The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-10-13
LOUISIANA PUBLIC SCHOOLS,
Letter from Superintendent Lusher Cor
recting Some Missta the
School Teachers Have Not Been Fully
Paid,
IN. Y. School Journal

i IN. Y. School Journal
OFFICE OF STATE SUPT. OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.
New Orleans, September 1878.
To the Editor of The New York School Journal
Great injustice is done to this city, In Won,
reference to the New. Orleans school teachers
careful examination Of the annual report fo1
1877, will make it apparent to you that there is
but little truth in the assertion. that the New
salaries for five years" Why they have not
zen fully paid for their services during that
period, requires an explanation.
| 1. During the seven years preceding 1877 the
saa les prescribed for teachers by the city school
boards were, in the aggregate, heavily in excess
OF the school revenues provided by law; and, as
necessary consequence. the boards promises
to pay during twelve months of each year
could be honored for only some of the months
while for others they had to be hawked about
ers at rates Of discount fuctuating from ten to
seventy Jtfpe cents on the dollar. This was not
the fault Of the city Of New Orleans. which
support of the schools. besides contributing at
least $13o,ooo in aid of the rural public schools
but It was wholly the result of the improvidence.
| recklessness and extravaganza of the directors
who were then in charge Of the city public
schools. The II per cent reduction in salaries
the evil engendered by the spendthrift policy of
the directors of 1871. 1872 1873 1874 1875 and 1876
BY that policy an oppressive debt had already
been saddled upon the city of New Orleans. for
school purposes alone. amounting to the enor-
nous aggregate of 100000.
2, The City Board Of Directors, organized
under the present Conservative administra-
ton, in the month Of April, 1877, seriously en-
barrassed by this heavy debt, was compelled to
reduee all the ehpenses Of the administration to
placed at its. disposal for 1877 by the city and
State respectively. The salaries provided for
the teachers are not commensurate with the
value of the services rendered by them. It is a
fact however, that the teachers of those schools
,re'e paid the salaries promised them Jyute ne,o
AVID md fhotf a1ityy
entire DEBT ce Dv the e. Directors psgc Sd for he
first qua'te,. Of the year 1877. This payment
however. of the rolls of three months being
necessitated. 1t Is true the suspension of sala-
ries during. the months Of July, August and
September; but the official terms of, the teach
board Of directors used such economy in the
reservation of funds during the first vacation
OF their administration as would enable them
to reopen the schools In October.
The session acas Kept up to the close of June,
as cust9mary and !, the teachers haUe been paid
but one should the city and State be unable to
continue this award Of Justice to the New Or
leans school teachers it will be due solely to the
city and in many portions Of the State has as,
under the spell Of an irresistible affection, sus-
diminished the ability of all classes of the COM
mun1ty to pay any taxes whatever within the
present year.
Permit me to add. that 1t is fortunate, most
fortunate. under Gods providence. that the
North has long been exem pied from the scourge
that periodically afiicts our section. 1t is. in
deed, hard for her, with her live and ever
healthy interests, her noble industries. and her
teeming thousands. adequately, to understand
that dread longing Of hearts. that awful sacri-
fee of precious lives, and that paralysis falling
upon the highest demands Of commerce and
agriculture. which are the accomplishments of
yellow fever epidemic through the South The
best resources of an honorable State are dead
ened, when her chief cities and her smallest
towns, have common task-that of burying
their deadl
This is fortunate. too. not merely for the
North; for the blessing of her exem ption falls
upon the South also. Prompt to that call of
brotherhood which now happily binds our
States together, the North. with no anxiety at
home, has sent thousands of dollars for the
relief Of distant communities, whose living rep |
reseptatives, when those thousands shall have |
been expended. will not cease to remem Der. |
with gratitude. the unstinted offerings Of their
the land common to them ALL
~ Respectfully yours, ROBT. Ii. LUSHER,
state Superintendent Of Public Education tor |
Louisiana,