Los Angeles herald., 1891-06-20
Tho school salaries.

EDITORS HERALD: The zeal OF the
honorable councilman from Ohio for re-
trenchment in the school department of
our city, as it appears to me, is without
knowledge. His comparisons are GER
tainly most unfortunate for his side.
He says that Portsmouth, o., pays her
superintendent only $500 year, her
assistant superintendent $1,000, her
teachers in the high school $900."-- Los
Angeles. with more than five times as
many schoolhouses and nearly five
times as many teachers, proposes to
pay her superintendent $2400, her as
sistant $500 and her high school teach
ers from 5000 to $1100 Is not the argu-
ment against him from these facts
alone, without taking into consideration
the difference that always prevails be-
tween the east and the west in wages,
owing largely to the greater cost of
living here? 1t is said that wonders
never cease, and so the honorable gen.
tleman may surprise us with the sug-
gestion that our able city attorney, who
gets $4,000 and two assistants at $500,
should conduct his Office for $500, the
same he received as city attorney in the
aforesaid Portsmouth, or with the more
startling proposition to make his own
compensation the same as that received
by the councilmen of Portsmouth, viz,
the glory there is in it. Would it not
be more in place to quote salaries in
Oakland. which is about our equal in
population?
There the superintendent gets $4,000
and the principal of the High school
$1,000, while we propose to pay $2400 AID
$3.50 respectively. Even Stockton pays
its superintendent $4,000 and it's princi-
pal of High school $2500, and San Jose
its superintendent $2500 and principal
of High school $4,000.
1t is false economy to pay low salaries,
for il we do we will get a low grade of
teachers. One councilman says 'Our
teachers will not leave if their wages are
cut" Perhaps not at once. They will
occupy their places temporarily, that
they may have time to find better places.
We should recognize worth in teachers,
and not permit them to go elsewhere or
into other vocations for better wages, as
the brightest are constantly doing. We
have some fine educators in our schools,
one who has ably and honorably filled
the high Office of superintendent of
schools of the state of Ohio; and we
should hold such men, as San Francisco
held James Denman, for forty years,
and has held John SWEET and others
from the infancy of its schools. This
you cannot hope to do on 5000
salaries. 1t seems to me that
when the school board proposed
a cut of $4,000, yet providing for 200
new pupils and music teacher the
council should have said, "Well done /;
we can trust you to conduct the affairs
of your Office" / shall not now enter
into the merits of the discussion on the
employment Of special teachers of draw
ing, writing and music, but if the public
does not want such teachers the board
would like to know it. Personally am
particularly in favor of music in our
schools. l believe, aside from its educa-
tional, hygienic, moral and disciplinary
value, it has a soothing and cheering in
fluence on the mind and refining and
elevating influence on the spirit. From
whatever standpoint you view the mat
ter, the educational interests OF COM
munity are the most important, and the
community that neglects them will reap
the bitter fruit in its social condition.
Cut the wages of the teacher, and you
must increase the police force.
A. C.. SHAFER