The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-06-07
NEWS FOR TEACHERS.
Mayor Hoos Suggests to the
Finance Board an In
crease of Salaries.

Mayor Hoos thinks the teachers should
have increase of salary, and to urge t.,at
matter on the attention of the Board of
Finance, His Honor today sent the fo.-
lowing letter to that body
Honorable Board of Finance
"Gentlemen-Knowing full well how
difficult tits for your Honorable Board to
meet all demands-particularly when they
are just ones-for increased appropria-
tions to maintain the various municipal
departments during the coming fiscal
year. and at the same time do your dutY
toward our overburdened taxpayers so
far as their tax bills are concerned, it is
with some reluctance that I call your at
tent!on to a certain matter.
when we consider the fact that due to
inequitable tax laws which favor the cor
pora tions at the expense of the city, the
giving away of valuable franchises
gratuitously, and the stealing away Of
our water fronts in the past, and the en-
croachments of the many railroads upon
much of our valuable property and mary
other shortcomings attributable, to say
the least, 10 the neglect of former public
officials in guarding the city's interests
While they were in power, we have the
main causes of our high tax rate and the
reasons why your Honorable Board must
necessarily do the utmost to keep down
appropriations. But we have to take cir
cumstances as we find them, and make
the best of it,
AT this particular time I woul call
you rattention to the low scale of salaries
which we pay our public school teachers,
especially in our primary departments.
Promises have been made from year
to year to Increase their salaries, but
they had to be deferred because of the
Increase 1t would have made in the tax
rate. Now I know that the taxpayers
will not object to the honest and just
expenditures of money for educational
purposes. Our city proudly boasts of
corps of teachers second to none, but
praise for meritorious work does not in
itself compensate for work well done and
faithfully performed. Good work always
commands Va good price and in order to
prevent our large neighboring city, which
offers higher salaries, from taking our
teachers away from us it is necessary
that we should do something more SUBJ
stantial than giving vent to mere utter
ances of praise. A number Of good teach
ers. which we could hardly afford to
lose, have left Jersey City during the
past year or two, and therefore SUBJ
nit to you for your consideration the fol-
lowing proposition, trusting that you may
see your way clear to take some decisive
action regarding the same:-
I'm making up the next tax budget
suggest that you provide about $4,000 ad-
ditional to the present salary appropria-
ton for the Board of Education. This
would mean raise of about five per cent.
on all salaries paid our teachers. 1t Is
our teachers that the city means to do
right by them and that we appreciate
their services and at the same time as
sures them that we will do better by
them whenever the improved condition
of the eity's finances permit, which happy
condition of affairs I trust is not far off.
Respectfully submitted:
EDWARD HOOS,
Mayor.