St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-18

i ne Special JOINT COInIHllte0 lIOlU ll6
council appointed to consider the school
board budget held another meeting
yesterday afternoon. Those present
were Assemblymen Johnson, Doran,
Reardon and Schuette, and Aldermen
Montgomery and Copeland. The seized
ule showing the number of engineers,
firemen and janitors which was called
for at the last meeting of the commit
tee was sent in by the secretary Of the
school board. The list showed six
engineers, five firemen. two assistant
firrmen, forty-four janitors and four
assistant. janitors.
Chairman johnson called the atten-
ton of the committee to an error in the
budget of $3.50 in salaries of employees
outside of teachers, which would in
crease the total amount asked for to
S444,74O.
The members at once plunged into
the mass of figures submitted with the
budget, and. after two hours talk,
plunged out and adjourned to this aft
ernoon, when members of the board are
requested to meet with them and explain
the details of the budget.
Mr.. johnson said the amount needed
for salaries of teachers this year is much
less than last year, but he was of the
opinion that it might be still further cut
down without any injury to the schools.
There were sixteen teachers who were
getting $500, and his idea was that out
a few of the number should receive that
sum. 1t was impossible to get the same
salaries elsewhere, and, while number
of them did not like the present school
regime, they staid because of the large
salary. Mr.. Doran said he noticed That
the sewing teacher had been cut out,
but
The Bug Teacher
and the elementary science teacher had
been retained. The seven supervisors,
he noticed. had also been retained at
large salaries. The supervisor of draw
ing, he had been informed, spent as
much as two and a half minutes in each
school, and drew a salary of $500 per
year.
Mr.. Reardon thought the amount of
salaries could be cut down one-half by
the committee, but the same persons
would be employed in the higher
branches, and the teachers receiving
the small salaries would be cut.
Mr.. johnson said he had no hesitancy
in saying that the S11,95 paid to the
supervisors was like throwing money
away. The schools could be run just
as well without them. The sixteen
teachers at Sl.SO0 was also about $500
too much for each, with one or two ex-
captions.
Mr.. Schuette thought if the committee
began to slash they would have to 20
into details, and as the committee had
no power 10 say where the cut should be
made, he saw no reason for this.
Mr. johnson said the committee could
reduce the amount for salaries a certain
sum, but could not say where the cut
was to be made. The idea of the ma
Jority of the committee was that if the
salary list were reduced the school board
would not cut where the committee
recommended, but where they saw fit.
MIR. Montgomery was in favor OF APP
proving the budget as sent in. but he
could get no one to second his motion.
Mr.. Doran again called the attention
of the members to the sewing teacher
having been dispensed with, which was,
in his mind, a very practical thing. He
said he might be called an OLD fogy, but
he was In favor of having
Practical Studies
taught in the lower grades of the schools.
The majority of the pupils, he said, did
not take full course, and there was no
need of teaching the youngest pupils
how to take grasshopper to pieces and
make mud pies.
MIR. Montgomery said very little time
was devoted to these studies, but Mr..
Copeland stopped this argument by saw
ing, if very little time was spent. there
was considerable money spent for this
class of teachers.
Mr.. Reardon said the supervisors were
OF no account and should all be dis
penSed with.
MIR. johnson had an idea that the su-
pervisor of penmanship was a good man
and paid attention to his duties. The
supervisor of drawing, however, he had
been informed, spent most of her time
doing hand painting for the flour nun
dred' Oh st. Anthony hill, and some
times did not leave her room in the high
school for days at a time.
Mr.. Reardon and MIR. Copeland were
of the opinion that along with the SUI
pervisors the teachers of German could
also be dispensed with.
MIR. Schuette would not agree to this,
end said 1t was Of great advantage to
the pupils.
MI Copeland said it was just as sensl-
bic 10 teach Scandinavian in the schools
as 1t was to teach German.
Mr.. Reardon said the question of
teaching German in the schools had
been the fight for years, and his idea
was that since the school board had be-
come an appoihtive body the members
had been selected solely with this point
i'll view.
Mr.. Doran said he believed in being
first Americans, and there was really
no need of having German taught IN the
lower graded schools. 1t was all right.
he thought, to have the language
taught in the high schools, but not in
the primary grades.
uperintendent's stipend.
From this question the members
drifted into a discussion as to the salary
of the superintendent. A majority
seemed to be of the opinion that the
salary of the superintendent could be
cut $1,000 without doing any harm, and
several of them were in favor of a new
man for the place.
Mr.. Reardon said Minneapolis had ten
more schools than St. Paul, and the
repairs cost only $1,000 last year, while
$4,000 was asked for here. The cost of
fuel in the Minneapolis schools was only
S22,0S7, while here it was $1,000 more.
a certain man, he said, had agreed to
take the contract for furnishing the
school buildings with fuel and charge
only $4,000 year. In the opinion of
Mr.. Reardon about $1,000 was wasted in
some way in the fuel for the schools
each year. He was in favor of cutting
out the seven supervisors and saving
s1l,950 year.
Thepont was raised, if the committee
should reduce the amount asked for
S1l,950, would the school board do
1t Should Be in Every House.