The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-15
MAY SUBMIT TO ARBITRATION
ST. PAUL SCHOOL TEACHERS
AND THEIR SALARIES


Promised Suit Fails to Materialize,
and President FarnswOrth, of the
Teachers Association, Takes An
other Course-Wiu Gather Sta
tistics Regarding the Teachers
and Use Them With the Board.
It is quite probable that a concen-
trated effort will be made by the teach
ers of st. Paul against any reduction
in salary which may be imposed during
the next school year, on account OF
lack of money in the maintenance fund.
Q Principal S. A. Farnsworth, presl-
dent of the st. Paul Teachers associa-
ton, yesterday sent out letters to all
= the principals of the various schools
of the city asking for information re-
garding the competency and general
condition of teachers employed In the
public schools of this city.
The questions asked are as follows:
First-Number of teachers in your school.
Second-Number OF teachers owning homes
in St. Paul.
Third-Number of teachers who pay or as
sist in paying taxes in st; Paul
EOurth-NumDer OF IedcNeTS VIII udNo
other persons wholly partially depend
ent upon them for support
Include the principal in all answers.
In closing, Mr.. Farnsworth gives as
a reason for desiring information the
following:
This is to aid In an effort to place clearly
and fully before the board of education the
reasons why salaries of ST. Paul teachers
should not be reduced. An immediate re-
Spouse is requested.
Inquiry among a number of teachers
Yesterday afternoon elected little infor-
nation relative to the plans Of the
teachers association or the import Of
Supt Farnsworth's letter, in fact it
could not be learned that a meeting
of the teachers association had been
held for several weeks.
1t would appear from this fact that
Mr. FarnSworth has taken 1t upon
himself to gather this information
without sanction of the body of which
he is president. In the absence of au-
thority which could only be voted at
a meeting of the association, Mr..
Farnsworth would have no more right
to collect such information on behalf
of the teachers association than any
other member of the body would.
1t would seem, however, that Mr..
Farnsworth and the other members of
the committee who were to have
brought the suit against the city are
determined to keep after the board of
education until they secure the recog-
milton which they claim they are en-
titled to.
Mr. Farnsworth stated to The
Glob last week that suit would be
brought against the city early this
week, possibly Monday as the COM
plant was then being drawn.
So far, no action has been Drought
in any Of the courts, and it seemed to
H. h. .<lD1
that the matter was about to be drop
ped to enable the committee to ar
range an armistice with the board I'M
til the statistics which Mr. Farms
worth asked for in his letter yesterday
were forthcoming.
Although Mr.. Farnsworth could not
be found yesterday afternoon, it SEEM
ed to be the impression among teach
,ers that the committee had changed
its tactics for the more popular course
of arbitration with the school board
Prof. ]. G. Donnelly was the only
member of the committee who could
be seen.
Mr.. Donnelly has taken no active
part in the deliberations Of the COM
mittee, as he is not in sympathy with
the movement Of the teachers. When
asked relative to the matter, he said:
AS far as I am concerned, the city
does not owe me one cent, and I don't
know the first thing about the suit
One of the best known teachers in
the city said:
II do not think the movement of the
teachers is well advised. If the board
was taking some means to get more
money, it would be different, but 1T Is
doing its best with the funds at its
disposal, and I do not think it is in
the interest Of the teachers to COM
plain of the action of the school board.
More money is certainly needed to
run the schools, but the teachers must
remember that the place to get that
is in the council. and not in the board.
The board is doing its best to make
ends meet"
Another teacher said:
I'm view of the experience of the
Minneapolis board, I should not think
any steps would be taken which would
tend to antagonize the board. The
fault lies with the people who make
up the tax budget"
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