Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-12-26
LOCAL NEWS.
ADJUSTMENTS TONIGHT.

To-NldHT,
FORD's THEATRE.-Mr. John E. Owens will
tonight take bnnef' and will appear first as
ssAminadab Sleek" in the s.Serious FamiIy,' ,,
ard afterwards as i'Paul Pry," in the play of
of ceurse, sustain the prominent characters
with his usual and well-known ability, and
he VIII be ably supported by Mr.. Ford's fine
company. owens Is good actor and a real
gentleman, and deserves bumper.
GRovER's THKATER performances
are announced for to-day. In the afternoon,
"Camilla's Husband" and in the evening,
ShakspeaTe's grand drama, aOthello,- in
which the grand combination, WalIack, Da-
venport, and Mrs. FIrren sustain the rromi-
nert parts; and will, no doubt, as has ever
been the custom, win the appreciation of all OF
their audience. Thissis the last night but four
OF TIE great tragedy combination.
CANTERBURY & Christmas celebrated
yesterday at Canterbury Hail by an enter
tainmeLt In the afternoon and another In the
evening. Tonisht again another splendid
performance viii! be given, and Anuetta Gal
lett, Mons. Tophof, and Ronzsni ballet troupe,
and indeed the whole company will be as
usual brilliant and interesting. Sim has GER
tainly an admirable company.
RUSSIAN Wharf.-The panorama of the Rus.
sion War will lie exhibited at Odd Fellows
Hall. Seventh street, tonight again These
pain ms have been got up vi IN great care and
are really fac works of art, while the manner
of their exhibition never tails to bring ont ali
the most interesting points. Admirers of the
beautiful should By all means visit Odd>Fel-
lows Hall
STARVATION SALARIES FOR THE TE.cBFRS
OF THE PUBLIC SCHooLs.-The fact that the
Board OF Aldermen-while voting to increase
largely the salaries of almost every other
branch OF Corporation employees, even those
WhCse duties are comparatively nominaI-haye
refused TO make any advance upon the admit.
fedly inadequate remuneration OF the teachers
OF the Public Schools, has created no little sur.
prise amongst the friends OF our public school
system.
They certainly did, with that sort of face
tousness W hich is said to be not quite under
stooc by hungry people who when asking tor
bresd get a stone-they certainly did, in reject
ing the proposed ad vance, offer to two classes
OF the lower grade of teachers the enormous
advance OF $50 per annum! We are satisfied,
however, that IN thus placing themselves in
seeming hostility to our public schools the
members OF the Board of Aldermen have acted
under Misrepresentation OF the facts, and from
a iaudahe-but in this instance sinyularly
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. to economic the Cor
poration funds
We regret 10 notice also, q disposition ON the
part OF the Board TO depreciate the importance
OF the position OF teacher in our public schools,
and one member even offered to contract, to
readily supply on demand the places of orr
grammar school teachers by those eq uaily com.
potent and on the present starvation paw: less
pay than the lowest grade of Governmentcle clerks
receive. Inc member doubtless spoke in a
moment OF plque, and not from a deliberate es.
innate OF the qualifications requisite to II tn,
position of teacher in our grammar schools
An analysis was also entered upon To show
the exact number of hours the teacher spends
In his duties and the rate of pay, in that way,
ha receives per hour; measuring the teachers
responsibilities and duties by that remarkable
stan dard, something on the theory of the rural
fnap wEo held that he was S ~ ....cc uy the
clty dentist who charged him dollar for pull
ing tooth in less than haIf minute, while
his neighborhoOd practitioner ierked him about
The room fol a couple of hours by the jaw for
q ninepenCe!
But as we have already said, we do not look
upon the above mentioned action OF the Board
as its deliberate and final one upon the question,
as many OF the most intelligent and influential
members of that Board have expressed them
selves to decidedly in favor of giving the
teachers enc md al, living increase of pay In
view OF the general advance of prices, which has
made the remuneration so inadequate. In the
lower Beard of the city Councils q bill to that
effect passed last week by the decisive vote of
II tU4. We believe that the upper Board will
not be less inclined to do justice to class of en-
tear 81 MINI and body than any other in the
com N unity.
1t is time we realized that no successful
system OF public education can be mainta tanned
in this ely without a liberal expenditure of
money; and the "cheap or pauper system
where men and women are to be employed as
'the lowest bidders for job to 'sdo. the boys
after the style OF the celebrated educator,
WaCkford Sqlsers, will certainly never be
tolerated Ia Washington.
Tie parents of Washington are inclined 70
have the best teachers rather than the cheapest,
and about the last persons they wish to trust
their children to are the broken. down low
priced Candidates, who having failed to earn
their salt in every Other occupation under heav-
en-, are held mp a. proper persons to keep school
Tor Us, and ''do it cheap" They (the parents)
feel that few fitted by temper, In clination
and scholar ship for teaching, and hold that it
ought TO he n distinctive Profession in which
skill ard exl erience should Sc encouraged by
attracting TO and continuing suitable persons
in the employment and not make It place OF
refuge Tor cheap, shcddy inconipetents. They
are willing to pro1las ample means ana noia
faithful employment of them. Between these
TWO modes OF treating our public school sys-
TEN, the intelligent citizen or parent will not
grumble at the increase OF taxes therefor, pro-
yided the Board of Education does its part in
"running the machine" or system skilfully and
Il appears that the Board of Trustees, by a
nearly unanimous vote, declared in favor OF
preserving the existing ratio OF compensation
oy an Increase OF % per cent. on all the sala-
Ties. Those advocating this proposition IN that
board. were gentlemen distinguished for their
earrestness in endeavoring to improve our
system, who hold the teache. to the strictest
accountability; some of them gentlemen. Mr..
.. T.. Wight, fer instance, who conduct sue
cessfully private schools of the highest order
Ill might be inferred that this gentleman would
be disposed 10 craInp sys EN- which II en-
large and improved, must conflict with toe
peCunIary interests of private institutions; but
The record shows quite the reverse The mem
beers of the school board who advocated the in
crease cited the salaries paid IN Boston, New
York and Philadelphia, which before the Ia e
rise III prices, or change in nominal values,
were much larger than we are now payins,
ana yet most Of these cities have put on "a in
crease OF 20 or IS per cent ~
The cost of tuition for each pupil attending
the public schools of this city (oy a corps of
about sixty teachers) is less than eight dollars
per annum. The same number educated at
private institutions would cost not less than
twenty dollars per annum for the same stu dies.
1t may he fairly doubted whether the |" con-
tract system even would nnderbid the pri-
yate schools TO a greater extent than these
figures show In the Mae Grammar Schools
the cost OF tuition for each pupil is less than
llGxc aanla talo