TEACHERS' SAL
ARIES IN THE FIFTH
STATE LEGISLATURE
Party Pledges to the Teachers
Platform pledges of politi
cal parties in New Mexico are
below par. The State conven
tions of both Democrats and
Republicans last summer went
squarely on record to do some
thing for the underpaid teach
ers in the common schools of
the State. A $1,200 minimum
salary law for first-grade
teachers was a prominent fea
ture in those platform pledg
es. And according to all re
ports both houses of the legis
lature were composed of Dem
ocrats and Republicans elect
ed on those pledges. Since
the Republicans were in the
majority in both houses and
had the governorship, too, it
may be well to quote the
words of their platform:
Just Pay for School Teachers
We advocate the payment
of adequate compensation to
school teachers and the repeal
of . the present maximum
teachers' wage law, and we
therefore approve earnestly
the resolutions submitted by
the New Mexico Educational
Association which read as fol
lows:
' 1. Remove all Constitu
tional limitations as to the
terms' of office of the County
and State Superintendents of
Schools to the end that they
are eligible for reelection as
often as the people desire and
provide salaries for these offi
cials commensurate with the
worth and dignity of the ser
vices rendered.
'2. Additional legislation so
as to make it possible to pay
minimum salary of $1,200
per annum to teachers holding
first grade certificates, or bet
ter."
What the Educational Associa
tion asked For
Under the law of 1919
teathers' salaries in ungraded
ural schools were limited by
the provision that salary and
maintenance should not ex
ceed $110 per month per room
for first-grade teachers, $90
for second-grade teachers, and
$60 for third-grade teachers.
