St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-08-12
SAYIT'S OUTRAGEOUS
Judge MeCaferty Raises a
Breezy Discussion Before i,
the Assembly.
Board Of School Inspectors
Charged With Being an
APist0ePatie Body.
Reduced the Wages of Jani-
tor and Increased the Sal
aries OF Teachers.
The Pay Roll of the Public
Schools Held Up Until
To-Morrow.

The action of the board Of school in
spectors in cutting down the salaries of
janitors in the employ of the board gave
rise to considerable discussion at the
meeting Of the assembly last evening.
When the July payroll of the board of
school inspectors came up for approval,
Judge McCafferty, in most indignant
tones. denounced the action of the board
in cutting down the salaries of the jani-
tors. while the salaries of the high
grade teachers had been raised. He
continued:
This is most unjust proceeding and
savors of aristoeracy, and do not propose to
vote for the pay roll as presented untlI TINS
matter has been thoroughly ventilated The
salaries of men who work hard for thirteen
hours a day have been cut down 10 S35 $40
and $50. while the salaries of high grade
teachers have been raised. The proceedings
of the board are not legal in anv case, for
the law provides that the board shall, after
fixing the salaries Of teachers and employees,
send report 70 the mayor who shall trans
nit the same 10 the council Tor Its approval
This has not been done, and l maintain,
therefore. as the action of the board in
fixing salaries has never been approved by
the council, that the present proceeding in
cutting salaries is also not LEGAL.
Mr.. McCafferty read the section of
the law and moved that the pay rolls be
laid upon the table.
Had No Power.
Mr.. Oppenheim deprecated the cut
ting of the salaries. but did not think
that the council had any power what
ever in the premises.
Mr.. McNamee said the proceedings of
the board were outrageous and he
would like ''tO give them good roast"
President Murray stated that the
council could not replace the reduced
salaries of the janitOrS with those they
formerly received, but what it could do
under the law would be to reduce the
aggregate or total amount of all salaries
for the ensuing school year, specifying
the amount to be taken from the sal
aries of the teachers and the amount
from the other employees, and the ag-
gregate amount of the reduction would
be app0rtioned among the teachers and
employees by the board as they deemed
most Just. He added:
The fact of the matter IS the charter is
being violated by many departments who
employ clerical force. The law says that
when they fix salaries they shall send reports
to the council and receive its approval This
has never been done, and payTOlls come IN
=
tious. and it is time we stopped il.
Mr.. Van Slyke desired that the affair
be referred to a special committee, but
Judge McCafferty opposed such prop
Osition. and a resolution to refer to a
committee of the whole was substituted
by Mr.. McCafferty for his former mo-
ton and prevailed. Regular business
was then taken up, and when the clerk
announced that the business was fin
ished Mr.. McCafferty moved that the
| assembly adjourn until tomorrow even
ing and that the pay rolls of the board
of school inspectors be sent back TO that
body with a request that report be
made according to law. and that the
board meet the assembly Thursday
evening to consider the whole question
Of salaries of teachers and employees in
the public schools.
The motion prevailed by a full vote.