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1904.] OF THE SENATE. 41
teachers, but we can not as a rule expect to get first-
class talent for the meagre and insufficient salaries paid
in many parts of the State. There is a practical una-
nimity of opinion that the amount paid the average
teacher is too small, especially when we consider the
brains required for the position, and the work of no
other class of people is so closely interwoven with the
highest interests of our political, social and civil life.
The State itself has fixed the standard of teaching very
high, but not too high, and in fairness the minimum
salary to be paid to any teacher should be fixed by the
State somewhere in proportion to the order of skill
required, and thereby encourage the best talent to
make teaching a permanent profession.
REVISE THE PUBLIC SCHOOL LAW.
Those who have to follow our public school law, and
who are familiar with its provisions, agree that it
should be carefully revised by men familiar with the
needs of our public school system, so that the law may
be equal to our new and modern demands and in keep-
ing with progressive school work.
The law as it now stands is to an extent a patchwork,
and it is in many instances inadequate and contra-
dictory. A careful revision of the law would relieve
it of these objections.
TEACHERS' PENSIONS.
The General Assembly, Chapter 196 of the Acts of
1902, adopted a most praiseworthy policy of pension-
ing incapacitated public school teachers who have
spent twenty-five years in teaching and who are over
60 years of age.
This measure has met with the approval of the pub-
lic school officials throughout the State. It has served
to an extent as a stimulus and an encouragement, be-
cause it is universally recognized that our public
school teachers are an underpaid class, consequently
only in rare cases can a teacher accumulate any con-
siderable means to provide against the inevitable in-
firmities of old age. The hard work, the small
salaries and the feeling of ultimate dependence
very naturally tend to discourage many capable
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