The San Francisco call., 1897-05-14

for the renewal of their certificates before the
date OF their expiration.
The compulsory educational law also
came in for share of Mr.. Webster's al.
tention, and he declared that 1t appeared
never to have been observed, and that as
a result there is a growing illlteracy
among the people of this City tnat is
alarming.
He quoted the census returns, showing
that l9, 46S children, or 26 per cent OF the
total of "a, $40, have not attended any
school during the past ten months. he
says that the law is good ana suInclent;
and calls the attenti ton OF the Board OF
Education to the fact that ii Is required
by law that a notice of the law be pub
ished in q newspaper for three weeks in
June of each year.
Attention is also called to the fact that
parents or guardians OF children are liable
to prosecution for refusing to comply with
the law.
In his resume of the financial situation
Mr.. Webster told the board fatty and
plainly that he would not allow the
teachers salaries to be held out during
his term as they have in the past. This Is
the way he handled the matter:
The practice of oepriving teachers of their
prompt pay is st once pernicious, leading to
extravaganza and unjust to the teachers.
After June 30, while am superintendent, IL
shall not occur. / will see TO il that teachers
and all salaries are paid first, and will not
approve with my signature any demands Tor
one month exceeding in the aggregate one
twelfth of the entire appropriation for the
year.
l claim that If my pred decessor had exercised
this prerogstive during the past six months OF
the f. Cal year teachers would have been paid
promptly each month. The financial conol-
ton of the department reveals gross m1sman-
agement in the past. You, gentlemen OF the
Board of Education, inherited this denclt
from your predecessors.
Director waller, chairman of your Finance
Committee, recently reported that 1t would
require $942, 900 to pay salaries OF teaeheTs e
for the yeur terminating June 80, 1898. II
teachers salaries are to be Withheld at the END
of this fiscal year, and in the present condi-
ton of the School Department l can see no
way of avoiding 1.-THE Supervisors will be
obliged to appropriate for the payment OF
teach ers' salaries Tor the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1893, 1924, 600, plus $3S for Novem.
ber plus an additional deficit at the end of
the year of over 800, 900, making a total of
81 ,062, 900 against the salary account OF
teachers, an amount of money far In excess OF
what was allowed by the Supervisors for the
present fiscal year for the conduction OF the
department in all its branches.
This demand for teachers salaries Is rather
underestimaIed. 1t Is rank injustice to
teachers that this enormous sum should be
charged to them in the budget of the coming
year when it really covers up an extravagant
expenditure for supplies, repairs, etc. In cold
print 1t is likely, unless explained, to mislead
the public and creates prejudice against
teachers salaries. l consider il the duty OF
this board to scale expenses for the next two
| months TO minimum that the deficit that is
TO be charged to teachers salaries may be as
small as possible. will refuse 10 approve any
unnecessary expense and favor the immediat te
payment of $4,000 due the teachers on the
Novem ber salary account
Superintendent Webster says that he
does not intend to let the matters treated
of drop with a mere report, but will follow
them to the end.