New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-11-26
UNDERMINING THE SCHOOLS.
LOW PAY FOR TEACHERS.

The action of the Board OF Estimate ana
Apporonment in reducing the departmental estimate
OF the Board OF Education. by deducting the sum VI
sse 200 from the item teachers salaries, has caused
a great deal Of anxiety among the teachers Oh oo'n
sexes employed In the public schools. reporter Vi
THE TRIBUNE conversed yesterday Win Couini'
sioner Beardslee and other school Officers anu was
informed that tho Board OF Educaton' aiter caroiu
examination and full consultation Win all the o'"
mittecs Of the Board to the amounts required ior
each branch OF expenditure In their department.
ABROAD unon the very lowest sum that they
conld safely estimate for the year 1873 LOT
the support OF the public schools, anu sene "
10 the Board of Apportonment for their provisional
estimate. The amount thus estimated Tor salaries Oh
teachers anors supcrintendents clerks and employees
was s2oS65OD for supplies new buildings &c. so'1ooV
aud corporate schools under special act slo1oO-
making n total OF $36s3OOo Tne Board Of Apportion-
ment reduced tho estimate by deduc'lhg an amount
equal to seven per cent from the teachers saires'
The Board OF Aldermen restored tho OF sls65Oo to
the item OF teachers salaries. The budget has Dech
returned to the Board OF Apportonment Tor
final estimate, and II they override the
correction tho Board OF Education viii be
obliged to make corresponding rcouctioh !"
the teachers salaries 10 Is claimed that this oJec-
tionable OF the Board OF Apporonmeht mas pch
brought about by persons who endeavOreu 10 ln"uoo
the Board OF Education to reduce the salaries, ana IAN
ing there have quietly accomplished their ohlect III
another way. 1t is urged with great warmth that tue
departmental estimate OF the Board OF Education ought
not TO oyerruled and set aside by an outside bodu
which necessarily be ignorant OF many tue details
and the special wants OF great system like the cduea
tiona system Of this city, IL Is urged too tnat INC
gentlemen composing the Board OF Education are
men of large experience in this particular depart
ment OF tho public service, ana shOud De
allowed regulate the salaries and running expenses
the Department which they nave char-e anu W
which they devote daily great portion OF their uue
..FA rtt..u. Ia
for with much interest, and 1t is believed that II they
adhere 10 their former estimate aud reduce the teach
ers salaries will greatly embarrass the Board OF Eiu
caioa in providing for the schools In 1870 Great nl
Guilty is experienced in hiring competent teachers
on account Of the small salaries paid. and Is reared
that this further reduction in compensation VIII not
only shut out talented and women from deyoInF
themselves to this WORK. but may drive away many Vi
those now teaching in the public schools
TRIBUNE reporter also called on Henry kiddIe' C'V
Superintendent of Schools Thomas Hunter, PfinclpIl
OF tue Normal College MISS Mary a. snm', PrlnclPh
OF the Female Department Of Grammar School No %;
Miss Charlotte G. Wray, Principal of Primary Depart
mcnt OF Grammar School No. 40; Miss Susan Wright
Principal OF Primary Department of Grammar schooi
No. and Miss Clara NJ imonds. Principal OF Gram
mar school No. 80, ana conversed with them on TINS pro
posed reduction OF salaries.
VIEWS OF MIR. KIDDIE.
Mr.. Kddle sad: do not think the saht's
PAID at present too high, and | am satsne'
that the reduction wonld seriously embarrdS9
the Department. II we should reduce tue S"'
ares OF the male teachers in the first place
they would be very greatly discouraged. and instead
Of giving their whole attention to their work they would
be making an effort to HAD something else that woad
pay them better aud although We might not al present
lose the Of large number the result wonu DC
necessarily that where have one resignation We
should probably have four fiye. In that way Oh
Z .s,fff, nt
aud special adaptation for tins work. and Should be
obliged TO in their places by comparatively
new hands The same degree OF discoarlGemcAt
will be produced in the OF the female teachers who
at tho present time, exceedingly earnest z'aiol''
and ambitious 10 excel. And ANYTHING tHat Wouii
diminish that feeling deprcss 1t greatly to be depe-
Gated Even the agitation OF this question has been
dsastrous think that the minds OF the teachers have
been taken rom their work and they have been made
anxious ana their cs impaired Tho changes that
have occurred III the organzIOn Of the system during
the last Ave years created feeling Of uncertainty
in the mind, OF teachers tending TO reIres' energy and
earnest effort silce 1909 the system has been turned
over, changed, and reyOutiOnzsl three times. From
tho Board Of GcltiOn IN lCJ TO the Bo1rd OF Fable
Instruction, aud from that to the Department OF
Public Instruction in 1871. aud then back again to the
Board OF Education in 1873 The apprehension
OF new measures OF change OF policy IN the Board IN
Guiding scale OF salaries regulations g. has been
very serious mi ry During the preceding
lG years. from 1853 1862 there only change made
in 1894 The Board OF Public instruction made regua-
lions as to salaries inconsistent In this respect
while they established uniform rate of salaries for the
male principals and vicc-principals they based the
salaries OF the female principals and vice principals
both in the female grammar departments and primary
departments in schools, upon the attendance In those
schools To rcctfy That the Board OF Education last
February established scale OF salaries for prnei
pals aud vccprincipas OF all the schools, the same
however to be only prospective owing to the reluctance
OF the Board to reduce the salaries Of tbs teachers
The operation OF that regulation will be the means
Of saving during the coming year a considerable sum OF
money which has taken nto consideration BY the
Com nittec In making The estimates presentedto
the Board OF Appointment and which proposed to
reduce. Such reduction Will render IL necessary not
only TO lower scale but the scale OF salaries for all
the teachers. Tue subordinate teachers are paid at
comparatively low Ia the primary departments
beginning With $500 year. tho average being $780, The
female grammar schools average S67, AMI the msle
$3.50 The teachers who take these positions are
obliged to go through a long preparation and pass
severe examination before they admitted to teach
IL may be said that that the work they oblSedto
perform IL very abOrous and exhaustive ana
often very prejudcial to their health owing to the
crowded condition Of very many OF the rooms proper
ventilation is impossible. There are some cases III
which the salaries not judciousy graded but these
the present Board Is not responsible for and rapidly
adopting means to rectify. The Finance Committee
made allowance for all these prospective reductions and
have presented to the Board OF Apportionment the
lowest possible necessary to conduct the schools
with efficiency and success during the coming year
do not think the course of study could DO modhed IN
such way as TO reduce TO any great extent the eXpend
itures Of tho Board for 1875.
VIEWS OF PRESIDENT HUNTER.
Thomas Hunter freely expressed his views. He SAID;
No lhoughtful citizen blame the Board OF Appor.
onmeut for their efforts TO cut down the enormous Oad
under which the city OF NewYork Is at present