Voters

The school affairs of San Antonio, Tex. are turbulent. They are so turbulent that the Board of Education has had three presidents in 14 months. San Antonio teachers, whose pay was cut 38% in 1932, chafe under a six-hour-a-day grind in classes, monthly salaries of $75 to $160. One board president ordered teachers not to attend public dances or drink alcohol. School buildings are in disrepair. San Antonio high schools are in danger of being dropped from affiliation with the State Committee on Classified and Accredited Schools because of overcrowding. Last fall San Antonio's teachers threatened to strike, were dissuaded by stern warnings that teachers' unions were not wanted in Texas.

But the threat resulted in the calling of a referendum on a $550,000 bond issue to raise salaries, repair buildings, hire more teachers. To vote in San Antonio, however, citizens must be on the tax rolls, declare property valued at $10 or more. This presented a problem to the city's low-paid teachers, who own little besides personal possessions. The resourceful teachers solved the problem, however, by hastening to declare the personal property that tax-dodging citizens ordinarily do not list. Blonde, comely Lee Ray Chandler listed her cello. Janitor C. C. Woodward declared his cow. Teacher H. P. Kuntz admitted his rifle. Others listed watches, rings, pins.

Last week San Antonio's citizens marched to the polls, by a two-to-one vote defeated the bond issue. The Property Owners Defense League and city political machine had won. Next morning the teachers awoke to a grey day. They had not only lost the fight to raise their salaries but, unlike their opponents, would have to pay taxes on their cellos, cows, watches.

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