The daily gazette., 1883-01-29
AN UNPOPULAR PLAN.
THE TALK TO PAY MEMBERS
OF THE SCHOOL BOARD.
FEW MEMBERS IN FAVOR OF IT
Interviews With Members of the Board
Of Education on the New Clause in the
City Charter

| On Friday night when Council took up
| that portion of the city charter governing
the Board of Education, there was some dis
| cussion over the clause providing th { the
members Of the body should receive the
same pay and in the same manner as the
members Of Council are paid. This would
| give them 81 for each meeting. The clause
| was finally passed for the present and it
was referred to the Legislative Committees
/ of City Council aud the Board of Education.
In order TO ascertain the sentiment of the
Board oi Education on the subject, reporters
of the GAZETTE to-day interviewed all the
members of that body, and the result of
these talks is given below.
| 81 am emphaticall opposed to paying the
members OF the Board a salary" said Presl-
1 dent Baird, 81 think men should have sufii-
| cient interest in education to do the little
work there is to do without remuneration.
1t would in time, to my mind, open the
door for men to slip In for the compensation,
only, and let the work of the Board go un-
done. My desire Is that the Board should
| be composed of men who alone have the
interests Of education at heart, and that the
| Board should be free from all partisan feel
| iEgs."
"Why don't you pitch Into that plan to
| pay members of the Board of Educationp
| queried DIR. Shortlidge of the reporter who
approached him, before the scribe could put
| question to him. eyes," said he, 81 am
dead opposed to anything Of the kind, and
| favor the matter to remain just as 1t is. l
do not think 1t will do any good, and that 1t
will have u bad effect upon the membership
| of our body in the future than otherwise.
was thinking of getting up petition against
/ it, but do not think 1t amounts TO enough
| for that. | now wish had staid upon the
| Legislative Committee, though, to fight 1t. 3"
| N. X. Benson, j., Fifth ward, In answer
In a note left at his office, replies as follows:
"The clause in the new city charter in refer
ence to payment of members of the Board Of
Education, to my mind, is Objectionable,
/ as 1t is calculated to bring political bias to
bear too strongly on the election Of members
and thus make the Board body of men
| furthering the interest of a party rather
| than the good of the public schools"
Stansbury J. Wiley was opposed to pay
| ing members of the Board, although, he
said, members of that body perhaps did as
much as members of City COunil did. He
had heard hut one member say anything
about it, and he had limited that his services
were worth something and he should be paid
for them.
l.. w. Palmer declared himself unfavor-
able TO anything of the kind, and wanted to
know what business Council had meddling
with the affairs of the Board anyhow, when
so lar as he knew, no desire existed in the
Board for salaries to be paid. 1t was his
impression that this scheme would be killed
without any trouble.
| II. w. Reeve had gone to Dover Saturday
| night, and could not be seen. 1t was learned
| however, that he is not in favor of the pro-
posed increase.
DIR. N. B. Morrison said he was in favor of
| the proposition to pay members. Some
people, he said, were able to give their ser
vices to the city gratnltously, but men who
| had their living to make should be paid, no
/ matter how small it was, and it would stir
up interest in the work. eyes," said he, in
conclusion, 81 am In favor of paying mem
bers of the Board as Councilmen are paid.
s. f. Belts said he had not thought about
the matter and it made no difference to him.
| He did not think the members wanted pay,
| for his part he did not, and he did not think
the Legislature would grant anything of the
kind.
| j. P. I. Fuekel declared that the proposi-
| tion to pay the members met with hearty
disapproval. "What difference" he re-
| marked, ''does about $24 a year make to
me? 1t might, of course, increase the at
tendance, but 1t is the duty of every man
who runs for the office to attend the meet
| ings. One thing am sure 1t would do, and
that would be to bring politics into the
Board, more than at present, and not elevate
| its personnel at ALL"
| Newton G. Sample said he was indifferent
about it, and did not care whether 1t was
| done or not.
H. ID. Hickman remarked ~ would not
go into the Board again for $500 year, and
will soon move out of the Fourth ward,
| which will cause my seat TO be vacant.
/ I hinly n hf4 a VpH
| main as 1t is.
John Brooks is In favor OF the salary pro
position.
William j. Morrow, Fourth ward, said he
didn't think 1t was a matter Of salary. For
| his part he always had great interest in
education and was anxious to do all he
lieould for the growing generation, inasmuch
| as he had not had many opportunities for an
education himself lie thought that
whel men entered the Board they
should not do so from mercenary motives,
but from love of education. II men did
not take positions as members of the Board
as a matter of duty they better stay out Of
1t. There was no use in paying salaries.
Many men took politics into the Board, but
neither politics nor religion ought to be
mixed up with education.
Jonathan Hilton, Eleventh ward, in reply
to q note from the GAZETTE, writes as fol-
lows: "In answer to your note of this
morning, ! must say that am not In favor
of the members of the Board being paid"
j. II. Hoffecker, Jr. Seventh ward You
can put me down as being unquali1edly op-
posed to the payment of salaries, on prinei-
ple, and also opposed to members of the
Board using their position to make money.
would not give an opinion, as an attorney,
for the Board, and think none of the MEM
bers should have business dealings with 1t.
Have really not given the matter considera-
ton, but deem 1t duty owed to the COM
munity for men to take charge of educa-
tional matters without compensation.
DIR. Keables, Eighth ward, could not be
found, but it is understood that he does not
look with favor upon the proposed salary.
DO. C. Kenny, Eighth ward Hadn't
considered the matter, but, on general
principles, am In favor of a salary being
paid. Members of the Board, who
have much to do, ought to re-
ceive some recognition for their
services. The compensation ought to
be in proportion to the labor performed.
The Board only meets twice month and
50 would be nothing, and am opposed to the
salary unless larger. Am also opposed to
the way in which City Council holds meet.
ings TO give the members an opportunity to
get dollar.
. DIR. Read j. Mckay stated, when called
upon by a reporter, that he was decidedly
opposed to paying the members OF tht
Board salary and also that he was not II
favor of doing away with the. freehold
qualification.
t A reporter called at Mr.. Kyne's Office bu
a he was out of town. 1t was also impossible