Los Angeles herald., 1891-06-19
APPLY THE PRUNING KNIFE.

ments are arranged on most lavish
scale of expenditure. They are per-
vaded by the very spirit of the extinct
boom. For three years past our citizens
of all grades have been saving and econ
omizing. Through rigid frugality and
through the growth of production, we
are again in sight of pleasant uplands.
There is, however, a universal feeling
that the prodigal ouclays of the past
should be dispensed with, and muni
cipal reorganization effected in keeping
with the demands of the taxpayer.
There is plan for the remodeling of
the school department which should
pass the council IL is impossible for
anv fair minded person to resist the i'm
preston that there has been gross ex-
travagance in the allotment of salaries
to school teachers. The superintend-
ent of schools receives 1925 month.
The assistant superintendent $3.50. The
superintendent of janitors (God save the
mark gets $115 month. The drawing
teacher draws the comfortable sum of
$165 month, and SO on.
Now it is fact within the knowl-
edge of every one that there are many
highly accomplished professional; peo
pie, who have spent years in fitting
themselves for their callings, who at the
present day are not earning 500 a
month. There are capable journalists
in this city who work seven days in the
week, and whose labors keep them up
till the early morning hours, who re-
ceive less than a hundred dollars a
month. The city and county are full of
physicians and lawyers who earn far less
than that figure. Thousands of skilled
mechanics, who work in the broiling sun,
do not begin to make 500 month.
Yet the city of Los Angeles, in addition
to maintaining an expensive general
staff, pays eleven teachers $l35 month,
two $3.50, two s125, two $l2O, seventeen
$115, three s105, two $95, fifty-one 800
and thirty $S5 month.
No one is more devoted to the eff
cheney of the schools than the HERALD.
1t by no means follows that because our
people are warmly friendly to the cause
of education they should pay out their
money without care or prudence. Our
whole system of public outlays is prodi-
gal in the extreme, and we doubt if
there is worse tax-ridden community
in existence than this. If one may be
pardoned the employment of a current
slang phrase, everything relating to
municipal outlays seems to be regulated
on the "Let her go, Gallagher" princi-
Pile. A little thrift is much to be de-
sired.
Other places are proud of their public
schools, and yet they do not seem to
think it necessary to elbow in" all the
substance of the citizen in their main
tenance. Portsmouth, Ohio, for in
stance, is bright, pretty and progress
sive Ohio city. Its school system is
quite up to the exacting Buckeye stand
ard. 1t is School Superintendent Fries
ner's former home. There is nothing to
complain Of in any detail OF its service.
And yet here, reproduced from Ports
mouth paper, is the schedule of school
salaries OF that city:
At the meeting Friday evening the
following schedule of prices was agreed
upon: superintendent, $500 a year;
school teachers, 5000 year; teachers by
the month-A grammar, $50; B gram
mar, $50; G grammar, $780, grammar,
$45; A primary, $40; B primary, $35; G
primary, $50; d primary, $45; first year,
$25; principals, $5 month extra; spe-
cial German teacher, $65 month; night
school, $25. Colored schools-C and d
grammar and principal, $50; A primary,
$35; B primary, $50; G primary, $50; D
primary, $40. Janitors-Fourth-str
building, $50 a month with fuel and
rent; Second street, $50, fuel and rent;
Sixth street, $37, fuel and rent; Union
street, $40; Eleventh street, $25; Wash
ington street, $40; Offnere street, 500.
There is an exhibit calculated to re-
joice tn. heart OF taxpayer.
The council has started out in
scheme of retrenchment calculated to
enlist the sympathies of the long suffer-
ing property holder. No such radical
departure as the salaries recapitulated
from the newspaper in Mr.. Friesner's
old home is contemplated. But it is de-
signed to make reductions which will
amount in the total to $12,375 a year
a most sensible reform. 1t is to be eff
fected by reducing the salary of the SUI
perintendent OF schools from 1925 to $175
a month, that of the assistant superin-
tendent from $3.50 to 1925, and that of
the superintendent Of janitors from $115
to $85 monthly. 1t is proposed to dis
pense with the drawing teacher, with
his salary of $165 a month, with the
teacher penmanship drawing $125, with
the teacher of music $125, and with
the supervisor of kindergardens,
$50 month, respectively. These
four items alone embrace a saving of
$4,000 per annum. The plan also com
prises the reduction of the salaries Of
the teachers receiving $l35 month to
$120, those who receive $130 to $115,
those of the $125 and $120 grade to $110,
those of the $115 to $105, those of the
$105 to 500, those of $95 to 800 and
those OF 800 to $S5, all monthly respect
lively. The principal of the High school
would be reduced tfrom $3.50 to $125
month. This last reduction is the only