New-York tribune., 1874-11-21
FALSE MUNICIPAL ECONOMY.
TEACHERS SALARIES OUGHT TO BE IN
@ CREASED, NOT CUT DOWN.

TEACHERS SALARIES OUGHT TO BE IN
CREASED, NOT CUT DOWN.
A LETTER FROM COMMISSIONER wOOD-roo MUCH
ATTEMPTED IN THK GRAMMAR SCHOOLS AND TOO
LITTLE IN THE PRIMARY DEPARTMESTs-HALF
MILLION MORE OUGHT TO BE ExPESDED-THs
FOLLY AND PERIL OF REDUCING SALARIES.
TO the Edftor Of TAs Tr'ba"e.
SIR: / notice that the Board OF Apportion-
nent has cut down revised estimate OF the Board OF
Eiucation for the expenses OF 1875 rom S'oo'"o y"
g. 3sOO and that II this deduction be persisted IN tho
sam Of 900 will have 70 be tied from the saa-
res OF the already poorly paid teachers aud tnst ths
sam T. about per cent Of their salaries.
II may be asked II this deduction be not carried out
where can the necessary saving be made m the eiy
taxes to which reply general terms anywhere else
by the result of four years experlence a. schoo
Commissioner that the Pube School system OF TINS Guy
is carried only too economically, the result to DO
attained is the thorough Instruction OF children
Instead Of reducing the expenditure feel very certain
that order will be neees
sary very considerably Increase the contemplated ex
peDditure.
At present We are paying great deal OF money Tor
system OF cheap and inefficient instruction; there 10
good deal OF show but a great want Of thOroughness,
and the foundations OF the attempted 20 be
raised badly laid by Inferior workers In order that
the snpersructure be carved aud gilded, aud so
present pleasing appearance TO the general pubic
which never looks below the suTIAce L nolu now anu
always have held right OF the government Of
the city to int with education OF the people
arises simply fact that the general diffusion OF
education affords the best protection TO person and
property fact the cheapest and most efficient
system OF police.
In round the Public Day Schools OF the city
comprise say 10000 pupils or these again IN round
numbers 1900 are In grammar schools and c. 600 In
the primary schools. While several Of the former are
admirably managed and give very thorough eduea-
ton this by the with al Of them, and
with respect the whole body OF The grammar schools
Of opinion that far too much Is attempted 70 be
crammed the unfortunate pupils. What do you
think OF the following array subjects for pupils Of
the third second first gradesthat +, Of the three
highest grades where the boys and girls are generally Of
the ages OF from II Is: Mechanics. hydrostatos,
pnenmatcs. acoustics, pyrOnOmics optcs' magnetism
electucity astronomy. and chemistry" The enumers-
tio1 absolutely takes away ones breath OF course ihs
Is what ST. Paul desgnaiesas Science ial-elys0 called
lJr must De- the merest smattering which tae pupils
carry Of one OF these sc'encrs and t1ese
mark YOU are mere blossoms tie Of kno Wedge,
lhe and branches. consisting la te three Grades
referred % Re- ding spelling. mental and written
arithmetic, Eagi,h grammar. History Of the Caited
states. etymOlogy, outlines Of physical geogrip1y,
Algebra book-keeplng general history. rudlnents OF
plane geometry, penImanshp ami drawing, aud IN al
den To this ihcre regular and extensive cour>e
OF studies the German language ana am told max
or Writug German script AiAl -lil7 thn
Engn,h wiring OF the pupils. Clier certain clai ijus
the French qua s1io taught iu Tie second 90 arsE
grades OF the grammar school Tie expense Of
teaching both Ian gIagcs u sh well be saved 20 the tax
payers l. in common vith larSe minority ot my col
leagues in Board OF Pl1Lc Instruction. tred to
introduce a simpler course OF study but werc' as
I think, unfortunately unsuccessful.
My own frank and candid OpiulOn Is that ae-er the
German French language ought 20 be 'ausat 10
our PlbIc schools. but Ouy that magnificent anguage
IN which our laws written and winch the vas, ml
oriy citizens speak, aud which t Is therefore A
soutey necessary that all OF them should fully l-der-
stand that they may efficiently discharge the vri0u,
duties Of citizenship Tue object % Public school
system is 10 good American citz -n--not 10
perpetuate 10 future generations the accident Of an
adopted citizens BIRTH The foreigner on oeeom ng a
citizen forswears allegiance 70 MS native sovereign
Why should be not loyaly adopt the hnslaGe ol ms
adopted country Tor himself. ana especlaiy Tor MS
Children instead trying keep tho alens 20 tleF
language and a certain extent ID uier holgats'
feelings and az ci.Jls, J winch l-lz1s Is ,-. A-cea
sary vclc.ef
Eut while 5000 n iren On rouId nu nher. tae
Grammar schoo.s. s. 800 eler tn Prml-y s--oJs Il
i. manifest therefore mat on h 9t THIS number never
enter the Grammar schools a1t tnat a tLe rrlcuon
they ever receive is primary ins.ru'roo. O--it bot
fni. therefore 10 DE OF the most thorough anu eeEi
kIndf But what Is the FACET Ia the Pfim iry .o's
only one teacher Is allowed for every uIY -oidIr'
while n the Grammar schools one teacher lsaO"tdi i"
every hiry-nve scholars no. oay So uIt tAt teachers
ID the Primary s-4oo.s receive much lower salaries i-aa
those IN the Grammar s.Aoos. aud t.e-. D.. colse
lueutv constant drain ~ Ia -ot tea. .lrr, ~ the
primary scAoo from thtn 90 the super ~ cam nti
and higher rank Cf the Grtuu4r s'ho''.. 4lrse
fbi.cs onglt not 80 to be-" o. tie contrary. 9 i'r' Is
10 Dr.. any dIscrmna lon with regard % the nn-i1ef d
scholars allotted d one teacher, ho smaller nu-Der
ought 20 De IL the Pru ry schools, orr Vlo las
a.. Ii llN Wl I
urinary teacher Is tie harder VI he tE0. Tl--e I- Ius
or no elasticity n the minds of the Younger children.
and 10 Is OIL Uy The utmost pI.leu a"d p-F'r rance
Ia well doing t-e elements vi lnatle.a sfe .n!o
ducei into tAe ADS 0i tle pupils o. he 1tu- Aibd
tl Grammar school teachers nave fle mind. oi t-eu
pupils prepared 20 c-Iye iu-trIcD p. ald al,-ols-
thew are called UPON 90 communicate higher grade o.
~,.rtop vat maintain taat tie & icI.tcs they hIvt
20 encounter are really than those of Tie primary
teacher BIt 20 propose that tie ora uaf io1i
teacher should undertake the management OF more ilar
thirty five pupils. that the b. MARY teacher sAohe
not be- called upon 90 teach more IAN tat nl Jlr ioi
AN sule tn4t cannot a. - Ell 'u.y 1a Do is Of
,.er,,lel.,ur Importance vi d ,ls 81 tA- ,1I.e O
orr civ that the prl ry instruction should 0e 'f TIE
mot thorough al ei lent kli -aat ,le t4'ls4lA
o. cAi.dral wuO yearly .eay. o.r Pu14- o-''-. "iih
ont gou. beyond IN Prulr1 J. p-~i-nentf. -l'ii ne
able AZ least 70 read with hlency an pen@ure b tlem
selves 10 write With facility and 10 De thoroughly ac
,,,ed with the fret four rule. OF arithmetic VIII
sucl mental equipment they have tlelr future cond
tou of lie very Lu a % Their oT1 htId-i nI, h they
are turned out into The woglI reading "ih dMcgity
hardly able 10 write their owA ntno,. aud hardly
abb. 20 coaut more t4an tAer oTu H. =, tAeg
might almost 49, " % have had 40 .uHl .. t; foi
they VIII v.sy speedily iors t-e l-- t-y have
learned.
To give one teach TO every ..r5 tr' chi ru in ih
Primary schools instead or To every dry AZ present.
would require. iu round mum 'er'' an outlay OF tHJ
s,o o more anuua y o lrcrelse tie salaries o.
the primary teachers eq Iaty Fitl those Of The
Grammar school teachers woai1 PROBABLY require about
-. o ..r I'm, nnlL tnaL .nls -n.r.a.-L Al-.llur,