The New York herald., 1878-02-24
TEACHERS SALARIES.
Different Views as to the Justice
Of the Reduction.
SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS VIEWS.

wuen the board OF Eoucatton recently reauuSteu tne
salaries Of the teachers on more UNIFORM and equta
BILE SCALE In conformity with the suggestions thrown
out by the HERALD . short time ago, It naturally
stirred up vertsbis hornets nest The HxRALD had
shown that out Of 81 300 600 hall a million per an
mum paid 10 the principals, who per-
formed teaching whatever. and that teach
crs salaries were not graded according 70
service, but by the caprice OF the local
school trustees. OF course every teacher whose sal
ary has been reduced has elt II rs great hardship
and the complaints already published In these COL
umns have given abundant testimony Of the fact that
the bed OF q School Commissioner like Mr.. wickham
or MI. Walker, or any other Of the valiant sixteen
who carried through the recent reform measure,
cannot be one Of roses.
INJUSTICE MRAsuRx.
The following Is another ompiaint which has been
received from one OF tho injured teachers in
schools, and the answer gwen by School Commits.
sioner Walker is also APPENDED
To rHr EDITOR or THE HERALD:-
Will you not. through the medium of your valuable
,hat the Board Of hducson have commttsd
has the reduction either uniform any
way ~ s. sSus s. or just or,n.,o. s., r.,.o
Or "",s
s1 apsn ps wSS AFFAIR n
.h.s has been and the citizens whose
looked II the matter were well ventilated:
lee Jsne M.ni.rrs and a.sa who nass fought Tor
grain Of Justice, but they being minority are
whom sspse. reward Tor their prsse"s sOo. cd rs
form political Offices higher than those they hitherto
Not one cent ha. been deducted from coutinxsns
and If these do not accrue something directly
working, conscientious teachers reduced starving
reduction has been made in any city department bu.
ours and were we men upon whom might depend possible
dreamed OF. But and It we have cham
pH S4 ns oa Say. VIII not Mr.
abuses, and whe you. through the columns Of
public psrpstrs.ors have
been forced by dnt OF public opinion to their unde
The present sehsdue is the injustice, tho
aaSoanasd inassS.s S.vs s'I re.c,ndsS
nscsssy may not s bear an equal share q the re-
70 ss this q the ssS a.s b: SGsy
~ -' 80 ''' -'''' -''' ''''' ''rs MINERVA.
4 SCHOOL ooMMIssIoNxR's RxpLY
Tho reply to this comm unoation was given yester.
day by one OF the School Commissioners, Mr. Walker
who had fought hard for the acopsion Of the new
schedule 1.-The writer OF this letter. said he .mis.
states many facts. She says that reduced the
womcn's salaries because they had votes. The
act is that The heaviest reduction tails upon the male
vice principals, whose pay was In many cases re-
duced from $500 to $4,000 She also says Ahat we
made no reductions in the building fund, while as
matter Of fact We cut II down from $t4o.Oo0 TO
$780, 900; IN the Nautical School, while We cut 1t
down thirty per cent; or in the contingent
expenses, which were also considerably reduced.
That the reduction OF salaries did operate
sQually true but neither should they have done So
We meant 10 reduce only those teachers principals
doing the same work and receiving far less pay, and
II s probably, quite true tnat vicc principals In
while neither principal nor teachor reduced
Than three or iour per cent Indeed, l,222 Of tho
wors. paid female teachers will receive svon three
and half per cent more than they did last year. The
lady who writes this letter has evidently suffered
considerable reduction Perhaps she ls a vice prin-
cspai Of ono OF tho small schools, whose
pay is cut down from $129S to $1,000
Well, Il so, ! claim on the part OF the
BY the Board that this reduction most just upon
Its very lace The vice prtnclps Is really only
stant teacher Of ne htghes grade and her salary IN
vico implies s that she represents prin
eipal when the latter 10 absent from sickness any
that not enougn9 Indeed, the Board OF Edncauon
has already recorded Its convicsion that should
OF had been long In the SER
and cherished the distinction which the title im-
ing SIS 600 10 $l 600 ip some Of the small schools or
pr,ncpaisms e. suPsrvas0nand As mus. we ron up
sive salaries for prlsclpalsf"
RYpEcrs OF THE REDUCTIONS.
Mr.. Walker was asked II. then the charge that the
new schedule operated harshly upon many deserving
teachers altogether untrue. .Not At alI,n said
ho "There are doubt cases vi individual
hardship IN which Special merit the teacher re-
CURED more recognition than he she may receive
undor the new schedule. But you must remember
that we have to doal with about three thousand
teachers. This much is certain that under the new
system the trustees Will not be able to pile on the
moneys allowed them Tor their school on any one
particular favoritc but compelled TO distribute
them UGH equally than they did before Tor now
the difference in he salary OF two successive grades
must not exceed $l00 per annun."
Mr.. Walker asked why our lay ydra-headed schools
were still Ieit under The government OF three prnc
iaugbingy replied that If the Boara Of EduCaton A.
tompied dispense with the unnecessary prlnc,
pals in eacn school building the HsRALDs waste bas-
enough 70 hold siI the complaints which " would re-
ueive.
kx-MAYoR wicxHAM's VIEWS
School Commissioner Wickhan, also vigorously up-
held the schedule OF salaries the
reduction OF the principals and vico prin pay
''Remcmber,'' SAID he, 'that 81 800 600 We
spent last year $676 600 priuc and wee prn.
cipalsi" NJ. wiekham inve,ghed cneree,icaily
against the .Truancy Department which, he c!aImed
should certainly be abolished. What II did nov was
10 bring back 10 school ohildren who absent for
day twO while the real incnt oil the Truxncy law
WAS that the little Arabs OF the to ad no
schooling all should be reclaimed be com PEELED
schools every year. Mr.. wickharn was questioned IN
reference TO me salaries OF The Auditor and Clerk
tho Board-$4, 750 eachand asked whether they were
not excessive. ME- Wickham replied InaI they were
not The members oil tho Board OF Education were
not paid and therefore could not devote their lime
every day TO the department. and the entire practical
business OF the department. the euppies oil Schools
,hs bulls repnirs The disbursements Of moneys Was
really IN the hands OF these Two men.
THE TEACHERS NOTICE.
hisapprehension having arisen IRON the wording OF
The resolution adopted Wy the Board OF Educalion
that any reduction tnat shall be necessary hereafter
shall apply 70 all The months of the ensuing ascal
year." several commissioners, who lawyers, were
questioned as to It's true purport and whether " did
apply TO 1879 instead Of 10 1875. Tue reply was
uniormly IN the negative. "Ihis resolution" j." was
the answer, "was passed by :he Board last De-
crmber so that il must apply TO Inc prssen, year Il
passed IN tho nature Of Dosice " the teachers
10 inform them that while they went on with their
work they must bs prepared 10 have their scale OF
pompc u sstiou cbanged.r
The following communication s IA answer 10 a CON-
plant which recently appeared IN the HERALD:--
70 rHx EpiroR lInRALp,-
The svsrcivus prin,pa homored you win a com.
nuncstou relative o the 50 called injustice OF tue board
In deductng $50 sal AIRY vhl,e rey
'ny $50 from that of the vice principal rsot %
the all important statement that while she was
receiving salary Of 81 SjO Vice prucpa was o,Iv
rafting 81 the latte afdnousiy tsaehnr eis.s nn,
to dutiss u
tbs W.