Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-03-14

over the Payment of Salaries
to Teachers.
WHOM THE BLIZZARD DELAYED
The Question Referred to the
Secretary.
Some Were In Favor of Paying All
Teachers, whether They Attempted TO
Reach school an Blizzard Day or Pinot
An interesting Questionable Secretary
VIII Decide.

The members of the Board Of Educa-
ton got tangled up at the regular meet
ing Monday, and if it hadn't been
for l.. Il. Jones, the worthy secretary,
there is no telling what the result OF the
controversy would have been. But the
board saw chance To clear their skirts
Of the perplexing question by referring
the matter to the secretary, and 1t IS
altogether probable he will have no
difficulty in solving the problem.
BLAMED IT on THE blizzard.
The February blizzard plunged the
august assembly into the abyss OF mex
piicable confusion and it was all on &C.
count of Old Boreas that things became
80 mixed as to enSross the attention OF
the public educators and lead to no end
of entanglements.
This was the condition of affairs that
confronted the board at Monday nights
meeting. 1t was on blizzard day that
many of the public schools were cioseu
for no other reason than that it was I'M
possible for the school marms to wade
through snow drifts foot high and thus
run the risk of catching influenza, pneu-
monia aad the grip, just for the sake ot
holding school for u few hours and in
structing the youth in the course pre-.
scriDed in the ordinary common school
curriculum Consequently the doors OF
many of the schools remained closed on
blizzard day. -
When the principals of the different
schools made their returns to the proper
authority at the end of the month, many
| of the pedagogues were credited with
| full days attendance, while a few were
returned as absent and their names SO
appeared on the lists submitted by the
minority representation to the school
board officers.
THESE PRINCIPALS WE'RE coNsCIEN-
rIoUs.
At No. School the principal marked
two of her teachers absent, but the re-
turn was supplemented by note which
stated that ii other teachers were to be
paid for their attendance on the day
the blizzard depleted the attendance OF
| the public schools it was nothing more
than proper that the teachers Of No. 4
School should receive like compensation.
Right here is where the rub lies. If all
the teachers had been returned "prcsent"
the board would have felt constrained
to pass the pay roll submitted by the
4
the teachers were returned "present" on
February 9Th, while others were reported
"absent," tho board found itself In the
biggest kind of stew
STARTED THE BALL ROLLING.
1t was Mr.. Turner that started the
ball rolling. He was in favor of paying
all the teachers for work done on biz
card day, and said there should be nc
discrimination. Mr.. Coyle aequiesced
in this decision and seconded the motor
made by Mr.. Turner to that effect. The
motion would have passed without mucl
difficulty had not President Bairt
sounded note of warning and callet
the boards attention TO the little greer
, book of rules lying on each member
desk. One of the rules stated IN un
mistakable terms that if any teacher il
, absent she cannot expect to draw he
regular salary for that day. There wa
, nothing left for Mr.. Baird TO do Blu
declare Mr. Turner's motion out o
order, which he did in u manner suitlnl
the occasion.
THE CHAIRS RULING SUSTAINED.
Then President Baird sat facing tn
board and calmly awaited an appea
|
doomed to disappointment, however
!, While several were convinced of TIL
hurdships Of the red tape rules of tn
, board, none cared to appeal from its de
! cison ii any other way offered itself u
! set the matter right again. MIR. Turnt
said IL was only IL matter of about So
and by all means tho teachers shout,
:, get their money. Mr.. Coylc wanted tt
1. 4 L., ,,NN
a viceable broken, but as no one cared t
!, break the rule it was allowed to con
!, tnue in force.
: Then some ono saw q way out of TIL
a sea of difficulties and moved to rcfe
! the matter to Secretary Jones for settle
i ment, the prevailing opinion being tina
= he could settle the payroll problem i
less time than it had taken the board t
wrestle with it.
MIR. JONES 4 PAcIFICAToR.
But even Mr., Jones was loath to tackl
Q the complicated question. He said he ha
conscientious seruples against acceptin
l. the responsibility, but the board ever
u tually referred the matter to Mr.. Jone
# and the latter will have the extrem
It pleasure of settling the salary questio
!. when the school marms call for the
5, envelopes.
COMMITTEE ON TEACHERS.
!, Tho committee on teachers recon
=. mended that the board accept the off
y y Of the w. @. T. w., to award prizes ft
= essays on temperance, and the IL
IL sembly room of the High School vi
!, !, be used for rehcarsals. The committt
y on printing was given permission
have 5000 perfect attendance blanl
=, printed, cost not To exceed $40, III
(: board adjourned to attend the lneotii
" | IL NM. t.A..