New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-12-21
nHETNACHERS RECEPTION
,,,,, o,rpSr,oN Or SALARIES.

pr,n AND MAYOR g. d. II. vANcE-A I""
AGAINST PUTTING TIE TEACHERS oN ''""'A
TON WAGES
r,o Doo.mbcr reception of tho School Teachers
.ao;o,;or of this city was held at Steinway Hal
a Saturday evening The hall was filled
~;,h the members of the Association ana
their friends The platform was occupied
by gentlemen prominent in the ecuca''on"'
interests and government OF the CIR, 'nci"u-
ing MAYOR Vance. who presided, and ID. ~. L.
Switzerland, the President of tho Assoc'atioh'
with also Controller Green Chiei-Jusice Day
and Judges Shea. Larrcmore. Curtis, ana DAVIS;
the Hon. John Wheeler. President OF the bsa'u
~ Anportionment School Commissioners Farr
Baker, Brardsley, and jenkins; inspectors Hs
new and Leyerich: School Trustees Wright
Girard. Ranney. Merrill, Church, Cieary, ana
Cook: Snperlntendents Jasper. McAulen, ana
Calkns: President Hunter Of the Normal College,
Z. u Kicrran. Clerk of the Board of Education. and
Iobn Davenport Deputy Clerk; Thomas Boese,
formerly Clerk of the Board and now Clerk OF the
Superior Court; Gen. j. c. Pnckney.ECleik OF the
Common Council; Alderman Koch, the Hon. John
II. Strahan. the Hon. Samuel A. Lewis, the Hon. A.
Nelson Bach ard Col. T. A. COnkling. Tho eXer-
cises consisted Of brief addresses and vocal anu
instrumental music and readings.
Tho meeting was called to order by the President
of the Ass ,ciaion. Mr.. Southerlald, who made tue
following preliminary address:
The time having arrived for our exercises 10 "epi
secms no more than last should say word 10 you
hforc introducing The presiding officer OF the evening.
IYii Il, Al rerenon or entertainment we have had
s,noc J:ne The Intention OF the Committee was %
have had earlier IN the FAIL out, n'or'uha'eV "0
had our usual salary and we were trOuoIsd' lou
know VIC caunot r,icioe when there is sorrow IN the
house. But fortunately begin TO see our way GEAR
and we Thought Mt the close OF mo year. was no
more than Ist right sad proper that We should come
together and look upon each Others faces and see no"
the wear 4, rnnaing with ia. Daring the excitement
over this troublesome question: which seems 10 bother
Us periodically. found that our committees ana our
friends wero courteously Elndy an peasfh'1
in every p're ana very much surprise we roma
that VT ha not al e nv Egcry Dolly WAS our friend
and In very mauy Instances We FOUND that
everybody was o friend indeed. and wo eau
say truly tongli they friends in need Sow'
we ar hy a1nsrad tonight by TIE presence OF nota-
bic people OF p'af rn. Of gentlemen who nave zone
us the honor ~ c. VITA U.s. to be associated WIN us
during Tho exercises OF the December reception. con-
gratu We nv fren the strength OF the Association
tonight We the lar sest OF any teachers assOcia
ton in this country and thiuK in the world. We are
all bound together we working III unity, with har
mouy all through it. and rust before many months
have passed Nv that shall have our roll the name
OF every teacher in the City aud County OF
not for the purpose OF sociabty alone but that we
may cure and strike out many Of the evils which nave
crcp, into the public school system. and that we meet
every day aud hour OF day, and ought really to
be the ones TO them away There are many things
that fail 10 share that we ought to take care or
and as teachers We must do them right early.
The Board OF ApppOrtionment have almost
settled this question Of salary. aud think that can
get the pre- siding o.er OF that Board 70 stand up here
tonight and say that salaries shall not be touched.
It would be a Merry CHRISTMAS to you all. wish you
all Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Ihave now the real pleasure OF introducing 10 youhs
Honor the Mayor VINO has been school officer for
many years. He is best friend; he is our true
friend. and he has been friend OF the school and
friend OF the school teachers for many years past
trust shall conduct ourselves THAT he will be
our friend as oag as be lives. and may he live thou
sand years have nov the pleasure ofiptoduoinS his
Honor the Mayor, Samuel B. II. Vance. tAppausel
B, the programme notice that the speaker Of the
evening is Mr. wtelaw Reid, who has kindly consented
to deliver address here this evening Iapprehend
that he Will much moro fully and say great deal
better than what is desirable for your nforma-
ton tonight. and without OBTAINING you for single
moment will inrod you Mr. whitelaw Reid, the
orator OF the evening.
Mr. Reid was received with applause. He said:
The programme. and the Mayor. have threatened
you with "An Address" What I promised was
to talk for five minutes while the audience getting
their seats and getting ready for the entertainment
that has brought them here bave notion OF making
y performance much worse than the promise as to
keep back the entertainment by long spsech-making.
In the few words do mean 10 saw, let me come at
once to the point The Board OF Appointment desires
reduction OF a hundred and eighty-six thousand dol
lars IL the estimates OF the Board Of Education The
Board Education Gays can spare the money In no
way but by pdrng down the teachers salaries seven
per cent Against that make bold TO declare that the
No. " fhev will DOt m
plsuse.l They have a monstrously expensive govern
nent the tunes are hard, their taxes constantly
swelling, aud they sorey need to practice public as well
as private economies But this wealthy and generous
community have not got down to the meanness
of scrimpng the wages Of the poorly paid teachers Of
their children They want first to strike at people who
can better afford 1t.
For example they pay their principals OF schools with
two hundred pupils twelve hundred dollars per year.
and they pay their Sheriff, sixty seventy thousand
dollars per year. For their school principals they get
educated and refined ladies and gentlemen. For their
Sherif5 they not infreQuently get-Jimmy OBriens!
They think 1t unreasonable to ask OF their Board Of
Education and need be OF their Legislature, that be-
fore their teachers dow any lower, there shall
be little equalization II worst comes to worst. they
would even be wiling to let two three Of their
highest paid ofioers worry along one-thrd their
present allowances. say beggary twenty-five thousand
dollars year. rather than pare OFF per cent each
from 0 crowd OF twelve hundred dollar principals Of
their chdron's schools. to mako up the deficiency.
tAppause
1t seems to me. and think 10 seems to great many
that have about low now In fixing teachers
salaries selfrespect Will permit lay 1t down
proposition which. at first sight Will not be much
disputed that person t TO teach school OF fifty chill
dren from six TO thirteen years OF age ought paid
at least Is much bod-carrier Well you don't 90
Il nowi
happen, during the past year, to have had some
dealings with bod carriers. They informed me once,
with emphasis couldn't help recognizing that their
dxed for days work OF eight hours was two dol
tars and half aud that they wouli stop the work on
any building In tho city that didn't pay It, Counting