The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-01-30
Meeting at Cooper Institute to Protest
Against Their Reduction.
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED.
Speeches of Messrs. Joseph H.
Choate and Others.


tho call emanated-Cyrus W. Field, General George
W. Palmer. Alexander N. Agnew, David Ii. Knapp,
President Alexander S. Webb, Of the New York Col
lege; Edward shell and others. Mr.. Cyrus W.
Field, who was called TO the chair, briefly explained
the object OF tho mecting and the secretary the
resolutions.
M.srs1. Is currently sporsd thu. an attempt win DO
schools and whereas The source OF al. hostility to
tue true merits :. our paCs eSoo M en-"
Drnnen our ciy government which has received and de
To" !" Ssss nG 's
10th as regards the wise nistration oil its Affairs and
the Invaluable benefits which the people have derived
cty New 10 os seeond 60 no other GU
Resolved, That the superntsndsnts and teachers
, e.n ao sUsa n wsh an s
Ina. The psopie Of this metropos look with
Their eh,asn 9u also To- those sqaal,An ana haronAng
rich anu poor together level
unrsmmeed either by The eoneeils OF wealth the dis
Resolved, That recolni4e the position teacher
which aro attained only oy ons years Of peat
sa study ana enars a. eaucator c.,net % QUE wh Is
one who IS void Of those high noble principles which
shed teir benign influences throughout the school aud
leave their enduring Impress society," iss laws aud ins
Resolved. That "the aborer is worthy OF his nre.n
sesorsd shnt tho Aneean people while demanding
Of government will empnaticaiy condemn any measure
which would arrest the Of free oduastion an
any attempt reduce the hitherto
wise ana To s bss Of - our a Schools
aud We. hereby protest against it.
SPEECH OF MIR JOSEPH II.
Mr.. Field then introduced Nj. Joseph II. Choatc
who delivered the principal speech OF the evening
Mr.. Choate said he had not expected 70 speak. IL
Tell generally TO the lot oil every to speak
once IN his HE for woman, but. few were so
fortunate las 10 have to speak for SO many. lu
speaking now, as he did, for $500 women, It was
evident that tho considerations Of public good were
OF the first importance. No doubt that economy now
Was the arst duty Of the times These teachers had
gracefully submitted 10 this duty by yielding 10 a
reduction OF three and half per cent on their salaries
last year, aud doubt they would make the same
concession during the present. But why was
II that The overworked end undergrad public
school teachers were first attacked2 (Applause.j
The payroll the city Of New York
contained perfect army of sinecurlsts who
did moro than days work IN week and re-
ceivcd q greater salary than the highest paid
teacher in the city. What did they say TO
the COMMISSIONER Of Jurors who received
$4,000 year-hve times The salary OF tho best
pad tcachcr-for probably one. fifth of his
work. What would he do with this gentleman, whose
main distinction seemed 70 nave been to get tees Of
$50 each from delinquent jurorsy He would not
reduce his salary, but abolish the Office alto
gether as u useless buraen upon the PUBLIC Lot
look ut the clerks OF the police courts who
salaries grealcr than those OF tho best paid male
teachers. The officials who proposed 10 down the
teachers salaries did mot intend, however to touch
thor own They were projected by the iao, only
acts OF the Leg isut could ange heir pay aud
this OF the great troubles In this m uch gov
erned city But other melhods OF lessening the lax
payers burden would DO devised What would be the
saving effected the city's expenses the Excise
law properly enforcedy Would not halt OF our
prisons and hospitals and warehouses; be empty2 II
AL the rum holes New York could be- suppressed
could not half OF the city's police DO dismissed
morrow (Appiausc.)
In Analysing the question oil salaries Mr. Choate
said that according to carefully collected statistics
tho average salary vi the primary school teachers was
5000; OF me male and female grammar school teachers
$3.50 ana $780, IL was incredible him mat any
could pretend these salaries were too high. But
was objected that the teachers salaries mad been
raised when prices became inflated and now that
prces had fallen again they should submit to a cor
responding reduction This argument, III itself,
not applicable In this case, Tor tho teachers
salaries were always Kept Gown to starva-
ton figure, and were by no means raised
10 point corresponding with the increase of prices
at that initiation period Mr. Choatc now TOOK tho
lowest saary oil female tcachers-S scotland going over
various necessaries OF he he demonstrated how
utterly Impossible IL was Tor young woman to live
doceny on less He could not believe that thero was
really serious purpose, ever, reducc the
teacners saiar'es. Tue Board Of Apporuonment had
allowed S3,400 900 10 the Board OF Eaucaton Tor tho
ensuing year, great So when looked az in a lump,
but thai must cover the education OF 10000
children. Ii CITY can't pay Tor the education
OF SO many children they ought not have
SO many. (lausnter) Sir. Choate stated the PROB
lem tc-be soven by tho Board OF Education as .ol.
lows:-S2, 700 QUO WAS the present amount OF tho
school teachers pay, and the question WAS Gould all
the other items be covered with the remaining
100000? II was close shave. but It could
be done without taking ytning the hcsh aud
blood Of The underpad scnooi teachers OF New York,
the Beard OF Education would consen! to iorcso lor
the present year The erection OF school buildings
when absolutely necessary.
EQUITABLE REDUCTION.
la examining the pay oi The teachers, however, n
great disparity appeared ana the question arose Could
not something be saved from tins OIL ST. 7COOOO
withou.to uchlng tho salaries OF The women engaged
the primary ANA grammar departments for 1t Tor
these unprotected females VINO hid 40 votes
depended upon the friendly sympathy of inter.
clpa of school No 3d. VINO bad 9oS pupils take care
OF, received $4,000 per year; but the principal
OF No. "a. w'th only l57 10 look after,
received tho same amount lie then enumer.
atcd Inc varying salaries paid teachers OF
the same grades doing idencaiy the same work. AMI
traced TINS astonishing iuct TO the provision which
allow the schoo Trustees to Fix the salaries at their
own discretion Was there not room Tor the ax
cfclse oil great deal OF ''iuiuence ~ or IL not of
influence, there not room great divergence Of
JudgmchtS What ho meant to advocate lair saa-
RIGS, fairly cquaIizcd. There were too many gene
rails Tor the army. TOO; there many principals
aud they carried Oh tue heaviest salaries AIR Choale
gave mas, Of detailed hsures showing the gross
ers. He showed, also, that the janitors had
a decidedly tat thingn OF It, In school, |
ccved ST. 700 per auuum without house, the janitor
received 81 1913, with house, iuci, ngnt soap aud
brushes thrown 10. (I.augnier.) When they found
that tho Department o Truancv cost s2o 900 last
ana returned 400 truanis 10 tho schools maxiug nj
average cost OF ABOUT 500 per mead, did |
" not raisc ut least slight question about |
the possible inciicicncy or cxpcuslveness OF
the Department OF lruancy9 Mr.. Choate conc ludcd !
By expressing tho hope that by dispensing Tor the
present VITA the bulldiaE OF unnecessary school |
houses by the topping on OF such excrcsocnces aud
ny equa,izIng salaries, the threatened reduction |
could De svcrteI.
The chairman, Mr. Fold, announced that Mr.. Peter
Cooper had aAked him TO express his deep regret
not boing able TO attend this meeting, with the OBJECT
OF which he heartily sympathizei Mr.. Field read a
letter rom Rev. Roswell hitchcock, also express.
ing sympathy. The following letter from william U.
Bryant VAS received with livery applauso:-
LETTER FROM W. q. BRYANT.
NEw YOgK, j an. -, 1873
Ny DEAR SIR-t Is convenient for inc to attend tho
citing called for this evening protest against the
uction OF The tea hers salaries The pube schools,
am heartily with you anu the other gentlemen WHO
monstrate against this proceeding
We ablest aud and women In tho
engage In the vocation OF teachin
duce their compensation will many this class
TO resort 10 otLer yccup atons and will prevent
OF them from devoting themselves the instruction
Of ourgouh In this way will the