Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-04-11

The excitement over the nOn-payment o.
Tie teachers Of the District increases every
day.'-HdSs. dispatch n Tr1tEHs.
This correspondent OF the Tribuas who i 50
lnoustriOusly endeayoring TO embarrass the
District government, does net seem to be aware
that, unfortunately, il il no new thing for the
teachers of Washington 20 be unpaid. and
therefore that there Is not enough novelty about
Ut to create any great excitement" however
unpleasant il may be for the parties concerned.
Here, a. in Philadelphia and many other cities,
teachers have had long and bitter experiences
IN the way Of behind hand salaries. Only
year or two before the present District govern
Tnert came into power, the teachers were five
months behind in their pay, and held
series OF indignation meetings in con-
sequence, II will be remembered. II
4 shame that the harl-wOrking teachers
should be compelled 20 wait for their moderate
salaries, and We had hoped that the evil would
be remedied by the new District government;
hut IL seems that It is the old difficuIty over
again OF the want of resources to sustain orr
CuOT mOusiy burdensOme school system. The
school fund has not been diverted to other ex-
pehditures, as charged, but it has not proved
adequate TO pay for the erection OF the new
school buildings (Ordered by the old CORPORA
tiOnl and TO provide for the salaries
OF the teachers, AMI the other working ex-
Pebses Of the schools at the same time
We should be glad to learn, however, from the
controller, or whoever is qualified TO give the
information, why il Is that the contractors tor
tie school buildings, or those to whom they
sold their acquisitions, should be preferred
creditors to the school teachers. In any event.
the pay OF the teachers should have been heId
sacred, because they work for a small fixed sal
airy, and cannot afford TO submit to shave.
whereas contractors are pretty apt to leave a
margin for that in their estimates
Instead, however, of abusing the District
government IN the matter, the correspondent
IF the TrbWHs should bestow his eensure upon
Congress for failing to aid in sustaining the
exceptional burdens OF the free-schoOl system
in this District.
Cen Walker, sup eTintendent of the Census.
IN ~ome remarks az the Inauguration of the
Seaton School Building, set forth the eircum
stances OF exceptional difficulty under which
the city Of Washington labors in maintaining
school system up to the highest demands OF
the age. He presented data showing that the
school taxOf Chicago for the previous fiscal year
was FL cents for each 500 of taxable
value; of Boston, 40 cents; of Baltimore y;
cents OF Philadelphia, % cents, of Gin
cinnai, 50 cent; OF St. Louis and San
FRANCISCO, 10 cents; of Washington 30 cents
The reasons for the remarkable difference to the
disadvantage of the citizens of Washington.
Il in the large amount of real estate which is
exenp; from taxation "a the property of the
General Government; and the fact that the
taxpayers in this comparatively poor city have
had 10 shoulder the entire cost of providing
school accommodations for the children of the
nOn-tdx-paying acknowledgements en-
r'inySs, and the immense number of contra
bands thrown upon Washington by the war;
Despite the fact that these exceptional bur-
dens have fallen upon Washington through its
being the seat Of government, Congress has
failed thus far to grant to this District even the
ordinary donation OF public lands il has so
Freely gwen to the various States and Terri /
tories Tor school purposes. We trust that Con- /
,ress Will do this simple act of justice to the |
District next session, and in the meantime that /
the District authorities will take such steps as
viii insure, without fail, the regular payment of
the teachers.