Letters, Mar. 27, 1939

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Big Shots?

Sirs:

In regard to the "Fair Refugees" letter of E. P. Waterman (TIME, March 13), I should like to know if he and his friends are natives of New York City. If so, they can't be afraid of the out-of-town friends who may call them up for they have probably never been farther from home than Philadelphia.

Perhaps they come from Iowa or Arkansas and are afraid their old acquaintances will look them up and discover they aren't the big shots they have claimed to be. ... I would suggest that E. P. Waterman & friends not only campaign for the San Francisco Exposition but go themselves. The trip across the U.S. would open their eyes to the grandeur of this country and they would be amazed at the friendly spirit existing in the West.

MARY ANN EDELEN Syracuse, N. Y.

Umpires Up

Sirs:

I notice in TIME, March 6 in the Miscellany column, that mention is given to the recent announcement that all semi-pro baseball umpires henceforth will wear striped uniforms to distinguish them from players' suits. . . .

It is the contention of Ray Dumont, president of the National Semi-Pro Baseball Congress, that arbiters should demand and get respect from the fans. The best way to do this, Dumont contends, is to eliminate any duties that "lower" them in the eyes of fans.

Dumont says the action of stooping over to dust off the plate, which is nothing but a bit of janitorial work, should be eliminated forever. He's taking steps to do just that in the U. S. semi-pro finals here next August. He is arranging to have a tube run out to home plate at the stadium here containing compressed air. A man in the press box will push a button and the air will dust off the plate automatically!

Don't you agree that an umpire belittles himself by dusting off a plate? The semi-pro umpires will never have to lower themselves again. . . .

JACK TODD Assistant Manager K.A.N.S. Broadcasting Co. Wichita, Kans.

Teachers Indicted

Sirs:

In the Feb. 27 issue, p. 60, under "No. i Problem," TIME left itself wide open for a K. O. and here it is.

TIME does not make clear whether it is expressing editorial opinion or quoting Harvard's eminent Conant when it says, "teaching attracts a less able group than any other profession," teachers know too little about their subject matter, too little about children, too little about social conditions, and teachers "don't like children." TIME views as "alarming" the state of ignorance of America's million teachers, condescendingly admits that teaching "is an honorable profession" (as though anyone doubted it) and goes on to say that the 100,000 youngsters who begin preparation for teaching each year are "earnest if not top-notch."

Pure Hokum! . . . How can one (even an editor) "generalize" about America's million teachers? The range from top to bottom in the teaching profession runs the entire gamut of human ability from genius to moron (as it does in all professions). . . .

J. HARRY ADAMS Principal Central High School, Bay City, Mich.