The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-01-14
The Principals Pay and
Homes, IudiscPeet Typewriter.

The Principals Pay and Director
Jones' Indiscreet Typewriter.
We differ from School Director
Jones all along the line in his remarks
upon the School Principals salaries.
Save and except the general PROPOSE
ton that the taxpayers money should
be economically spent, and that no
funds should be laid out without the
city getting a full equivalent, we
think hardly anything the gentleman
said can be nationally defended. He
was wrong in claiming that the
principals-or any of our teachers
were paid according to their deserts;
he was wrong in cl aiming that money
spent in raising their pay would be
m~isdirected; he was wrong in arguing
that their lives were idle and easy in
comparison with those of other men
and women workers. The average
school day is from half-past eight to
four o'clock, and the strain on the
physical and mental powers for these
seven and a half long hours is well
known to be wearing in the extreme.
But this school day." by no means
ends the teachers labor. Anybod y
who knows anything about the
schools. knows that many hours a
week are spent out of. school in work
ing up lessons, marking papers, revis-
ing records, and a hundred other
things, which can only be done when
theaelasses are out OF the way. As a
matter of fact, school teachers wear
out quickly, and many wreck health
and happiness in the effort to do JUS
tice to the work.
AS for the pay, to take the cases of
the principals, for illustration, it is
certainly below what other men ex-
pect to earn. The school principal
is at least a man of thirty-iye or six.
He is supposed to be, almost always
is, a man of first class education, of
marked natural ability, Of careful
special training and of many years
professional experience. Does MIR.
Jones think that men of the same
qualifications in other walks of life are
content to work for $500 a year
and without reasonable prospect OF
increase? Would Mr.. Jones en-
ploy a doctor or a lawyer who was
content to earn 81, 800 a year
This is the way to look at it. Com
pare the present state and future
prospects of the school principal of
Jersey City with those of other men.
Why any drygoods drummer worth
his salt can earn at least double
$1,000 a year, and hopes before he
dies "to have a share in the business"
It does not matter that the city pays
the principals. The city has no right
to be stingier than a private employer.
These men devote their lives to a pro-
fession that has very little future in
it. They do SO, largely, for the public
good-or at least the public benefits
enormously by their devotion; and
the public should take care of them.
There was nothing unreasonable or
grasping in what they asked of the
Board of Education. No matter how
Mr.. Jones may argue, they are clearly
ill used at present.
SO much for the merits of the ques-
ton. now a word as to the tone and
temper of Mr.. Jones' speech. There
can certainly be no justification for
the general acrimony he displayed
and less, If possible, for the insulting
epithets he lavisled. Besides he
lacks, unfortunately, the excuse that
his words were inconsiderately uttered
in the heat OF debate, for they were
deliberately and permeditatiyely set
down in the hard cold precision Of a
type-written document.
Mr.. Jones is a very rich man; he
can probably afford to spend $50, 900 a
year and not u iss it, but that is no
reason why he should apply such
terms, as 'raidiDg the treasury, hlch
ing. the money to those who seek to
raise their annual income to one
tenth of that sum. When Mr.. Jones
used these offensive expressions, such
men as Principal Linsley, Principal
Haskell, Principal Kelly and Princi-
bal Sweeney were seated in the Board
listening TO him. The respect
due TO these gentlemen named, and
the Others, their colleagues, both
present and absent, might well have
prevailed with Mr.. Jones to set a
guard over his language, and keep it
within the bounds OF personal cour-
sesy- 49,
Perhaps the worst phase Of Mr..
Jones speech is its political aspect.
There is a gang Of INSCRIPTIONS poll