Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE NEWBERRY SUN FRIDAY, MAY 5, I960 1218 College Street NEWBERRY, S. C. 0. F. Arm field Editor and Publisher PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY Entered as second-class matter December 6, 1937, at the Postoffice at Newberry, South Carolina, under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: In S. C., $1.50 per year in advance outside S. C., $2.00 per year in advance. COMMENTS ON MEN AND THINGS BY SPECTATOR Some time ago I was called to the telephone by one of our ladies who is engaged in teach ing. She dissented so sharply from what I said on the aid that I invited her to write a letter setting forth my errors of judgment and statement. She accepted the invitation and was so gracious as to de liver the letter in person. I am almost tempted to provoke dissents if they will result in the pleasure of meeting such earnest and attractive critics. I now quote her letter in full: • It was with deep concern that I heard your remarks on last Saturday’s broadcast, on the subject of education in South Carolina. I deplore the fact that a man of your educa tional background should take such a view of education in South Carolina. You attacked the teaching profession’s efforts to inform their legislative representatives and impress them and the pub lic with the educational needs in our state. You stated in ef fect that undignified methods have been used to force the legislature into meeting teach ers’ demands. I believe you are entirely mistaken in this view. The teachers, individually and through the South Caro lina Education Association, have presented an honest and straightforward account of the facts concerning the needs of the educational program in our state. Yes, we have been insis tent in urging legislators to pass revenue acts that will pro vide money for an adequate school building program. South Carolina schools are woefully overcrowded and poorly equip ped. The South Carolina Edu cational Survey shows that 43% of our schools have no approv ed water supply, 33% have no approved sewage disposal, to cite a point! Yes, we have implored that something be done to stop the magnetic . pull exerted by other states on our teachers and en courage competent young peo ple to prepare themselves for the teaching profession. In 1949 between 550 and 600 white teachers of South Carolina left the profession. Out of an esti mated 3746 students graduating from South Carolina Colleges, only 47 prepared themselves and were certified to teach in South Carolina elementary schools. As educators and citizens we are not proud of the fact that South Carolina in the year 1947-48 spent 40 million dollars on hard liquor 29 million dol lars on tobacco and only 34 million 500 thousand dollars on the education of her children. That was almost twice as much spent for liquor and tobacco as was spent for education in oui state. I feel that the loss of dignity lies not in the teach ing profession’s positive and definite action to point out these facts to those who repre sent us as citizens in our as sembly, but in the fact that South Carolina led the nation in the number of educationally deficients who were registered during the war; South Carolina is third from the bottom among the states in the amount of money spent per student for public education. The vast majority of the teaching profession is greatly concerned about the welfare of our state and her children. Is this undignified? Your statement concerning the need for an investigation by the public into what is be ing taught, and the methods used, merely goes to prove the need for monetary recompence sufficient to attract enough competent, well-trained people into the profession. Conscien tious members of the profession regret deeply that there are, of necessity, unqualified and un trained teachers in our field of work as there are not enough available fully prepared teach ers to fill the positions open in the schools of the state. However, I do feel it is entire ly unjust to implicate the whole profession as you did on the grounds of a limited and un avoidable number of cases. The South Carolina schools are in critical need of support and of unbiased thinking on the part of such leaders of thought in our state as you are. I appreciate your courage and fairness in inviting me to pre sent my opinion and a defense of the case of the educational profession in this way. Yours for a better school pro gram in South Carolina. In reply I need not emphasize my teaching experience. Per haps that experience is one of the reasons for not approving the pressure tactics of the As sociation as such, as well as the energetic propaganda of many of the individual mem- oers. 1 have not attacked the teach ers, or their pressure campaign; 1 have commented on it some what mildly: if I had been at tacking it I should have re sorted to measures of organiza tion to combat the vigorous propaganda which has become a political issue. I have said frequently that we have many teachers whose services are beyond the meas ure of dollars. I have also said that the demand for high er pay for everybody costs the highly competent teachers the recompense they earn because the capable and the incapable are all bound together in a campaign that seems to em phasize nothing but money, at the same time telling us that the teachers are victims and martyrs of stingy, unapprecia tive people. There is something that my earnest critic overlooks: South Carolina is now paying enorm ous sums to Colored teachers and for Colored school houses. You might consult your County Superintendent about that. The State has just built two buildings for law schools.* one A the University and one at the State Colored College. I do not champion either build ing; I merely mention them. Years ago it seemed to me that South Carolina was under taking too much in the field of higher education. If the State must choose between a poorly equipped University and a first class College I should prefer the well-equipped College. It is entirely possible that we sup port some institutions that are beyond our means. Here we tread on sacred soil. Our first obligation must be to prepare all boys and girls in the fundamentals. I have not been impressed by a great campaign for facilities; if there has been such a cam paign it has been like a whis per amid the roar for more | pay. Of course first-grade teachers cannot do their best work with thirty five or forty little fellows, each of whom needs attention. How glorious must be those consecrated spir its who have toiled successfully amid such conditions! I offer my homage to them. True it is a matter of opin ion, but the clamor for pay is from those who seek it for themselves. I let it stand at that. I still think so, however i unpleasant it is to find myself in disagreement with those whose high sense of duty com pels my admiration. As to lack of approved wa ter supply, I wonder what the South Carolina Health Depart ment will say to that. We have a law about water in all pub lic places. The leaving of teachers is a debatable matter: sometimes they marry; but men and wo men of all professions go to other 'States; and sometimes people come here from other States. What about the young men who study electrical and tex tile engineering? Don’t they go to other States? ! South Carolina has made great strides in encouraging in- iustrial development: that will provide opportunities for many. I am told that there are 600 South Carolinians in Dallas, Texas. So far as I recall, they are not teachers. I know . a I line doctor, remembered by me as a chivalrous lad from Barn well County, now a successful practitioner in Delaware. And many thousands of South Car olinians, not teachers, are found all over the nation. Incidentally I am told that one of the really rich men of Texas was reared in Newberry County. He went to Texas, but he wasn’t a teach er! We have newspaper and magazine men in the North. I haven’t heard any clamor from martyred newspapermen; and they serve the public! Although I am a “dry” I don’t find any logic in citing the figures on the amount spent for liquor. We might tell of chewing gum, candy, “soft” drinks, cosmetics, “permanents,” hair-washings, tobacco, baseball, the movies, foot-ball and can asta. The State doesn’t drink the liquor; nor do the heavy taxpayers. The heaviest tax payers are Rail Roads, Textile Mills, Power Companies. Do the Corporations smoke and chew? No; and they don’t buy lipstick and permanents. Statistics may be cited for almost any contention, so I may remark that even if South Carolina rates as third from the lowest in the amount spent for education, it is to be noted that in 1948 South Carolina was among the three lowest States in per capita income pay ments, only Mississippi and Ar kansas being about in our class. Our friends who advocate high er spending because of what other States spend might spend a little time studying how much income we have. If we seem to be spending in proportion to our income we may not be open to rebuke. (Continued on Page 8) Married Man Under Fifty . - . Electrolux Corporation has available a profitable opening for a young married man under 50, with car, in established territory for Sales and Service. Write for interview giving details about yourself to P. 0. Box 5112, Columbia, S. C. EXTRA!! EXTRA!! EXTRA!! —READ ALL ABOUT IT— Our mission in life is selling more and more ICE, and to promote the use of more ICE we are going to sell our complete stock of ICE CROWN FREEZ ERS and small ICE CHESTS, or Pic Nic Chests, at less than our cost and charge the difference up to advertising. We have 16 Dolly Madison 4-quart Electric Freezers going at $12.50 each. This Freezer retailed last year at more than twenty dollars. We have 11 White Mountain 4-quart Hand Freezers going at $7.50 each. They retailed last year at more than $10. We have a limited quantity of various styles and sizes of PicNic Chests—all at less than our cost. Terms are strictly cash to all and it is first come, first served. 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