Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-01-14

school Teachers, SALARIES.

PofNA Va
The argument seems to be, first, that those
who are chosen in December to take their
seats in January, cannot be supposed to know
so much about the teachers as those who have
been in office for a year, and we visited and
examined the schools.
Secondly, /" that all the ordinary prefump-
tons of life are thus reversed
To the first argument l reply that the PEG.
pie Of Worcester elect their municipal officers
to take their places on the first Monday in
January in each year--the Mayor, Aldermen.
Common Council, School Committee. &c.: and
they suppose that when the newly elected Of
hcers take their seats, their predecessors re.
tire, leaving the work of the year to be done
by the new members. And so far as l am &C.
quainted. this has long been understood as the
rule; so that all the appointments made by
the Mayor, all the officers elected by the CITY
Council are, or are liable to be, changed at
that time, and as yet no disruption of the If
fees of our city has taken place. For when
the old officers are discharged, new ones, more
saiisiactoryto the government, are elected, SO
that the wheels still move on undisturbed.
And to the second argument, that all the
ordinary Prescriptions of life are reversed, l
reply, that this cannot be true, for the Presi-
dent OF the United States, being elected for
four years, appoints his officers for that or any
shorter time. But with him, his cabinet and
all the officers Of his appointment cease TO ex-
Isl, or are liable to have their Offices vacated,
The States elect their Governors, who appoint
in turn, their set of officers, and when their
terms expire they all retire. And the cities
and towns do the same each year finds a new
set of municipal officers in our cities, and who
thinks of complaining Does the President
appoint or elect the persons who are to fill the
offices of his successor Do the Governors
appoint the State officers fer their successors
Do the Mayors of our cities, after having gone
through the year with the marshals, and DO
lice, with watehmen, and other officers of the
city, appointed by their predecessors, meet on
the last evening Of their existence, and elect
he.persons who are 10 become the officials for
the year to come: Is it believed that your
present Mayor would sit easily in his chair if
his predecessor had furnished him with the
necessary eorpsof officers for the present year
L think he would inquire for the documents
which conferred that power, and would re.
quire somewhat rigid scrutiny of that mode
of procedure which should thus pass him over
to control set of officers Of another's choice.
Perhaps it is best that this should be go alter
ed that they should serve the year when they
are not expected to. But at present it is not
so understood.
And not until the present time, and bv the
School Committee Of the city of Worcester.
has this custom been called in question. Was
it supposed that committee who have, dur
ing the past year, expended sum, which, di-
vided by the average attendance at the public
schools in this city, would amount to between
$l3 and $l4 scholar-wasit supposed that
committee the greater part OF whom, By the
returns of the last election, should have
doukfod 81 1aaot ,yIo Al.
really indispensable to the future exist/nce of
the schools of the city, must meet On the
Saturday evening previous to the irh Mon.
day in January and then and thtre de-
clare by their acts the total incompetence Of
the board that was to take their places. u saw.
was is 1t supposed that this committee, wA,. in
the honesty of their hearts, and in obedience 70
the dlctites OF conscience. committed, as F."
say& the treasury Of the city TO the payment
o. those salaries for Il year to come Was it to
this committee that the citizens of Worcester
intended TO commit the guardian care of the
school Board, who were on Monday evening
to succeed them Then, indeed, might thew
exciaim-" o, ten,pore! o, nsores p
The argument which was pressed upon the
present board, and "the force of which
must have been felt,'' was that the CITY was
committed to the payment Of the sum voted.
In regard TO the " force of it, when that ar
gument was made, it was done in very dig
niied and suitable manner But its effect. |
regret to say, was quite the reverse of such
good arguments usually, for it recoed on the
person who had the honor to make it, having
no effect whatever on those it was designed
to convert. But I do not propose to 90
into that; suffice it to say, it was not beliey-
ed to be at all relevant TO the case, and was so
received. WISH G better side to F.'s argu-
ment next time, leave it, and have but one
thing further, at this time, TO reply. F. saws,
"FIhere are some teachers whose acquirements
are SO accurate and extensive, and whose ge-
mus for instruction is so great, that no pecu-
mary compensation would be extrayaoant that
might be necessary to retain their services
There are Others whom it would be better for
the city to support in idleness, than to suffer
them TO cross the threshold of our schools"
l regret that T. should have thus openly and
IN one breath, as it were, complained of the
gross indignity put on al the teachers for the
sake OF depriving a few Of a part of their legal
compensation. and at the same time so uncer
enormously attack the intelligence and sagac.
ity OF the last board, (wh)se legal adviser he
seems to 6e) for retaining in Office some whose
services are SO valueless, as that he should be
willing to say Of them, /" that thew should
r'S'SA NASTS bitS tAtiSbitOiNo VI OUT SCHOOLS.
Concerning this part of his article. leave the
teachers Themselves, for the present, to re-
join.
have now answered some of the objections
raised to the acts of the present school board.
do not suppose i to be their desire to de-
stroy the system Of education which has so
long OBTAINED IN this city. l suppose, on the
contrary, that no effort will be wanting on
their part to make our schools what they ought
to be. But while they attempt this, L verify
believe that there is and ought to be. a firm
faith i'll that inscrutable Providence which.
when it removes one great man from the
sphere OF his usefulness, will always supply
his place by another, so that the world and
our schools may still move on. Acting under
this belief there need be no fear that our
schools will be left without good teachers.
One word as to the duty of the COMMITTEES
OF last year. +. says that ''as the year had ex-
pred for which the achers had been EMPLOY
ed, the postponement of their rec election,
left vacancies in all the schools, which it was
the duty Of the last Board to fill. He also saws.
II 1t mad failed to do 30 it would have neglected
one o. ITS important duties, and justly in
CURED the censure of the community" Now
what is the facti BY the rule adopted by the
last year Board, they were the self.consti
tuted guardians Of their successors. One of
these rules was, that in the month of Decem.
Der the teachers should be elected, and their
salaries fixed for the year, sc. Now, therefore.
II as f. says, the old board would have been
justify censurable for not filing vacancies.
Esk, how far they relieved themselves of this
Just eensurable act,by meeting on tho evening
OF Jan. B, and re-electing those teachers, He
acknowledges that their places were all vacant
before the old board filled than Is tha oh