difficulties delay- ing the passage of the maternity and infancy act, and to secure the passage of this most important legislation. Free Text Books Your committee notes with gratification the ex- tension of the grant of free text books in Wash- ington, D. C. Every extension of this principle is a distinct gain for education and social prog- ress. That Congress has extended the free text book law to cover public senior high schools is of special significance and occasion for congratula- tion. It stands as a rebuke to those who oppose the free tax supported senior high school and argue that free public education should stop with the elementary schools. Your committee recommends that state federa- tions of labor and central labor bodies be urged to continue with great vigor their efforts to secure free text book laws wherever they are not now on the statute books. Censorship The history of the attempts to establish by legislative action a censorship over the publica- tion and the distribution of literature is charac- terized by failure. Unselfish and well-inten- tioned as many of these attempts may have been, the fact remains that the machine-like operation of a law over human interests and tastes that change and are modified by varying culture and education interferes disastrously with the normal development of the judgment of what is good or bad to read. Censorship is inimical to the normal growth of judgment and taste through education that is aided by the free criticism of experts, as well as by the no less sincere preferences of those who constitute the general reading public. Censor- ship by the very exaggerated form of its prohi- bitions not only tends to discredit itself, but also aids in actually giving greater currency to low- class publications that would soon die for lack of readers, even if their publishers did not lose professional standing for issuing them. In the field of school book publications the failure of censorship has been even more pro- nounced. The attempts to dictate what the school children shall study in American history has re- sulted in legislatures setting up for emulation a form of patriotism based on the concealment or the misinterpretation of the facts of history. Thus, false attitudes toward life as well as to- ward history are encouraged, and dishonest standards are set up. It is a fine testimonial to the intelligence of our people that except in one or two states every attempt to censor the use of school books on American history by legislative action has failed, and all attempts have been discredited. The committee recommends that state federa- tions of labor and central bodies be informed of these views of the censorship, and urged to op- pose future proposals in that field. Vocational Education and Rehabilitation Further demonstration of the advanced social program of organized labor is given in its ad- vocacy and successful support of the vocational and rehabilitation act. Your committee believes that to give special training to thousands of in- jured persons whereby they become assets rather than liabilities on the state, and happy, helpful citizens, in this way adding in a great degree to the sum of human happiness, is a matter of spe- cial congratulation. Workmen’s Compensation Your committee desires to call attention to the fact that except in a very few states Workmen’s Compensation Laws are not applied to teachers. In Illinois, through the efforts of the teachers’ unions of Chicago, chiefly Local No. 2 of the American Federation of Teachers, the Chicago Federation of Men Teachers, it has been shown that they can be so applied. They are now so applied in Chicago. Your committee urges that efforts be made to make such application general. Labor’s Special Days Your committee urgently calls your attention to the report of the Executive Council on Labor’s Special Days. The increasing participation of all groups in our celebration of Labor Day is an indication of the increasing knowledge of, interest in, and public support of, what Organ- ized Labor stands for. Your committee congratulates Labor on this gain and increasing interest and concurs whole- 14 heartedly in the recommendation of the Execu- tive Council that “every central labor union make our next celebration one of outstanding import- ance in commemoration of 50 years of achieve- ments under federated trade union leadership.” Your committee recommends also that efforts be continued to acquaint the general public with the philosophy and achievements of the labor movement through the press and leading maga- zines of the nation. Your committee recommends also that closer relations with the churches be maintained through Labor Sunday and concurs in the statement of the Executive Council that “observance of Labor Sunday will become an increasingly effective method for helping all to understand the guiding purposes of the labor movement, which are its great power.” Labor’s Memorial Day, the fourth Sunday in May, will not be forgotten by devoted trade unionists. They will welcome this day on which to pay tribute to the, pioneers and faithful mem- bers and representatives who gave us this great institution for social justice and progress—the American Labor movement. Your committee recommends that local labor groups everywhere join in celebrations of Child Health Day on May 1, as established by National Law. It recommends also that wherever there is no observance of this day that local labor groups initiate such observance. This is in line with Labor’s spiritual purpose and social ideal- ism and with its constant consistent concern with the welfare of the child. Your committee is impelled to voice apprecia- tion of the work of the large number of the members of our organization at this convention who brought the philosophy of trade unionism to the people of Boston in the pulpits of its churches last Sunday. To the churches and people of Boston who received these addresses with such cordiality and interest we wish also to express our appreciation. Samuel Gompers’ Memorial The memorial to our beloved and revered leader, Samuel Gompers, in which we are all proud to have a part, is making satisfactory progress. THE AMERICAN TEACHER Your committee recommends approval of this portion of the Executive Council’s report. Celebration of 200th Anniversary, Birth of George Washington Your committee recommends that the Ameri- can Federation of Labor endorse the plan for the celebration of the 200th anniversay of the birth of George Washington as outlined by the National Commission created for this purpose and also recommends that the “Executive Coun- cil give such aid and assistance as may be pos- sible to the Commission in this patriotic work.” Your committee welcomes the opportunity of this celebration for the emphasis of the princi- ples and ideals of social, political and religious justice on which our nation was founded. Parent-Teachers’ Associations The organization of Parent-Teachers’ Asso- ciations is going steadily forward, increasing membership and extending to every section of the country and into every community. The movement boasts a national organization as well as numerous state organizations. While its ostensible purpose is the bringing about of a better understanding between parents and teachers in our public schools and fuller co- operation between them in the training of our children, it is reaching out into many other activi- ties, some of which should compel the serious at- tention of organized labor. The children of the working people make the great majority of all pupils in the public schools. It is proper and a progressive development of democracy for the workers to take a more active interest in the curricula and methods used in their training. That interest should be manifested by their insistence upon the propagation and the maintenance of those ideals which we, as Ameri- can workers, have come to regard as sacred and which we are pledged to sustain. Organized labor, however, has taken no cog- nizance of this growing movement and has com- pletely overlooked its importance. In the mean- time, others with different ideals and often with selfish objectives have recognized its value as a medium for the dissemination of ideas and haye used it for the promotion of principles antago- nistic to those upon which we place our con- fidence for economic progress. It Amet cogni mem ticipa fluent be in Res Hans WH ulatio is kno WE natior have quire! and WE certai there: RE: declat minin the s RE: decla: fourt that ment, situat TI tion 1917 fede duce dire pero in li imm popt ever nam a nz com ard acy cept men reac tary this eri- -* 1CI- Dus ng of he ell ng its ur i. t- THE AMERICAN TEACHER 15 It is the opinion of your committee that the American Federation of Labor should take full cognizance of this movement, should inform its | members regarding it and encourage their par- ticipation in its activities to the end that its in- (uence upon the training of our children shall be in the furtherance of our ideals. Illiteracy Resolution No. 88—By Delegate Florence Curtis Hanson of the American Federation of Teachers. Wuereas, The amount of illiteracy in our adult pop- ylation first made known to us in the draft of 1917, is known to be, extensive; and Wuereas, Efforts to eliminate, or to reduce, this national menace through federal and state agencies have not met the need, and have not fulfilled the re- quirement of the most prosperous nation in the world; and Wuereas, The tracing of a name, as suggested by certain agencies, is far too low a test of illiteracy; therefore, be it Reso.vep, That the American Federation of Labor declare for a national standard of what constitutes a minimum test of illiteracy, that shall not be lower than the standard accepted by any state; and, be it further Resotvep, That the American Federation of Labor declare for a standard equivalent to that reached by fourth-grade children in the elementary schools and ask that this standard be adopted by the Federal Govern- ment, and used in census enumerating and in other situations where literacy tests are required. Illiteracy The extent of illiteracy in our adult popula- tion was first made known to us in the draft of 1917. Various proposals have been made through federal and state agencies to eliminate, or to re- duce, this national menace. But progress in this direction lags, and while we are the most pros- perous nation in the world, we are sadly behind in literacy. Literacy is not wholly a problem of immigration or one concerned with our colored population, for large numbers of white natives even in our richest states are unable to trace their names. Your committee submits that the tracing of a name is far too low a test of literacy. Your committee recommends that the national stand- ard of what constitutes a minimum test of liter- acy should not be lower than the standard ac- cepted in any state. Therefore, it is recom- mended that a standard equivalent to that reached by fourth-grade children in the elemen- lary schools be adopted by the federal govern- ment, and used in census enumerating, and in other situations where literacy tests are required. It is the belief of your Committee that the solution of the problem of illiteracy should be recognized as the obligation of the several states and their municipalities, with such subventions as the federal government may grant without re- strictions and obligations beyond the purpose for which funds may be given. Adopted. Teachers Tenure Resolution No. 89—By Delegate Florence Curtis Hanson of the American Federation of Teachers. WuerEAS, Permanency of tenure for teachers is an important factor in the building of a teaching profes- sion and the establishing of a system of schools that will function for the better training of our children into more competent citizens of the nation; and Whereas, Tenure for teachers has been guaranteed by law in but few of the states of the United States and in certain states where it has been guaranteed by law, teachers are regularly dismissed before the trial period of three years is finished in order that a staff of cheap teachers may always be employed; therefore, be it Resoitvep, That the American Federation of Labor continue even more vigorously its efforts to secure permanency of tenure for teachers, and, be it further Resotvep, That the American Federation of Labor adopt as its policy permanent tenure of office for teachers after two years of temporary service with proved efficiency and that it endeavor to secure the adoption of such policy as the general policy of the country. Tenure for Teachers Recognizing the fact that the stability and value of our public schools depend primarily on the quality, training, merit, ability and competent service of the teachers, your committee on Edu- cation believes that permanent tenure of office after (two) years of temporary service, should be adopted as the policy of boards of education. Permanency of tenure for teachers, together with freedom in teaching and opportunity for advance- ment and for cultural improvement will constitute an investment for communities that will yield bountiful returns in better training for the chil- dren in our schools, and more competent citizens for the nation. Even in certain states where tenure has been guaranteed by law, teachers are regularly dis- missed before the trial period of three years is finished in order that a staff of cheap teachers may always be employed. Your Committee be- lieves that such practices are destined to drive 16 away from the profession of teaching intelligent young men and women whose presence in the schools is indispensable if a nation of educated and intelligent citizens is to be maintained. Your Committee recommends concurrence in the resolution with the following change in the Resolved adding after “proved efficiency” the words “with removal only for definite stated justified cause after investigation and trial.” Adopted. Military Training in High Schools Resolution No. 90—By Delegate Florence Curtis Hanson of the American Federation of Teachers. Wuenreas, The proposal to establish military training under the Reserve Officers Training Corps in the public high schools throughout the country has been actively promoted in recent years though strongly opposed by educators generally since they are not in favor of plac- ing in the schools in times of peace a burden which can be carried only by altering accepted ideals and pro- cedures of education; and Wuereas, The compulsory character of military procedures is contrary to an educational environment, where flexibility of mind and initiative on the part of children, are prime factors in progressive education, and Wuereas, Although military preparedness is pro- claimed as the objective of military training in the high schools, that objective has little chance of being attained in the short time available to school children who should have more free time for healthful recrea- tion and not less; therefore, be it Resotvep, That the American Federation of Labor record its disapproval of military training in the public high schools of this country; and, be it further Resotvep, That the American Federation of Labor give its fullest support to the local central bodies and state federations of labor in their efforts to oppose the introduction of military training into the schools. Referred to the Executive Council for investigation and report to the 1931 convention. A. O. Wuarton, Chairman FLorENCE Curtis HANson, Secretary L. P. LInpELor ALEXANDER KELSO FRANK GLENN Tuomas E. Burke Wm. R. Trotter M. P. FINNAN Joun B. Haccerty E. H. Firzceraup Leo E. Grorce Rosert McCoy Wa. H. McHucH Pau DvuLzeLi P. T. FaGan Hott E. J. Ross Committee on Education. THE AMERICAN TEACHER The following resolution also introduced by th A. F. of T. delegate was referred with others , the same subject to the Executive Council. Organization of Teachers Wuenreas, Reactionary forces in control of certai: public school systems have proclaimed a ban againy teachers’ unions; and Wuenreas, Teachers have been compelled to sign cm. tracts in which they promise not to belong to, teachers’ union within the period of the contract; anj Wuereas, In the fight against the yellow dog co. tract in industry, the labor movement will cary along its fight against the yellow dog contract ip education; and Wuereas, The American Federation of Teachers ha more than doubled its membership in three years under great handicaps, financial and other; and Wuereas, 750,000 teachers in the United States, the guardians of the children of the nation, need ow message and progressive, constructive program, and the social education which makes for betterment of teachers, of schools and of society; therefore be it RESOLveD, That the American Federation of Labor promote a widespread campaign in support of the efforts of the American Federation of Teachers to organize into unions the teachers of the nation. The following resolution was introduced by the A. F. of T. delegate and adopted by the Convention. Unemployment Insurance Resolution No. 92—By Delegate Florence Curtis Hanson of the American Federation of Teachers. Wueras, The American Federation of Teachers in convention assembled at Memphis, Tenn., in July, 1930, placed itself on record in favor of government unem- ployment insurance and urged that this matter be taken up by the American Federation of Labor, and Wuereas, We are in the midst of a serious economic depression which is causing untold suffering to Amer- ican workers, and Wuereas, Millions of workers are walking the streets in a vain search for the opportunity to work and millions of others who may not be altogether jobless are nevertheless out of work or on short time, and Wuereas, All economists of any standing now recog- nize that even in the best of times, no matter what measures for the stabilization of employment may be taken, there will be for years to come many hundreds of thousands of workers unemployed, and Whereas, The maintenance of these workers, many of them displaced by new machinery designed to ber efit society, is rightfully a charge upon industry and society, and such workers if protected from unnecessary suffering can be expected to co-operate in social and industrial progress, and Whereas, The conditions creating unemployment can be dealt with only if society as a whole through gov- ernmental action concerns itself with the problem; therefore, be it Reso! go on insuran and su of une feature | same If it | reserv' in per indust! emplo: a establi larger 3. per ¢ per ct child than 4. tion | (not surar refus 5. a Bu by < two publi the | Edit just it si the crec itor pag the spe stat alte by thy eTs ¢ Pertai ains N Cop. to a >; and Con- ct in Ic THE AMERICAN TEACHER 17 Reso.vep, That this convention of the A. F. of L. go on record as favoring a system of unemployed insurance inaugurated and controlled by the states and supported by the Federal government, said system of unemployment insurance to embody the following features : 1, The insurance to be a charge on industry in the same way as workmen’s compensation for accidents. If it is legitimate that a business should accumulate reserves in good times so as to be able to pay dividends in periods of depression, it is equally legitimate that industry should accumulate reserves to tide over un- employed workers during slack times. 2. Contributions to be graduated, industries and establishments having more unemployment to pay a larger percentage of their payrolls into the fund. 3. Unemployed workers to receive not less than 40 per cent of their prevailing weekly wage, with 10 per cent additional for a wife and 5 per cent for each child up to two. Insurance to be paid for not more than 26 weeks in each year. : 4. Anyone who has worked and for whom contribu- tion has been paid in the state for a period of 52 weeks (not necessarily consecutive) shall be entitled to in- surance, and workers receiving insurance to be free to refuse to take jobs where a strike is in progress. 5. Administration of the funds to be in the hands of a Bureau of the State Department of Labor, assisted by an advisory ‘board consisting of two employers, two representatives of organized labor and one of the public, said board to be in each instance appointed by the governor. WHAT THEY THINK OF US Facing Facts? Editor of The American Teacher: The November number of the American Teacher has just come to hand. It looks fine and it is nice to have it so promptly. I should like to make a suggestion regarding one of the items which is ir. the news section but not being credited to any other paper has the air of being “ed- itorial.” I refer to the article “Looking Backward” on page 21. I judge it is based upon President Green's opening speech at the A. F. of L. convention. Some of the contrasts between 1889 and 1930 drawn in that speech were certainly just and illuminating. Some statements were made, however, which seem to me not altogether accurate and calculated to give a somewhat misleading optimistic impression. For example, in 1889 “the workers’ right to organize was hotly challenged in every quarter.” Exactly the same thing is still true today for all except the 12% of the gainfully employed population at present organ- ized. Certainly teachers can hardly say that their right to organize is not hotly challenged in 1930! Company stores flourished in 1889—they still flourish in a good many places in 1930. Wage reductions “were the rule in business depres- sions” in 1889. It may be true that there has not been quite so much direct reduction of wage rates in the present depression as in former ones, but there cer- tainly has been more open cutting of wage rates, some indirect cutting of wage rates, and what matters most, a terrific reduction in the purchasing power of the workers from unemployment, short time, etc. The Standard Statistics Company has recently estimated that there is a difference of nearly 9 billion dollars between the purchasing power of the workers now and before the depression set in. “The state militia were used to intimidate strikers and armies of private detectives were assembled with the aid of public officials during large indistrial disputes” in 1889. Is not the same thing true in 1930? Shades of Elizabethton, Marion, Ware Shoals, New Orleans, etc. I am not for attempting to spread undue pessimism but the kind of optimism which simply fails to look the facts in the face, never does anybody any good. Again, however, it is a mighty good issue. A. J. MUSTE, Vice-Pres., American Federation of Teachers, A Universal Language Editor of The American Teacher: I half believe that you put that article about “The Universal Language” into the Nov. “TEACHER” just tu get a rise out of me! Seriously, I am disappointed that the author of it does not reveal his name. He could have pleased me better by omitting the paragraph about the origin of English and extending his argument about the suitability and inevitability of our mother tongue as the world speech. Especially do we want something which shows an acquaintance of the author with both English and Esperanto in that most exacting test of language suitability, the international conference. What person who glibly urges or predicts the universality of English, and I have read thousands of them, has ever stuck his nose into an Esperanto Congress? They all talk as though this business of meeting the foreigner has merely to do with buying a meal, renting a reom or giving directions to railroad porters. In spite of the fact that our mother tongue is more than ever studied, it is no more possible now than fifty years ago to assemble all the learned people of the world (“educators” for instance) and conduct the business entirely in English. The linguistic millenium envisaged by the author of the article referred to would be more imminent if there were a tendency to teach less and less of French, Span- ish and German in England and America. The exact opposite is true. HENRY W. HETZEL, Secretary Philadelphia Local 192. PRESIDENT GREEN RECEIVES ROOSEVELT MEDAL President William Green of the American Federation of Labor has been awarded the Roose- velt distinguished service medal for his work “in the cause of industrial peace.” The presenta- tion was made at a banquet of the Roosevelt Memorial Association on October 28, the 72nd anniversary of President Roosevelt’s birth. All trade unionists are delighted at this well deserved recognition of their able leader. THE AMERICAN TEACHER The Montefiore Special School By Edward H. Stullken, Principal In September 1929 the Board of Education of the City of Chicago established a new special school for unadjusted boys. The school is lo- cated on the near Northwest side and its location is favored with admirable transportation facil- ities. Aims and Purposes. The school aims to care for unadjusted boys of the north and west sec- tions of Chicago and a total of 171 elementary and junior high schools contribute to it. It is for boys who have been truants and have been considered incorrigible in the regular schools. It is for boys who did not respond to the regular class studies and the methods employed in the regular elementary and junior high schools of the district. It is for boys who have, because of poor attendance or misbehavior, fallen behind the grade of other boys of their age. It is for all behavior problem boys of the schools of the district, especially those boys whose in- terests and aptitudes need to be discovered, encouraged and developed. The Montefiore Special School attempts to fit the school work and the school activities to the special needs of its problem boys. It attempts to direct boys into the school work for which they are best fitted. The school maintains a laboratory situation, doctors, nurse, dentist, psy- chologist, social workers in the persons of visit- ing teachers and truant officers as well as selected teachers. All are trying to find out all they can about the needs of problem boys. It is the purpose of the school to try to enrich its program to fit education to the boys’ needs; and to understand its problems so well, that the boys will cease to be truants or behavior cases and will learn to conform socially to their school environment and if possible overcome the diffi- culties of their home and civic environments. The school aims to teach: 1. Cleanliness of body, mind and speech; 2. Ideals of courtesy to each other, to parents, to teachers and to the public; 3. The fundamentals of education, Reading, English, Writing, Mathematics, Civics, etc.; 4. The rules of good health and the neces- sity for the correction of all physical defects. Types of Problems. There are four types of problems most often presented. In the first ° place many of the boys may be classified as problem cases because of their mental retards. tion. Approximately one half of the pupils enrolle are unable to compete in the ordinary type oj intellectual work required in a regular school The median I.Q. for the school was found to bk approximately 80, but since many pupils have language and reading disabilities, no doubt if strictly non-verbal tests had been employed the per cent of intelligence would have been some. what higher. The average amount of retardation in school work is approximately three years. In the second group many of the cases are boys whose mental abilities and educational achieve- ments are very irregular. They are problems be- cause of their uneven development. Approxi- mately 15% of the boys belong to this group. In the third group nearly alb of the boys represent problems arising from their social sur- roundings. Many of these come from foreign homes. Many of them come from the broken home situations. Over 90% of the boys come from homes classified as poor or worse. Many of them live in the so-called deteriorating areas of the City. In the fourth group many of the boys are problems because of their physical condition. The doctor’s examinations reveal an average of more than four physical defects per boy and the dentist’s survey showed that 95% of the boys were in need of dental corrections. Method of Transfer and Enrolment. The boys are transferred to the Montefiore School by school transfer and are not committed on the basis of any Court action. Regular teachers and principals of the regular schools request transfer of boys, who because of incorrigibility or tru- ancy can no longer be cared for. This request for transfer, if approved by the District Superin- tendent and Director of Special Education, is used by the Compulsory Education Department in bringing the boy from the regular school to this} special school. Boys are in school 6% hours, 5 days a week for 48 weeks in the year. One half hour is used as a lunch period during which the boys are under supervision. The school provides the carfare for transportation of all boys living more than one mile away. Upon his first arrival at the school the boy is enrolled viewed assigned for a W! is in the ests by charge, regular mation ceiving regular The | be con: school quite h sidered the fol 1. A tient, ical Ay terest | Edu of the the be their t activit appro: one p in Ma The 20 te equip other of fr work time indiv ferer Ar chine sheet nace chan with equi lath lar | wit! tion One TOO rda- lled THE AMERICAN enrolled by one of the office staff and is inter- viewed by the Visiting Teacher. He is then assigned to a receiving room where he remains jor a week or ten days. During the time that he isin the receiving room he is given a battery of sts by the psychologist and the teacher in charge, and is also given an opportunity to do regular school work. On the basis of the infor- mation gathered during the time spent in the re- ceiving room the boy is assigned to one of the regular divisions in the school. The divisions are made up of boys, who may be considered ungraded as far as the regular school grade placement is concerned, but are quite homogeneously grouped. The factors con- sidered in forming the homogeneous groups are the following: 1. Age, 2. Mental Age, 3. Intelligence Quo- tient, 4. Educational Achievements, 5. Mechan- ical Aptitudes, 6. Educational Disabilities, 7. In- terest in Drawing, 8. Personality Characteristics. Educational Work of the School. The work of the school is roughly divided into two parts, the boys spending approximately one-half of their time in academic work and the other half in activities of various kinds. All the boys spend approximately one-half of their time with some one particular teacher who gives them the work in Mathematics, English, History, etc. These academic rooms are fitted with either 20 to 25 pedestal desks and in addition are equipped with tables, chairs, filing cabinets and other materials permitting a maximum amount of freedom and activity even in the academic work. The boys spend the other half of their time in various activities depending upon their individual aptitudes and capacities for the dif- ferent types of activities offered. An electric and metal shop equipped with ma- chine lathes, motor generator, drill press, grinder, sheet metal work benches, gas and electric fur- haces, etc. interests boys, who have marked me- chanical ability. There is a woodshop equipped with regular Junior and Senior High School equipment including, in addition to work benches, lathes, grinders, band saw, jointer, etc. A regu- lar junior high school general science laboratory with aquarium, germinating table, demonstra- tion table and necessary apparatus is provided. One room is fitted up as a mechanical drawing room and another is used for free hand drawing TEACHER 19 and art purposes. For those boys having less mechanical ability than some of the others a reed and rug weaving laboratory is provided. This room is equipped with work benches, looms, small hand looms, lockers and other necessary materials for carrying on its activities. The school is provided with a library and it cooperates with the Chicago Public Library, which furnishes approximately 1,000 books in addition to those owned by the school for the use of the Montefiore boys. Every boy is per- mitted two or three forty-minute periods per week in the library, reading under the direction of the teacher in charge. A close check upon the reading habits and abilities of the boys is maintained by the instructor. A small auditorium seating 100 pupils is used as a music and dramatic room. The teacher at- tempts to teach musical expression as well as music appreciation. This auditorium is also used for assembly purposes. The school is provided with a cafeteria and lunch room where food is provided at cost. All of the boys are required to eat in the school dining room whether they bring their food from home or purchase it in the cafeteria. Correct eating habits and dining room decorum are made a part of the instruc- tional work of the school. Two classes of boys are used in the lunch room and cafeteria to assist in preparing the meals and in cleaning up and washing dishes. Special Features. The school has a fully equipped dentist’s office, the room and equip- ment having been furnished by the Board of Education. A doctor’s office and a psychiatrist’s office are also provided. Through the cooperation of the Health Department a half-time dentist is provided, who does both corrective and educa- tional work. In the same manner the Board of Health co- operates in furnishing a Doctor and a Nurse. The Doctor gives every boy a thorough physical examination and in cooperation with the nurse and visiting teachers attempts to secure as many physical corrections as possible. Approximately four physical defects per boy have been dis- closed by a survey of the school. During the past year psychiatric services were secured from outside agencies .The Institute for Juvenile Re- search, the Mandel Clinic of the Michael Reese Hospital, the Clinic of the Children’s Memorial 20 Hospijtal, the North Side Child Guidance Clinic and private psychiatrists furnished such psychi- atric services as the school was able to obtain. During the course of the year the school has had from one to six visiting teachers assigned to it for varying lengths of time. At present there are three assigned full time. The visiting teachers are social workers and make the neces- sary home investigations. In addition to their preparation as visiting teachers, one of them is a registered nurse and another, an attorney. The schoot has had one full time truant officer and two part time officers. These officers work daily to secure regular school attendance. They work on the basis of removing the causes for truancy and in that way insure regular at- tendance. The school has cooperated with Dr. Marion Monroe of the Institute for Juvenile Research in doing special work with boys who have a distinct reading disability. The psychologist and one of the regular teachers have been devoting approximately two hours per day to this work. The Board of Education provides a full time psychologist, who has charge of the placement of all pupils in the school as well as making sur- vey tests in the regular academic rooms. Every special case is also tested with an individual Kuhlmann-Binet. The school is also furnished with a special speech teacher two days a week who works with all boys requiring speech correction. The office work is in charge of two school clerks, one of whom cares for all records and reports and the other who acts as stenographer to principal, visiting teachers and psychologist. Individual record folders are kept and is a result of the work of teachers, visiting teachers, truant officers, psychologist, doctors, nurse, dentist and psychiatrist. A full case history is prepared for every boy enrolled. Through the interest of a public spirited citizen and the active cooperation of the Board of Edu- cation a special class experiment in social adjust- ment has been conducted at the Montefiore School. The Board of Education has also placed a bath room, equipped with showers and basins in the school. A matron is in charge at all times and approximately 50 full baths are given daily. THE AMERICAN TEACHER This feature of the work helps the school inj program of teaching cleanliness. One of the best of the special features in co nection with the work of the Montefiore Scho; is the work of a full time recreation man fy, nished by the Board of Education, who spenj all of his time in teaching the various groups ¢ boys how to play. The school has been in operation just one yezx Some notable results have been achieved. Oy 500 boys have been saved a court experience an/ 378 a Parental School commitment. The schol percentage of attendance has averaged 87.354, for the year. One hundred and twenty-four hay been graduated from the eighth grade and theg boys of course feel that they are successes rather than failures. Many physical corrections hay been effected and many poor social conditions have been improved. A great majority of th boys enrolled have made a happy school adjust ment. The school has been considered a succes by the school authorities and consequently a- other such special school opened this year an( at least one or two more are contemplated. The success of the school indicates that truant ani unadjusted boys may become adjusted in schod if proper special educational facilities are pro- vided. EDUCATION TO SAVE DEMOCRACY By Will Durant, New York Publicist The final breakdown of democracy has ap peared in the increasing insecurity of life in our cities, where political machines are in league with the world of crime, and in the inability of congress to face the complex! economic prob lems confronting it every day. I should like to see in all our great universities schools of public administration in which students would be pre- pared as specifically and technically for the tasks of government as they now are prepared for medicine, for engineering and law; and m0 one should be eligible to municipal office unless he has received such training. There is no way, short of distatorship, to escape from the clutches of the political ma chines, except education. Democracy has given neither government by the people nor govern ment by the best, and the path of office lies now not in honest service to the people, but in dis- honest service to the machine. a a BuRN’ N Bur ty-five tano’s the n tural lic in illustr That Galzy accor Th teach of A cente her p be sc amus many wom insti1 made ate | quite latin: possi ately Mar Si teacl his the teac con: am by i Dar ang she be i tion whe | CO cho fur DS (i year hcl 354 lave hes: ther lave ions ust: a5 2 ‘he nd 00! THE AMERICAN TEACHER 21 BOOKS “There is no frigate like a book To bear us lands away.” —Emily, Dickinson. BuRNT OFFERING: By Jeanne Galzy. Brentano, New York. $2.50. Burnt Offering won the annual prize of twen- ty-five thousand francs founded in 1928 by Bren- tano’s. “The Prize Aims,” says a foreword to the novel, “to encourage Franco-American cul- tural relations by bringing to the American pub- lic in translation each year a book which will illustrate eminently the French cultural ideal.” That ideal is so admirably set forth in Madame Galzy’s study that the reader must be in hearty accord with the judges who made the selection. The book is the story of an elementary school teacher who lives in the French provincial town of Amiens and whose energy and emotions are centered entirely in her work, her reading, and her pupils. One wonders that any woman could be so entirely cut off from friends, family and amusements until one recollects having met the many American Marie Pascals. They are the women who having been thwarted in the primal instincts of love and motherhood have perhaps made substitutions—substitutions which -sublim- ate their instincts, but do not sublimate them quite far enough, and leave the possessors vacil- lating between abnegation and an impulse toward possession of something which often unfortun- ately belongs to some one else. In the case of Marie Pascal it is the child of another woman. Sinclair Lewis treats the theme of the school teacher denied a normal existence in several of his novels. His method is to attack the town, the community which wants to make of the teacher a machine for carrying out the public conscience; one might say they want her to be amoral scapegoat. Dickens in Nicholas Nickle- by is interested in institutional failings ; Clemence Dane in A Regiment of Women leans toward the angle of slightly abnormal friendships. That is, she is interested in showing what evils there may be in teacher worship and the resultant exploita- tion of students which arises from that situation when it is allowed to run rampant in girls’ schools. Mathilde Eiker has an interesting book on the teacher who rebels against the narrowness of her life. Jean Galzy has all of these themes but only by implication. She writes with a dis- tinction and a difference. It is in this difference that lies the excellence of Burnt Offering, an excellence which makes its choice for the Prex Brentano a happy one. In this novel is no satire on French schools, no scathing ridicule of the teacher, no remedy. What one finds is a careful study of the mind and emotions of a teacher who progresses from a state in which she recognizes the dangers which her love for Annette, the little girl whom she loves as her own child, involve both herself and the recipient of her affection, to a state in which she is so obsessed that she loses all sense of what is happening. In the early stages she has a conversation with Dominique Allary, a substitute teacher. This conversation reveals the author’s theme. “Excess is a matter of scandal even in ques- tions of faith.” “Who among us does anything to excess?” Marie asked. “All of you, perhaps.” “Oh come, now, a moment ago you were speak- ing of our slow, dull lives.” “Oh but mummies have passions! The nar- rower the circle and the more restricted the life, the greater the obsession.” The phrase surprised Marie; she looked at her companion, questioning. “Everything which for want of something bet- ter, assumes a burning importance, vanity, jeal- ousy, pedantry, even that selfishness into which existences without issue in other existences lead us.” . ; “We have the children.” Marie had uttered her cry of protest and re- gretted it immediately after. The stranger’s lucid glance seemed to pierce her through and through. “. . . You may well talk of them,” she said with a pretence of jesting, “a lot of good they are. For the short time we have the mites, and the doubtful result of any attachment we might have.” In spite of her struggle to keep her obsession within bounds, Marie becomes so enslaved to 22 THE AMERICAN her emotions that the director of the school in all kindness asks her to apply for a transfer to another post in Paris. She is sorry for Marie Pascal and yet is glad of the opportunity to have a new teacher to take her place. Madame Galzy offers no solution in the book itself as we have said. Nevertheless in every episode one finds her pity for the woman who all her life is cheated of the one thing in life she wants—a child of her own. This close sympathetic analysis of the progress of an obsession is set in a background sketched in with the firmness and delicacy of touch which is part of the French genius. The children in the school, the teachers, the mothers and the oc- casional men who touch the edges of the story are revealed in a few words or sentences only and still remain clear pictures in the mind. The monotonous landscape about Amiens, the farm house to which Marie goes to spend vacations with her grandparents emerge with the firmness of outline of good etchings. Burnt Offering offers an analysis of the teacher’s life valuable to both the professional woman and to the general public, and since it is a work of art, it deserves a wide reading. —Edna B. Schwarzman. “STUDIES AND TESTS ON VERGIL’s AENEID”: Florence Waterman. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass. $1.00. From the Harvard Graduate School of Educa- tion we receive a new addition to the library of objective tests, this one to be used in the study of Vergil. Miss Waterman’s contribu- tion is a timely one in this, the year of the Bimil- lenium Vergilianum, and is interesting because it suggests a change in the time-honored method of presenting the subject. Completion exercises for class use are given in Part I, typical lines with a word omitted and choices of words from which the pupil’ may select the missing word. Part II gives questions with multiple answers, a map test on Book III and a matching test of proper names and descrip- tive phrases. Perforated pages containing tests to be given at the completion of half of each book are also included. The use of the studies and tests would certainly, as the author claims, TEACHER contribute to the “organization of objectives and to the motivation of the student.” —Genevieve Souther. A Forp Crosses Soviet Russia: By George 4 Counts. Stratford Co., Boston. $2.50. “During the five-year period from October, 1928 to October, 1933, Soviet Russia must find sixty-five billion rubles for construction alone, Since there is no immediate likelihood that any important part of this amount can be borrowed from other countries, Soviet Russia in spite of her poverty must in some way secure the needed funds from her own savings. This means that the present must be sacrified for the future to an unprecedented extent. In order that credit may be secured for the purchase from abroad of the indispensable machinery, every ounce of manu- factured goods that can be. spared must be sent to foreign markets,” writes Professor Counts of Columbia University in his A Ford Crosses Soviet Russia. This is a unique close-up of life in Soviet Russia made by a pioneer trip of 6,000 miles over the dirt roads and through the villages wherein some cases an auto had never been seen before. His was no conducted tour for he was alone the greater part of the journey and with a knowledge of Russian he was able to gather the opinions of the peasants direct. A book no one interested in Soviet Russia should miss. —Mark Starr. GEOGRAPHIC NEWS BULLETINS The National Geographic Society’s bulletin service to teachers was renewed in September. The best of the news of geographic changes and events from correspondents, from official reports, from the foreign and American press, which comes daily into the Society’s headquarters, is collected in the Geographic News Bulletins illustrated from the Society’s voluminous picture files. To teachers who request the Geographic News Bulletins, the: reports are sent each week for 30 weeks of the school year. Five bulletins accom- panied with illustrations and maps go out with each issue. A request for the bulletins should be accompanied with twenty-five cents to cover mailing costs for the 30 weeks and be addressed to the National Geographic Society, Washington, D. C. €s and ther. rge A. ‘tober, st find alone, it any rowed ite of eeded $ that to an t may E the nanu- » sent its of asses p of ip of n the lever tour mney able ould rvice and orts, mes cted rom ews 30 om- vith be ling the THE AMERICAN BOOK NEWS IN BRIEF Tue New Epucation 1n Europe: By Frederick William Roman. 430 pp. Dutton, New York. $4.40. The Second Edition (Revised, Enlarged and Reset) of this work is not only a study of education in Great Britain, France and Germany, but includes a survey of the Scandinavian countries, Austria, Italy and the Union of the Socialist Soviet Republic. In Russia, Austria and Italy a complete realization of the power of education to mold a people’s political and economic philosophy is clearly discernible. The question will intrude, has America realized this? If so, what philosophy of government is she build- ing into the life of the people through her schools. EpUCATION AND INTERNATIONAL RexaTions: By Daniel A. Prescott. 165 pp. Harvard Uni- versity Press, Cambridge, Mass. $2.50. This 14th Volume of the Harvard Studies in edu- cation is announced by the Graduate School of Edu- cation of Harvard University as a study of the social forces that determine the influences of education. CHARACTER EDUCATION BY STATE AND CHURCH: By Harold S. Tuttle. 160 pp. Abingdon Press, New York. $1.50. Professor Tuttle of the University of Oregon gives in this volume a sympathetic study of the effort being made in a number of communities to co-ordinate the work of the schools and churches in religious instruction of public school pupils. PLANNING Your Future: By George E. Myers, Gladys M. Little and Sarah A. Robinson. 400 pp. McGraw-Hill, New York. $1.50. Professor Myers of the University of Michigan is assisted by two representatives of the Interme- diate Schools of Detroit in the preparation of this Occupational Civics Text for Junior High Schools. SECONDARY EpucATION IN GERMANY, FRANCE, ENGLAND AND DENMARK: By Stephen P. Cabot. 105 pp. Harvard University Press, Cambridge. $1.00. Volume 15 of the Harvard Bulletins in Education. A Stupy oF By Mark Lies anp Hate 1N EpucaTIon: NATIONALIST AND Crass Bias: Starr. 60 cents. A cheaper edition of this study may now be obtained from the author, 25 New Street, Vincent Square, Lon- don, S. W. TEACHER 23 Tue Curicaco Principats’ CLus, FirtH YEAR Book (1930), Heart Epucation. Chi- cago Principals’ Club, 315 Plymouth Court, © Chicago. 250 pp. $1.50. A co-operative study of the broader phases of health education and a report of class procedures in the teaching of health, designed to supplement the Chicago Course of Study in Health Education. Genetic Stupies oF Genius, VotumeE III, THe ProMIsE OF YouTH: By Barbara S. Burks, Dortha W. Jensen, Lewis M. Terman and Others. 500 pp. Standford University Press. $6.00. This volume is a continuation report of the in- vestigation carried on for a number of years by Dr. Terman and his associates. It contains follow- up studies of a thousand gifted children re-investi- gated after a period of six years. The whole series represents an attempt to answer, at least partially, how the gifted child develops. EpucATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT IN RELATION TO INTELLIGENCE: By Charles W. St. John. 200 pp. Harvard University Press. $3.50. Volume 15 of the Harvard Studies in Education by Professor St. John of Dana College is a report of studies made of that question so vital to edu- cators, the relation between ability and achievement. ProGRAM MAKING IN SMALL ELEMENTARY Scuoots: By Hollis Caswell. 75 pp. George Peabody College for Teachers, Nash- ville, Tenn. Probably close to one-third of the children en- rolled in the public schools of the United States are taught in these smaller mixed grades schools. A study which aims to improve the daily programs of this great number of pupils and teachers is of vast importance. Peabody College deserves the highest commendation for her efforts. It is to be hoped that other volumes of these Field Studies will be issued. LEGAL STATUS OF MARRIED WOMEN The National League of Women Voters has issued a revised edition of its booklet, “A Survey of the legal status of women in the forty-eight states,” rev. March, 1930. It gives a summary of the state laws, by states, for married women on contractual rights, property rights, domicile, guard- ianship of children, marriage and divorce and forms a most useful handbook. 24 TENDENCIES SEEN IN THE OCTOBER TEACHERS’ JOURNALS By Nell Peterson A significant fact about the educational maga- zines for October, 1930, is the large amount of space devoted to discussions of research. Since research in departments of education is little more than a quarter of a century old, teachers are trying to develop fundamental techniques, to coordinate the results obtained by investigations, and even to question, as they experiment, whether the place of psychology in education may not be less basic than has been realized by its more enthusiastic advocates. “The Faculty Helps the Principal,” by E. W. Jacobsen, of Oakland, California, in “The Amer- ican School Board Journal” tells how Mr. Jacob- sen devoted one faculty meeting to asking the teachers of his school to evaluate his own effi- ciency by the use of an objective rating scale devised by a committee of his teachers. “Berkeley Experiments with ‘Controls’,” by Anne Roller, in the “Midmonthly Survey” rec- ords a new feature of the experiment in child guidance begun in 1924 by the assistant super- intendent of schools and the chief of police. These two men created a Co-ordinating Council which set out to find and secure scientific treat- ment for every predelinquent child in Berkeley. By 1928 the staff of psychiatric workers was large enough to encourage the Council to try to get the name of every child in Berkeley, from kindergarten through ninth grade, who showed signs of being a problem pupil. Names of 365 boys and girls were reported by teachers and social workers—a number too large to be taken care of by the trained staff. This fact gave the Council an opportunity; taking for expert help and guidance those pupils, 117 in number, whose parents were glad to cooperate in the treatment of their children, the Council is keeping care- fully guarded records: (1) of the children with whom they are working; (2) of a control group of problem cases chosen from children in the list of 248 remaining problem children whose behavior difficulties are similar to those of the experimental group but who are receiving only the ordinary type of council; and (3) of a second control group composed of children who are con- THE AMERICAN TEACHER sidered by principals and teachers to be example of wholesome and normal childhood. The of. ject of such comparison is to test whether th methods used with the experimental group ax really better than the usual treatment given ty children. Whatever the results may prove to bk the Council is sure that such careful checking up will lead to the development of more effectiy treatment of children’s behavior problems an/ to more refined methods of research. Along with such inquiry into better techniques, there is the earnest desire to bring to light and make use of all individual efforts at scientific investigation of educational problems. The Caj- fornia Quarterly. of Secondary Education devotes thirty-three pages to reports of various projects carried on by the research departments of Cali- fornia city school systems in 1929. W. S. Def- fenbaugh, chief of the city school division of the United States Office of Education, is com- piling an annotated bibliography of all annual or other reports published by city school systems in cities of more than 10,000 inhabitants through- out the United States. Several outstanding efforts towards cooperative research on a nation-wide scale receive wide at- tention in the October educational magazines. “Group Study for Secondary ‘Principals,” by Wm. H. Bristow, in the Junior Senior High School Clearing House, outlines some investiga- tion which is being undertaken by the principals of the United States under the leadership of C. H. Judd. This group plans to study four prob- lems during 1930-1931: class-size, records and reports, the high school library, and the reading of high school teachers. The purpose of the in- vestigation on class size is, “to determine as far as possible whether, in the interest of economy and administration, classes of large size, 50 to 60 pupils, can be taught sufficiently well in com- parison with the average size class of 25 or 30 to warrant a change of administrative policy.” The aim of the investigation on teachers’ reading is, “to canvass the reading habits of high school teachers and to set up a program of purposeful reading.” Several October magazines have enthusiastic articles on the very elaborate educational survey authorized by the Seventieth Congress as a three- year program to be conducted by the Department of th of E urge “Sin that guis sche then sche cont past enc will bei adr th ro ss ~~ _:—_— — -— =F OD Xample; The ob. ther the DUP ar of the Interior through the United States Office of Education. In School Life, Carl A. Jensen urges support of this national investigation : riven ty € to be king up ff ectiye Ns and niques, ht and ientific e Calj. evotes ‘Ojects Cali- Def. on of com- lal or stems ugh- ative e at- ines, by Ligh iga- pals ol “Since the survey proceeds on the assumption that the most practicable solutions (as distin- ished from ideal solutions) to secondary school problems are to be found in the schools themselves, it becomes vital to its success that school administrators, teachers, and pupils shall continue to cooperate with it as they have in the past by contributing of their time and experi- ence.” This national survey began in 1929 and will close in 1932. It is noticeable that most of this research is being initiated and carried through by educational administrators. To some educators it may ap- pear strange that the principals of the nation must set up a program of purposeful reading for the classroom teachers. Such thinkers may welcome a book, “Research Methods and Teachers’ Problems,” by Douglas Waples and Ralph W. Tyler, reviewed in Educational Meth- od. The purpose of this book is “to guide teachers to the making of a careful study of their problems by methods similar, even if less precise, to those employed by competent scientific students of education.” On the contrary, these wondering educators may feel about the part played by psychology in education as does Prof. Clarke, of McGill Uni- versity, Montreal, in “Community in English Education,” published in the October Hibbert Journal—Prof. Clarke seriously questions whether the vast organizations that modern peoples have built up for the purposes of educa- tion are really effective—“Does the education actually bite, as it were, bite into the very tex- ture of the community life and modify it in the hoped for direction?” To ask this question is to be led to the further question, “What are the hoped for directions ?” or nothing to answer this second query. “The great issues of community welfare, com- munity functioning, and control, that have to be faced when a great nation sets out to readjust old conceptions and methods of education to new conditions, call for the wideranging synthesis of the political philosopher, much more than for the meticulous analysis of the psychologist. “Education should have its place with law and THE AMERICAN TEACHER Psychology can do little. 25 politics and philosophy and history and economics rather than continue either in isolation or in a devitalizing dependence upon psychology. Vital- izing is what the study needs above everything, and this it can achieve only by fruitful associa- tion with its better established and more richly endowed brethren among the humanities. “If this were done we could then hope for comprehensive study of all the facts, and for the systematic collation and rich illumination which trained minds ought to provide.” PERMANENT COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION The Report of the Committee on Education to the Memphis Convention recommended that “each local undertake a scientific study of some phase of the immensely board field of education,” a study so limited that it could be completed with- in a year, or so broad or complex that it might extend over two or more years. The committee named several possible subjects for study. In accordance with the Committee’s report, ’ the Chairman asks the cooperation of the locals: (1) That each local undertake some study in the field of education which will be a contribution to educational theory and practice; (2) That the Chairman of the education committee in each local notify by January 1, 1931, the Chair- man of the Permanent Committee on Education of the subject chosen and procedure used; (3) That each local make a report of this study by April 1, 1931, so that it may be included in the report of the Education Committee to the Na- tional Convention in July, 1931. Some subjects suggested for study are: 1. Teaching load in all types of public schools. 2. Controlled experiments to discover the most efficient class size. 3. Progressive methods of teaching applicable to the large public school system. “Home” work. Sequestial study habits. Character education. Practical experiments in school citizenship. Lucie H. ScHacut Chairman, Education Committee. NIAMS Our success depends upon the strength of our pur- pose; and if we would make much progress we must use much diligence—Thomas Kempis. 26 PRESIDENT GREEN APPEALS FOR SUPPORT OF THE TEXTILE WORKERS AT DANVILLE, VIRGINIA To All Organized Labor—Greetings: The strike of four thousand members of the United Textile Workers of America, at Danville, Virginia, was given special consideration and attention by the Fiftieth Convention of the American Federation of Labor which was held at Boston from October 6th to 17th. The dis- tressing conditions which these workers were forced to endure in their struggle for the enjoy- ment of the right to belong to a Trade-Union and to be represented through their chosen repre- sentatives appealed to the sentiment of the Officers and Delegates in attendance at the Con- vention. As a result the Convention pledged to these striking textile workers the moral and fi- nancial support of the organized workers of our Country. The Convention directed that the Executive Officers of the American Federation of Labor issue an appeal to organized labor and its friends asking for financial contributions to be used in support of the textile workers at Dan- ville, Virginia. In conformity with this action, we hereby appeal to International and National Unions, to State Federations of Labor, City Central Bodies and Local Unions for such finan- cial contributions as all may be able to make to the support of our fellow workers, who are fight- ing so courageously for the enjoyment of the right to belong to a Trade Union, There is much suffering among those who are on strike and their families dependent upon them. The wages which they received were very small, the conditions under which they worked were unsatisfactory and the rights which Trade Union- ists were permitted to exercise were denied them. I appeal to the heart and conscience of all Trade Unionists and their friends. Let us give to the full extent of our ability. The tragic situa- tion at Danville touches the deepest emotion of all those acquainted with the facts. When men and women fight for the enjoyment of freedom and liberty, the sacrifice they make in connection with such a fight challenges our highest admira- tion. THE AMERICAN TEACHER Financial contributions could not be mag to a more noble cause. Under-fed, unde. privileged and under-nourished children wij be helped out of the funds which you cop. tribute. If we forget the men and women, who know full well they must sacrifice anj suffer, let us not fail to respond to the need; of the children of those who are on strike Labor should not fail these Southern workers jn their hour of deepest need. They are fighting not only for themselves but also for the workers of the South. While unemployment is abroad throughout the land and all members of organized labor are deal- ing with many difficulties, let us find a way, even under these difficulties, to effectively help our striking brothers and sisters and their families dependent upon them at Danville, Virginia. Send all contributions to Frank Morrison, A. F. of L suilding, Washington, D. C. All funds sent in will be transmitted promptly to the representa- tive of the United Textile Workers of America in charge of the strike at Danville, Virginia, where they will be used to supply food, clothing and medicine for those who are striking and fighting for justice and freedom. By Order Executive Council American Federation of Labor. Wm. GREEN President. New York—(FP)—Friends of civil liberty are urged by the American Civil Liberties Union to get in touch with the state federations of labor to work for passage of laws restricting the use of the in- junction in labor disputes and limiting activities of the state police. Lest some friend is thinking, “Well, the little I could do would not count”, we venture to repeat the story of the good Padre in a European village. It was his 25th anniversary in that community, and his friends and parishoners wanted to celebrate. Each household had in its cellar two bottles of wine kept for such occasions as weddings and funerals. At a community meeting, the villagers voted each to give one bottle to celebrate the Padre’s anniversary. So the Father prepared a keg into which each friend could pour the bottle he had brought. When the great day came, and the keg was full, the Padre said: “Now let us all make merry together.” And he turned the spigot of the keg. It flowed pure water! Each man had thought his bottle of wine would not be missed, and had brought a bottle of water. —Nation. DIS SE Bern’ of tl into stud tane instr vest asso is n duct tar | aut ren tas' cit} let mi the € mad under. en wil U Con. vomen, Ce and needs Strike kers ip ghting or kers ut the deal- , even > our Nilies Send of L, nt in enta- erica inia, hing and are get ork THE AMERICAN TEACHER | General News DISMISSAL OF PROFESSOR STARTS STORM SEATTLE—(FP)—Dismissal of Asst. Prof. Bernhard Stern from the sociology department of the University of Washington has jumped into a statewide issue following the action of sudents in holding a protest meeting. Simul- taneously the sociology department requested the instructors’ association of the university to in- vestigate the causes of Stern’s dismissal. The association, which includes the whole faculty and is not affiliated with any outside body, will con- duct a thorough inquiry, Prof. Herman V. Tar- tar announces. The students minced no words in taking the authorities to task. Stern, they said, had been removed because his advanced ideas were dis- tasteful to the big bugs and ecclesiastics of the city. “Prof. Stern was dismissed,” read the leaf- let announcing the meeting, “because of his deter- mined policy of teaching facts no matter whom they damaged, instead of the hollow pedantry which is the current substitute for knowledge among the timid ‘animal trainers’ masquerading as inspirers of youth.” Pres. M. Lyle Spencer of the university, in a public statement following the meeting, said that ‘it is true that protests came from various lead- ing citizens about particular theories Dr. Stern advanced.” He denied, however, that Stern’s removal had resulted from these protests, and attributed it instead to the reorganization and economy plan which is now in full swing. This program has stirred up a hornet’s nest in the faculty. It is freely predicted that if Stern’s dismissal is investigated, the investiga- tion will not end there. The contract under which members of the faculty are hired is for one year and expires automatically “without further notice unless definitely renewed.” A Progressive College for Women, emphasiz- ing the progressive idea in education and an international outlook, was opened in Geneva, Switzerland, in October by a group of Amer- icans. Omaha, Nebraska is to have a Municipal Uni- versity, absorbing the University of Omaha. 27 PREACHERS’ UNION URGED AS WAY TO PROMOTE RELIGION New York, Oct. 21.—(AP)—Formation of a union of ministers, with possible affiliation with the American Federation of Labor was advo- cated today by Prof. Harry F. Ward of Union Theological seminary at a conference on the re- lation of labor and the church. “The union I am for should not be formed to defend preachers who are demoted or whose salaries are cut,” Prof. Ward said. “It would be a union to promote the highest standards of religion.” He added that the union would be somewhat similar to a teachers’ union designed to main- tain the standards of education. WHAT THE FIGURES TELL No Change in Unemployment For the country as a whole September gains in employment were held in October, but there was no further improvement. Our reports from 24 cities show 21 per cent of the union member- ship still out of work in the first weeks of Octo- ber. In printing and metal trades there were slight gains from the unprecedented situation of the last three months. The number out of work in printing dropped from 8% in September to 7% in October, and in metal from 23% in Sep- tember to 21% in October. In textiles and needle trades there has been over 31% improvement. There were slight gains in food industries, manu- facturing, and street transportations, but condi- tions were worse on railroads and in water trans- port, and slightly worse in building. INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS The seventh session of the Institute of Inter- national Relations will be held at Mission Inn, Riverside, California, from December 7 to 12, 1930. “The Institute attempts to provide for the people of the Pacific coast similar opportunities for instruc- tion and discussion to those which are provided through the Institute of Politics at Williamstown, Massachusetts,” states Dr. R. B. von KleinSmid, Chancellor. “The December Institute at Riverside has for its purpose the promotion of serious study of the problems involved in international relations, in the belief that an understanding of such prob- lems will lead to universal goodwill and world peace.” ” Local News | WISCONSIN UNIVERSITY, LOCAL 223 An organization meeting of the Wisconsin University Teachers’ Union, Local No. 223, was held October 24th. A general discussion of the purpose of the union and basis of membership took up most of the evening. It was decided to limit membership to persons of the teaching or research staff of the university and to students of the graduate school who had been teaching the past two years. The union decided to de- vote its energies the coming winter to two prob- lems, one concerned with university questions and the other with vital economic issues of the day. Affiliation with the local Trades and Labor As- sembly and with the State Federation of Labor was voted. Alice Shoemaker and Lucien Koch were elected delegates to the Madison Trades and Labor Assembly. E. E. Schwarztrauber, vice-president of the American of Teachers, was elected president and Genevieve Townsend, sec- retary-treasurer. Membership is increasing en- couragingly. It is expected that the formation of the university local will make for a decided im- provement in the status of the university and public school teachers of Madison. PORTLAND LOCAL 111 Portland Teachers’ Union has been recognized by the school authorities to the degree that a member of the Union was given leave of absence, without loss of pay, to attend the annual con- vention of the Oregon State Federation of Labor, which met in Medford the week of October 6. Our union was, as usual, in a state of financial embarrassment and it was only through the cour- tesy and generosity of the school board that we were able to send a delegate to the convention. When the request for leave was made, Super- intendent Rice not only recommended that it be granted but took occasion to commend the co- operative spirit which the union has shown in giving support to the annual tax levies and in other movements for the advancement of the schools. Although objections were raised by one member of the board, the final vote was unani- mous for granting the leave of absence without loss of pay. THE AMERICAN TEACHER The convention of the State Federation wah one of the most interesting and exciting whicfati has been held in many years. Oregon is in the midst of the most spirited political campaign jy its history. The chief issue is public develop ment and ownership of hydro-electric power This is a subject in which organized labor j deeply interested. A minority, which it was charged was acting under the direction of the privately owned utilities, attempted to prevent the convention from indorsing a_ constitutiona amendment which will pave the way for districts entering the field of public ownership. Debate in the convention was often vigorous, and this was especially true when the power question was under consideration. By parliamentary manev- vering, more than by argument, it was sought to defeat indorsement of public ownership in the power field, and often the voting on obstructing motions was in doubt until the last vote was counted. But in the end the liberal forces were triumphant in their whole program. The delegate from the Teachers’ Union was made chairman of the convention committee on education. In the report submitted by this com- mittee, there was mapped out for the Federation a general educational program consisting of legislative recommendations as well as sugges- tions for means of co-operation between school authorities and labor bodies. The program among other things included advocacy of free text books, ratification of the child labor amend- ment, adequate tenure laws for teachers, decent salaries for teachers, and a state-wide retirement system for teachers. The report declared for reduction in the size of classes and the elimina- tion of propaganda from the schools. An important specific recommendation of the report was that the Federation take an active part in securing the repeal or nullification, by court action, of laws which impose property holding qualifications on voters on tax levies and bond issues for school purposes. The report also recommended that the Federa- tion maintain a standing committee on education to be composed of the president, the executive secretary and three other members to be ap- pointed by the executive officers. This committee is to advise and act in all matters concerning educational activities such as contact with school iS | for th THE AMERICAN TEACHER On wasuthorities and in proposing a program for edu- r whichfational activities within the ranks of labor. It in this also proposed that the committee make a aign isfdudy of worker education experiments, the fail- evelop.fes and the successes—if any, and report to Power fthe next convention of the State Federation. ibor | The report of the committee on education was it, wafadopted by unanimous vote of the convention of thead in addition was commended as the most com- ent theff plete and comprehensive program ever under- 1tional uken by the Federation. stricts {| Perhaps the most important single achievement Yebate of the delegate of Local 111 was the defeat of a d this resolution seeking to place organized labor on n was [record as opposing the employment of married aney- § women as teachers in the public schools. The rht to § Teachers’ Union delegate appeared before the n the B committee to which the resolution was referred— \Cting with the introducers of the resolution also present was § —and argued against its adoption. It was pointed were § out that the only just basis for the employment of a teacher should be her efficiency; that while there may be an over supply of mediocre teach- es, there is always a shortage of superior teachers, and if it happens that one of the super- jor teachers is a woman and is married, the schools can ill afford to lose her services, simply because she is married. It was also argued that society has no right to penalize any members by ram | denying them rights only because they enter the free | married state. The attention of the committee nd- | was also directed to the fact that many of the greatest educators believe that the small number was e€ on com- ition of ges- hool ent ent | °f married women teachers in the schools is one for | of the serious faults in our educational system— na- | that the presence of married women as teachers is necessary to obtain the balance that produces he the best results in the education of children. “ Evidently these arguments were convincing, by for the introducers of the resolution later asked ty the consent of the convention to withdraw it. od The convention voted its unanimous consent, and so the resolution came to a speedy and most wel- come end. a- . . . We miss from our ranks this year Mr. “ Schwarztrauber, who is studying at the Univer- sity of Wisconsin, and Miss Vaughn McCormick, who is spending a semester in Europe. The Union Book Club will resume its discus- j | Sons in November. At the first meeting there 29 will be discussed Bates’ “This Land of Liberty” and Everett Dean Martin’s “Liberty”. Later there will be discussions on special topics having to do with industrial, economic and social prob- lems. The Union has prepared a leaflet setting forth “Why We Are and What We Hope to Do”. This is to be distributed among non-union teachers in the hope that it will convince them that their place is in Local 111. May Dar inc, President NEW YORK LOCAL 5 The work of Local 5, New York, for the present school year has been planned along two main lines, one of consistent committee work, and the other of frequent and substantial pub- licity in the daily press. Although we have al- ways engaged in work of both kinds, the program this year calls for much larger yields. An outline of the plan may be of interest. The New York City school system has recently revised the course of study for the elementary schools. One of our committees will take the printed syllabuses and examine them for signs of progressiveness. In this work we shall be assisted by some of our members who are well- known experts in that field. Another committee will study our junior high schools, and another the problem of the training of teachers in train- ing schools and in service. For each of these enterprises we shall draw in members who teach in the specific type of school under consideration. In view of our inclusive jurisdiction we can secure the aid of a qualified group on practically any school problem. A college teacher committee is scheduled to take up problems relating especial- ly to higher education and to the economic wel- fare of college teachers. As a follow-up of the study we have engaged in for several years, we have a committee that will endeavor to formulate the qualifications of the higher positions in the school system. Naturally, we have no superin- tendents in the Union, but that will not deter us from setting up standards for the position. We have a number of other committees, some wholly Union, and others which are combination com- mittees of Union and Auxiliary members. Among these are the Committees on Character 30 Education, Experimental Education and Inter- national Goodwill. If there is anything in the claim occasionally made that “public education is breaking down,” Local 5 wants to be prepared with a blue print for the construction of an ideal school system. But whatever happens to an apparently rock-rib- bed school system here in New York, we believe the organization of a well-coordinated plan for a new school system for these parts will help us to keep our minds flexible as well as keep our spirits hopeful. Effective publicity has always been our most potent instrument not only for informing the people, and giving the Union standing, but also for educating ourselves. Thus far this year we have challenged the Mayor to demand the elim- ination of politics from the school system. Hav- ing been unsuccessful in his demand that Tam- many district leaders waive immunity in an in- vestigation then being carried on by a grand jury, he could not well take up the task of getting rid of politics in the school system. We have publicly called the attention of the State Commissioner of Education to the fact that although the State grants to the City of New York the sum of $1,500 a year for every elemen- tary teacher in service and $1,900 a year for every high school teacher, the city employs a large number of substitute teachers at $1,140 a year in the elementary schools and $1,425 a year in the high schools. Meanwhile nearly four thousand teachers with elementary school licenses are awaiting appointment to regular positions, although many of these have employment as substitute teachers. Thus, the city is exploiting the state at the expense of young teachers and children. We have a Medical Board which tries to com- pel sick teachers to return to service before they are well. Two years ago we forced two public hearings on the conduct of this board, and now we are pressing for the dismissal of the Chief Medical Examiner. These are samples of our publicity. We have releases in the great metro- politan dailies on an average of at least once a week. Henry R. Linvitte, President SACRAMENTO LOCAL 31 We are trying a plan, new to us, of meeting in the evening at an attractive club house be- THE AMERICAN TEACHER longing to the City Recreation Department. The much larger attendance seems to say that teach. ers, like “Father” are more genial, more ready to listen to the ideas of others and more willing to lend a hand after a bit of rest—and a good dinner. After hearing reports and finishing spirited discussions we linger. around the refreshment table for numerous glasses of punch and un- counted wafers. Members that differed warmly during the meeting are found in friendly groups, “talking it out” and no one seems eager to go. Our main struggle is with the Tenure Law, and we are grateful that we have an able Law and Legislative committee working for its re vision and preservation. This committee is headed by Mr. R. W. Everett. It was a happy coincidence,—or was there malice aforethought—that our incoming presi- dent was sent to Memphis last summer as dele- gate to the National Convention. Certain it is that Miss Flaa takes up her work full of en- thusiasm and that she brings us much inspiration in her report on that delightful and profitable coming together of national delegates. FLoreNceE C. Mupce Liaison Officer MEMPHIS LOCAL 52 The Memphis Teachers’ Association, Local 52, has begun a year of hard work and high hopes under the powerful stimulus of the Fourteenth Annual Convention of the American Federation of Teachers which was held in Memphis last summer. At present the membership committee is busy recruiting new members. Letters of invitation and information have been sent to all new teach- ers. Enclosed in each was a reprint of John Dewey’s address, ‘Why I am a Member of the Teachers’ Union”. Satisfactory responses have already been received from some of these letters, and our local is confidently awaiting further results. . Relations with our central labor body, which at times have been neglected on account of the pressure of other work, are being strengthened. There are now five newly elected labor delegates who plan to attend meetings of the Memphis | Trad sible. the ¢ was inclu ment to be year dout L Edu teac Sint of t witl will befe to | reat ~ The teach. ready villing £004 iTited ment | un- irmly Oups £0, Law, Law ; Te e is ’ here “esi- lele- t is en- tion able 52, eS ith on ist THE AMERICAN TEACHER 31 | Trades and Labor Council whenever it is pos- sible. On their first appearance at the council the delegates received quite an ovation, and each was invited to make a speech. Our program, continuing work already begun, includes permanent tenure; an adequate retire- ment plan; and further study of the teacher load, to be followed by recommendations. Later in the year the all important salary question will un- doubtedly come up for consideration. Last February, Local 52 brought Mr. Herman L. Eckern to Memphis, and invited the Board of Education, the superintendent, principals, and all teachers to hear his talk about retirement plans. Since that time Miss Mary V. Little, chairman of the Pension Committee, has had a conference with Mr. Eckern in Chicago, and the committee will probably call on him again for assistance before their final report is made. Local 52 hopes to have satisfactory tenure and retirement bills ready when the Tennessee Legislature convenes in January. CarLoTta PITTMAN National Representative CHICAGO LOCAL NO. 3 Chicago Local No. 3 was represented at the annual interstate conference of Women Trade Unionists and Auxiliary Members, held at Wau- kegan, Illinois, in September, by Marcella Nell, Bessie Soyer, and Jennie A. Wilcox. The usual committees met and formulated plans for the coming year. The Illinois and Chicago Trade Union Leagues are especially in- terested in the Women’s Eight Hour Bill which will again be presented to the Illinois legislature in January. This is the special Trade Union League Bill and all friends of the League are asked to work for its passage. The Joint Radio Committee of the Teacher Unions has been granted time over Station WCFL, the Voice of Labor and the Farmer, for the broadcasting of programs of Chicago Public Schools. The time is 4:15 to 5 o’clock on Tues- days and Thursdays. During the school year just past more than half of the schools, elementary, junior high and senior high, took advantage of this opportunity to acquaint parents and friends of the public schools with actual class room work and extra curricular activities. In addition to this, programs of civic and welfare organizations were broadcasted. Women high school teachers who are members of Local No. 3 believe they have an excellent plan of insurance protecting them against illness or accident at an exceedingly low cost. Such protection has been possible since 1927 when more than a hundred members united as a group to which the master policy was issued. Certificates of membership are held by individ- uals comprising the group. The policy provides one hundred dollars a month, payable for one year, in case of disability through illness or accident. If such disability renders it necessary for the teacher to be in the hospital, she receives an additional fifty dollars a month for a period of two months. Claims amounting to more than seven thousand dollars have been paid during the three years. At least five of these were claims which would not have been allowed had the members held individual policies. LoutsE J. RoBertson. UNION TEACHERS CREDIT UNION Score again for No. 2! Always out in front with progressive activities! At the last meeting on Oct. 10, Mr. T. W. Doig, Field Organizer for the Credit Union National Extension Bureau, presented in a most convincing way the service which this sort of agency is performing for many such groups all over the land. About 35 of the men present responded to the invitation given after the speech, to indicate their interest in the idea. The next morning a group of 13 met with Mr. Doig at our Union headquar- ters in the Congress Bank Building and made formal application to the State Banking Dept. for a charter to begin business. While this has not yet been received, there is no doubt it will be forthcoming as soon as it can be disposed of as matter of routine. Already, the necessary book- keeping equipment has been received from Bos- ton and as soon as definite answer comes from the application, we shall be ready to call a meet- ing of all interested, organize formally, and be- gin business. One loan agency in Chicago is said to have at least 2,000 Chicago teachers on its books! That should convince the most skeptical of the serv- 32 ice a Credit Union can perform for our Union teachers. It is known that 85% of our populace does not have credit facilities at any bank and so must go to other places, usually loan sharks, when emergency arises that makes short time credit necessary. Illinois law allows as much as 3% a month on unpaid balances, whereas Credit Unions are allowed to charge no more than 1%, which yields its investors an attractive profit. A large teacher Credit Union in a neighboring city is able to pay its investors a return of 6% com- pounded quarterly, an investment which in addi- tion is unusually safe, for Credit Union experi- ence has shown almost no defaults. See future issues for further news about Union Teachers Credit Union and WATCH US GROW! H. S. Becurort. WILKES-BARRE, LOCAL 211 Wilkes-Barre township, local 211, held its an- nual meeting at a dinner in Hotel Redington on October 29. The following were elected officers for the 1930-1931 season: Catherine Jones Han- nis, president; Barbara C. McGlynn, vice-presi- dent ; Stephen Shinal, financial secretary ; Thom- as Flaherty, recording secretary; delegates to Central Labor Union, Victoria Leagus, Catherine Jones Hannis and Stephen Shinal. Among the important matters under considera- tion was the legislation affecting teachers to be furthered in the next legislative session. The officers were instructed to work in close coopera- tion with the other branches of the American Federation of Teachers in this connection. Plans were discussed for a joint dinner to be given later by the various locals in this vicinity. The entertainment committee was instructed to formulate a program. Charles Kutz of the State Federation of Labor explained the progress being made in the work of organizing various branches of teachers. He also commented on the legislative program of the Federation. FULTON COUNTY, GA., LOCAL 183 The Fulton County Teachers Association has elected for the coming year the following officers: president, W. F. Dykes; vice-president, Mrs. Homer Wilson; secretary, Mrs. R. T. Adenhold; treasurer, Mrs. Thomas Lewis; delegates to the Atlanta Federation of Trades, W. O. Speer, J. E. White, R. H. Lampkin, and B. B. Purcell. THE AMERICAN TEACHER —. News of Our Members Professor John Dewey, New York Local § who recently retired from active teaching a Columbia University, will give a series of lec tures at Harvard University during the winter, The treasurer of the University of New Mexi- co has announced the establishment of the Lydia J. Trowbridge Foundation for the benefit of stu. dents of the university. Mrs. Trowbridge (Chi- cago Women) has long been interested in the | School of American Research of the Archae- | ological Institute of America, which is affiliated | with the University of New Mexico, and has | often participated in its field expeditions. Mrs. Trowbridge conveys to the University real estate in Santa Fe whose revenue is to be | devoted, excepting a small annuity during her lifetime, to aiding deserving students. Highest | appreciation for this generous foundation is ex- pressed by the officials of the university. | Miss Lillian Herstein of Chicago Local 3 spoke | } at the Annual Conference of Vocational Teachers of Wisconsin in Milwaukee on October 3lst. Miss Herstein addressed the section of Teachers of Cultural Subjects on the subject “The Edu- cation of the Worker.” Miss Herstein will also address the Illinois Association of Teachers of | | English at Urbana, Illinois, November 21st, on GL the “Realities in Public Speaking.” 7. Miss Josephine Doniat of Local No. 3 has 14 : been appointed Dean of Girls, of Crane Junior College. Miss Alice J. Griffin has received the appoint- ment of Personal Director of Crane Junior Col- lege. The reorganization of Crane Junior Col- lege has come in an opportune time for recog- nition of merit for members of Chicago Local No. 3. The American Academy of Political and So- cial Science will hold a conference on “Security in Industry” at Witherspoon Hall, Philadelphia, December fifth and sixth. Professor Jesse H. Holmes, Professor W. Carson Ryan, and Professor Paul H. Douglas will represent the American Federation of Teachers at this conference. ARE TEACHERS WORKERS? Progressive Teachers Are Reading asii Labor’s News ing at The News Magazine of the Labor Movement af lec- to find out. V inter, Once a week, in 8 small pages, LABOR’S NEWS brings you a comprehensive survey Mexi. of the American labor scene, with high- Lydia lights on working class movements of y' Europe, Asia, and Australia. f stu- Written by 60 Federated Press correspond- (Chi- ents all over the world, and edited by trained FP staff men, LABOR’S NEWS fairly seethes with human interest. Published by the largest labor newsgathering agency in I; the Western hemisphere, authorities agree Hated that it stands alone as a reliable source of in the | Chae: | 1 has | labor facts. Send for Your Free Sample Copy Today! The Federated Press, ° 112 E. 19th St., ersity New York, N. Y. Please send me a free copy of LABOR’S to be | OC NEWws. 4 her | O Enter my subscription to LABOR’S h | NEWS for one year. I enclose $2. ghest 5 ex- DED Ce a0enbedGn Gee s00e668 0008 Sb 0K ORE teRK ED Sddnieeeenededtindeonsés406e6ese00s eu ie ee ee i edie een ae amass poke | hers 31st. hers edu- also ' e 2 LOCUST AT EIGHTEENTH STREET a Three minutes from the. y? p Center of Downtown St.Couis~ High Class Restaurant ard Coffee Shop~ Garage Service~ 350 ROOMS Each with private bath and shower~circula~ ting ice water.and electric fan~ RATES $) int- ~ol- ~ol- og- cal Down in Dixie he CLARIDGE lecomes You~ “0 ROOM wh with tub & aMS prculating ice water~ ctrnic fan & servidors~ 50- . RATES ity From “250 Ay ia, Mig ng 488, Restaurant onvement rage Service . 1 las ere ‘Memphis Mineral Baths will tone up your entire system. Physicians are strong in the recommendation of Saline-Sulphur Salts for rheumatism, nervousness, neuritis, lack of vitality, arthritis and other ailments. New Modern Hotel Overlooking Lake Michigan HOTEL WHITCOMB ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN is famous all over the world for its Mineral Baths, which have been analyzed by leading authorities and found to contain many curative qualities equal in medicinal values to those of the famous European Spas. The Hotel itself is located on a High Bluff overlooking the lake. It is completely modern and offers every facility for rest and recreation. Now isa good time to come. Write or wire Z. D. Jenkins, Manager, tor reservations and booklets. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE ENTITLED TO 1. A voice and a vote in the management of your school ; Independence of thot, freedom of expression and ex- ercise 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 im- portance of your office? IF SO JOIN THE HOST OF READERS OF The American Teacher Published by teachers for principle; net for profit THE AMERICAN TEACHER is the only teachers’ 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 Today THE AMERICAN TEACHER 506 South Wabash Ave. Chicago, IL wP f PP American Federation of Teachers . 506 South Wabash Avenue CHICAGO, ILL. i The American Federation of Teachers desires to estab- lish an intimate contact and an effective co-operation be- tween the teachers and the other workers of the community. The American Federation of Teachers desires to co- operate with all civic organizations for improved civic life. Groups of seven or more public school teachers are invited to affiliate with this National Organization of Classroom Teachers, for mutual assistance, improved professional standards and the democratization of the schools. Our Slogan Is: Democracy in Education: Education for Democracy “The American Teacher” is published monthly by the American Federation of Teachers. Membership dues carry subscription to the magazine. To all others the sub- scription price is $2.00 per year, 25 cents per copy.