The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-04-16
SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Cooking Schools Recommended 1ol
Grammer School Girls.
City's Text Books Must Be Renewed Thu
Year-salaries of Certain Teachers
| Raised.
special meeting of the Portland
School Committee was held yesterday
afternoon. All the members were pres
emit, and Mayor Baxter presided.
The principal business of che meerne
| was the report. of the Subcommittee,
recommending appropriations for the
ensuing year. The total estimates thls
year are about Sl54,0
The total last year of the estimates
was about Sl03, 5000. The principal items
of increase in the appropriations report
ed this year are: $4,000 for the new
school house; $4,000 for school books;
IS 900 for school yard at Chestnut street
school.
In matters of details, these estimates
differed from those Of last year in sever
al respects. There was no extra teache Ell
for the High school at salary OF $500;
and all the teachers heretofore receiving
$500, were increased $25 each. This was
in a response to a request from all teaeh-
ers receiving less than $500, for an m
crease. The increase here made brought
the primary teachers up to the sane
rate as those in the grammar school. Ii
was stated that it was understood to be
the plan to increase the pay of the gram
mar school teachers next year.
A general debate on the subject thN
arose.
SALARIES.
Mr.. Meg owan spoke in favor of raisiIg
the salaries of teachers. Portland was
continually losing some of her best
teachers because Of the low salaries. Tie
standard of the schools should be k0t
high by keeping the good teachers. le
suggested stan dard of salaries. Mr..
Talbot said that he did not wish to AZ
tagonize any increase of salaries. Buff
it was expected that a horizontal 4
crease of S25 a year would prevent te
loss of teachers, the committee would
find themselves disappointed. 1t would
not keep such teachers as had lately lift
our schools. II it were possible to rase
the salaries of such as were desired ~
other places some good might result.
The salaries now paid might be will
made higher; but this was hardly tine
to put additional burdens on the TX
payers. Mr.. McGowan thought ne
teachers were worthy of their hire ad
should be increased as much as possible.
Mr. Brownson believed with Mr.. Talbt
that the increase of ,$25 would not KEEP
the teachers here; but he favored it ala
measure of justice to the teachers. Il.
Vose favored the increase. He thouat
S425 or $3.50 was scant salary for suh
a teacher as we should wish to have he
training of our children. Mr.. Brady
recalled that the teachers in Mhssaoh,-
setts chools.w work harder, with mre
children under their care and two weeks
more of service year. Butlthir hours,
of work each day are not SO log as here.
Mr. Brownson moved that in IL salaries
below $500 there be RECOMMENDED an in
crease of S25 each. This passed unani-
mously.
COOKING sCHOO.
The report provided fora special
teacher of sewing; but the item was
stricken out as measure Of economy.
Sewing is being taught alreay in the
schools, and the instruction $ getting
on very we'll without specis teacher.
The appropriation was stricin out or
| motion of Mr.. Allan, who whed more
money for teaching of cooklg. Now
while the boys of the gramm schools
are taken out for manual trning, the
girls in the school rooms are eft with
much time on their hands with cannot |
all be used profitably in sewis. There
is needed a cooking school for he girls.
| The manual training briehtes up the |
| boys so that they 60 ahead inrithme-
| tic SO fast as to necessitat giving |
special arithmetic lessons to t girls in |
order to enable tnem to keeplp Mr.. |
Allan said that ultimately the ,oking
school would develop as th,manual /
training school, and would proTbly cost
as much. Mr.. Allan asked for 200 for
| this school.
Mr.. Talbot antagonized this propria-
ton. 1t was an increase of expenses
now, and would mean still CATER in
crease in future.
This appropriation was recommended |
by the following vote:
Yeas-Messrs. Brownson, z Mowan.
Vose anu Allan. a.
Nays--Messrs. Hall, Talbot Brad
ley.-3.
So a beginning will lie made teach
ing cooking to the grammar sch girls,
if the city government sh all appEe the
Recommendation of the commit.
NEW SCHOOL HOUSE.
| The appropriation of $50, 600 for e new
| school house III Ward /, was lain the
| tn HE tO wait the ponrrrraO the