St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-07-19
The MAYORS SLASH.
Feeling Aroused Over the Pro~
posed Reduction Of Teach
ers' Salaries.
School Inspectors Protest
That It Will Ruin the
Public Schools.
Besides, the Credit Of the City
Had Been Pledged With
Teachers.
Lowry Fails to Appear Before
q Special Council Com
mittee.


The mayors ''retrenchment reforms
vast amount of criticism. The mayor,
( it is confessed on all sides, was elected
for the express purpose Of cutting the
city expenses so as to materially tighten
the burdens of taxation. and the mayors
idea is to let the axe fall in the public
school department first. Consequently
the letter to the council advising radical
reductions from the appropriations
asked for by the board of school in
spectOrs. The council committee ap-
pointed to consider this communication
met with the members of the school
board and the mayor yesterday after
noon, and remained in session until 6
O'Clock. While the councilmen went on
record as favoring the reduction asked
by the mayor, the members individually
differed as to the best way of reaching
the end. Assemblyman Reardon and
Aid. Copeland want to go to the length
advised by the mayor, and. while Aid.
Cullen favored some reductions, he
Nv
to go to such radical extent. He had
an idea that the mayor had made his
recommendations without making any
thing like an exhaustive and searching
investigation into the facts aud condi-
tions, and Mr.. Cullen urged that the
board should use caution and proceed
understandingly.
The mayor made an explanation Of
his position. He noticed that the board
is paying salaries of $4,000 year, and
he intimated that too much money was
being allowed the engineers and JAM
itors. Mr.. Scheffer stated for the in
formation of the committee that the
action of the mayor
Came Rather Late,
and to attempt to comply with any of
his requests would be to place the city
in bad position. The contracts for the
teachers for the ensuing year have all
been made, and the city is holden. Aid.
Copeland wanted to know if it were not
possible for the board to dismiss some
Of the teachers that had Signed the .cOns
tract, and he was Informed that teacil-
erS can only be dismissed from service
for cause. The committee took up the
approximation that had been prepared
by the board, covering the expenditures
probable for the ensuing year, but Mr..
Scheffer suggested that the council, has
no option concerning the details. 1t can
only pass upon the whole or the total
appropriation. This was agreed to, still
the reform aldermen wanted to go over
the items to show the board how the
proposed economy can be effected. Mr..
Hickman agreed that there is a general
demand fol cutting down the expenses,
but he doubted IL there is a senti-
ment favoring crippling the schools,
and Mr.. Schetfer cautioned the commit
tee that the proposed course of the
mayor cannot do else than cripple the
schools most seriously. The board has
economical in every way that is practi-
cable, and there has been great reduc-
tiODS from the expenses of year ago.
The mayor conceded that the council
had no right to reduce the salaries OF
any of the teachers, but he could not re-
frain from pointing to the fact that
there are fourteen teachers in the en-
plOy of the board at $1,000 year. He
didn't know the name Of the teachers,
and declared that he did not want to
know them. He wanted to have the re-
ductiOn he asked for cOncurred in, aud
then he would leave
The Financial Problem
to the board to solve. President Schet-
fer, OF the board, asked the mayor to
consider the responsibilities. the tall
ents and educational attainments nee
cessary for the principals Of the schools,
and the salaries objected to by the
mayor were those Of the principals. MI.
Scheffer believed that teachers and ed
ucators are the poorest paid of any of
hot
rightly they should he the best paid.
Supt. Gilbert pointed to the difficulties
that the board has to meet in getting
the best teachers, and MIR. Scheffer res
minded the mayor that this city is in
competition with good many other
cities that are inclined to be more gen.
erous in the matter of compensations.
Mr.. Bridgeman reiterated the claim
that it is the ain of the board to admin
lister the affairs of the board just as
economically as the council committee
could, and warned the committee that
if 1t decides to experiment with the rec
ommendation of the mayor. it will prove
fatal to- the schools. Aid. Copeland
urged that if the present corps of teach
ers did not wish to accept the proposed
cut other teachers could be employed,
and 'Supt. Gilbert claimed that the board
cannot get as good teachers at the re.
duced salaries.
Hostile to she Board.
II do not agree with you," returned
the alderman. '''rhe people are hostile
to this board of education. and are op-
posed to the big salaries that are paid.
They are crying for reduction, and
they are bound to get it."
Mr. johnson wanted to know if the
board did not think that the amount
asked for could be curtaied, and Prof.
Bridgeman replied that the board had
reduced expenses in every way possible
already, and should the amount be de-
MED it must cripple the schools. MIR.
Reardon came to the support of the
mayor and of Mr.. Copelnd. He thought
it great piece of extravaganza to pay
an engineer 5000 year, and he as
serted that the best men in the city
are glad to work for 5000. Mr.. Cope
land then took turn at the new kin.
dergarten system and the German
branch. He informed Mr.. Scheffer that
the Scandinavians OF the city were Or
ganizing to demand that their tongue be
taught, and here ensued an interesting
debate. Mr.. Scheffer was asked to
state why it is more right to teach Ger
man than Swede, and Mr.. Scheffer eX-
planned that one was general language
in all countries and that the other was
not. There are only 100000 Scandi-
navians in the world, and there are S0,-
000.000 of Germans in Europe alone.
The debate was continued to great
length. MIR. Reardon argued that Ger
man, the manual training and the kim
dergarten schools are of not the least
possible benefit to children and he
Il oil nr,A