The New York herald., 1874-12-14
PRIMARY EDUCATION.
A New Movement in the Board
of Education.
THE SALARIES OF TEACHERS.
An Appeal for More Primary
instruction.

the present disturbed condition or the public
mind ID reference to the supposed c6htempated
action OF the Board OF Education as TO reduction
OF the salaries OF the teachers OF public schools
has awakened general inquiry among the friends
OF education as to the system Of instruction.
Following this line OF thought the result has been
to discover, on the part OF nearly all the members
or the New YORK Board or Public instruction, tnae
the reduction OF teachers salaries is not the right
place to scoqomize. II the present ratio OF pay
ment was to be interfered With 1t Is deemed By
those most conversant with the practical work.
ings OF the system that the change should
be made IN the direction Of equalization OF
salaries rather than In that OF reduction.
This controversy, which started on mere ques-
tion OF finance, has now outrun those limits, and
the more thoughtful members Of the Board, whose
attention to the practical results Of the present
system Of education has not been distracted by
the glamour Of showy exhibitions OF useless ac-
complishments. have arrived at the conviction
that to large extent-as far as practical educa-
tional atrainments are concerned-the present
system s fast eliminating. to use the orcible IAN
guage Of one Of the Board, into "a chronic sham.n
10 felt that the primary schools Of this city fail
in tho great cardinal principle OF American free
dom-tnat OF making them the intellectual nurse
ries of the whole people, and bringing to each
every department. OF necessary and useful knowL
edge.
WHAT COMMISSIONERS SAY.
With view OF sscertaining the opinion OF the
Board as to what would be the practical eject OF
this enforced necessity for the exercise OF econo-
my, q reporter OF the HERALD called upon Com
missioners Baker and Halstead. Mr.. Baker stated
distinctly that he felt certain that the Board
would not make any reduction In the salaries OF
the teachers. That In his judgment, would be q
very serious mistake. II any change were made
In this matter OF salaries 1t ought to be In the d-
rection or increase, not Of reduction; for the
instruction OF children, which laid the foun.
dation OF q character that budded forth
into citizenship and the exercise OF all
its rights, could scarcely be overpaid, however
however, no danger on the side or increase; ne
thought that that was even less likely than reduc.
ton He sho1d a. os Ea9 20 Sc
munerauon obtained. In 1871 the Board, as then
constituted, and which did not have the same
terested management as the present Board. gives
in its annual report for 1871, tho following ''rea-
sons for recent increase In tne salaries " seacn'
ers':-
In view OF the important chances which have been
tor raising the sanaara Of scholarship s n hc he
enes n teachers BY ,s their . s com n
PPsSs s
s'S va. s'Rn IL
But, IN considering Importance Of The work which
s !. S n14 wi, IN
reality an OF strict justice and proper economy
Whenever work Is worth doing It Is worth doing we'll
educating the young Of our metropolis and fitting Them
Should be fairly Besides all this the Board
ss ss o to and
in 1ucements the deserving It Is determined to rid the
system OF the unworthy II there be any"
WHAT THE PRESENT BOARD DID.
Tho exact condition OF the salary question was
sho v H. MIR. Baker said, in the Manual OF the Board
OF Education Tor the present year. 1t would show
that this Board had already reduced very con-
siderably the teachers remuneration.
SALARIES OF TEACHERS
AS there IS considerable mlscOnceptton as to the
salaries or teachers, the following list, taken from
the Manual OF 1874 article Ii, will serve correct
any mlsapprenenslon:-