The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-23

Arguments for and against retrencnHen.
along line suggested BY The adheFenls o.
the theory that the schools ana ieacasis
should bear their hruut OF ne
general business distress, was the
principal matter before the meeLhs
OF the Tax and Retrenchmen1 As
scciati0n a. the rooms OF the SAainoeE
OF Commerce yesterday afternoon las
discussion was led of ~ impassioned al
dresses bv E. c Hughes and Or. Coe in
favor of no further reduction, and snow
ing OF figures by Superintendent Barnard
which exhibited what had been done n the
way OF reducing salaries and expenditures
IN the years succeeding 1898.
The particularly fun report OF school, al
fairs prepared BY Secretary Guernsey mere
tofore was the basis of representation
made by Superintendent Barnard yester-
day afternoon. and the same figures fur-
nIshed the reason for the opposition OF
Mayor Wood. who made a logical talk on
the subject Of maintenance OF the system
corslsisEt with the times. The opposition
furnished the fuse that touched of great
deal OF fine sentiment in connection with
the represented necessity for curtailment.
Mr.. Barnard placed the character OF a
school system, as an inducement Tor I'M
migration. on a plane paramount 10 all
other considerations, and said that before
immigration could be induced an exhl-
bition of educational advantages should be
made TO intending settlers 10 convince
them that their children would lose moth
ing in that direction By severing the ties
that bound families 10 the East and 10
older communities where the advantages
are of established excellence. He said that
he desired TO correct some figures that ne
had furnished 10 the Post-InteAigencer,
which made the salaries read in specified
positions $3.50, when II should have been
sos. This rate of salary had been reduced
in the process of relreachment evolution
from 500, a cut of AZ per cent.
with an attendant reduction in ef
ficiency of 50 per cent He also repre-
sans.si that teachers have made a practice
of buying from their own modest stipends
books, papers and periodicals that the hard
times had prevented the district from
buying.
Mr.. Leary remarked that he had misun-
derstood the condition of affairs. He had
no idea that the cuts in salaries and ex-
penses had been so substantial.
Mayor Wood declared that the senti-
mentalism OF the question was subordinate
TO the glaring business proposition. lie did
not believe that an injustice would be done
a child. as he did not advocate impairing
the efficiency OF the school system His
idea was that teachers would not give up
their positions il another reduction in sal
aries were made. His attitude toward the
matter and his idea was that the reduc-
tons In salary had MOI been In proportion
with the increased purchasing power of
money. While salaries might have been
reduced in a measure. the money would so
farther than ever. He believed In greater
curtailment. He reviewed the burden of
the barefoot schoolboy tax, but said that
were 1t not for that tax there would be dis
tricts in the state that would have TO be
abandoned. For instance, a man In Kit
sap county had remarked TO him that the
relief afforded by his districts proportion
of the tax enabled the school to run for
three months. He characterized some of
the former demands OF the school district
as unrea sonable. He also said that In all
other branches of business and In all other
walks OF life a greater proportion of cur
tailment had been necessary than in the
cases of school teachers.
Mrs. Thomas, an exmember OF the
school board. remarked in the same spirit
as that of Mayor Wood. that nobody cared
10 depreciate the value of the services of
the school teachers. 1t is a time of emer-
gency. according 10 Mrs Thomas; a time
when il Is not what people would like TO
have done. but what must be done; not
what people would. but what they could.
mental attitude of the teachers in their
threatened suit for back salaries. Mrs.
Thomas characterized that action as the
reason why contracts for the year are not
made with teachers.
Mr. Hughes differed with Mayor Wood.
and both he and DR.. Coe assumed that
the obligation was owing to the children,
who will be the sufferers IL the efficiency
of the schools is lessened. The matter
zh 10 N
other public expenses. The lowering OF
the standard has gone as far as possible.
and II must go no further. The effect OF
lower grade OF competency is even now
shown by the children. Mr. Hughes idea
was that all boys and girls should go out
into life equipped at least with rudi-
mentary education, so that brains may aid
fingers. Teachers should have two. and
preferably three years training He then
instituted some comparisons In salaries
OF teachers and stenogra piers. in which
the former were shown to be less than the
latter. Teachers require great special
preparation for their work, while stenog
rapheTs are manufactured in six months
after leaving common schools. The latter
calling, he said. was in a great degree me
chsnical. while the teachers occupation
was a constant drain of mental and
physical force. Mr.. Hughes said that IL
economy must he forced let people eat
less and wear less bat not at the cost
OF the mental development OF the chlidren.
John Collins attacked the salaries paid
10 city officials. and particularly the s. 90
paid 20 the corporation counsel. Mr.. Col
Inns grew quite indignant when he COM
pared the value OF services OF the cor
poratIon counsel with those Of the SUI
perintendent Of schools az g. so per year.
Mr.. Carkeek talked from the position
az tho mechanic and Iaborlng man. and
was followed by Q. H. Lilly. who argued
against reduction. County Sapsrintend-
ent OF Schools Meredith appeared, he
said. in 4 four-fold capacity That Of tho
taxpayer. the father, the teacher and In
his Official position. He discussed the
relative competency between cheap teach
ers and weli-psid teachers. which VAS an
argument against reduction in salaries.
Dr. Coe PAID Mayor Wood a high COM
plineng for his views, but argued against
the stand the mayor took IN the discuss'o on.
lie entered an earnest plea for the mats
teu8rce of at least the present standard.
which he said. is TOO low already.