The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-08-08

of that appropriation? In my way OF
thinking they did not, and 1 will en-
deavor to explain it to you.
Inc appropriations We're made to be-
gin January l, 1899. When hardly six
ty days had passed a petition from that
board was presented to us asking for a
transfer OF $500 from special current
expenses to be used for the salaries of
teachers, at the same time they claim
ing that II it We're not granted they
would be compelled to close some of the
schools. Now, remember, gentlemen,
they knew at that time that they were
snort of money for that purpose. This
petition from them for the transfer of
$780, when brought before this board,
was referred to special committee,
who brought in non concurrent action
on the same.
In the meantime, knowing that there
was a deficit, that board increased the
salaries of some 100 teachers to the
amount of some $4,000, as near as can
find out.
Now, [ ask you, gentlemen, is there
anybody present here this evening who
would as an individual, and who had
in his employ some 300 hands, increase
tiltll Wages, dl lllG SdlllC lllllE hllON LIS
that he did not have the money to do
so? L do not think any one of you
would do so under the circumstances,
and for that reason ! claim that they
went beyond the appropriation Just
think it over, whether I be right or
whether l be wrong in regard to this
matter.
| want to go on record that | am not
opposed to the increase of salaries of
teachers, but just the reverse. l should
like to see all our public and primary
school teachers receive more if it were
in my power, providing it was on hand,
for they are the ones from whom is re-
CURED the greatest indulgence and pa
thence in bringing up our boys and
girls. 1t is there where the foundation
is laid, and the making of good citizens
rests entirely with them AS for the
high school, in looking over the salary
list it is seen that they are well cared
for in that respect. Now, if this would
have happened in any other depart
ment what cry would have gone up
AS there seemed no possibility of get
| ting the transfer of $500 from the city
government there bobbed up, the Lord
| only knows Wherefrom, an amendment
| to the city charter not sanctioned, not
requested, not asked for by this body,
in the misrepresentation and eXtrava-
giant legislature at Hartford-a petition
asking that the power of transfers be
| taken out of our hands and placed with
the finance committee. Now, with due
regard for that committee, I think,
believe and l know that we have all
cut our eye teeth and believe that we
can take care of ourselves and not be
taken by the hand and led around like
lot of babies; and that great and glo-
rious Legislature saw fit to take that
power from u.s. And there are gentle
men on this floor who can tell who were
the main workers in getting this meas
ure through the Legislature
| | do not claim that the board of edu-
cation was at the bottom of it. 1t also
seems strange to me that we who are
elected by the people and should voice
the sentiments of the same, should be
debarred from transferring accounts in
the future, as has been done in years
gone by / always believed in gov
eminent by the people and for the peo-
pie and the further you get from such
(and centralize the power) it becomes
monarchial government and is
not representative government
and think and believe we are equal
to the occasion and civilized enough to
govern ourselves without the necessity
of passing such an amendment to our
city charter and l condemn the same.
Now few words as regards the Oak
street school The special appropriation
of SIS. 900 was made at that time eXclu-
sivelv for the benefit and enlargement
of that school Was the same enlarged?
Not to my knowledge. Did the district
suffer in consequence on that account!
| should think it would after the sum
of $15 900 had been recommended by the
board of education and acknowledged
also by the board OF finance that the
enlargemnt of the school was necessi-
ty. 7 do not see the consistency Of
bringing in such recommendation and
then diverting the same Immediately
entirely for other purposes than the APP
preparation asked for If this appro-
priation of 1900 asked for is granted
is there anybody on this floor here this
evening who can tell what is to become
of the remaining $500?
Last year this very board disregarded
your request to stop payment on coal
contract and this year you passed an
amendment to your city charter as fol-
lows After the superintendent of
schools had served one year and was
found satisfactory he should be re-en-
gagged for two years only, and not for
five years, as the charter now reads.
The ink on the paper of that amend |
ment was hardly dry and the legisla-
ture had not yet acted on the same, |
when this very board of education re-
engaged the superintendent for five |
years regardless of your wishes. Was |
that right? / expected that this board |
would receive more courtesy and respect |
from that board. I do not know wheth- |
er the amendment passed that glorious |
legislature or not.
The governor Of this state recon- |
mends in his message and favors more |
public schools and less of the higher |
education which in my opinion is maxi |
ing wonderful progress amongst us,
while the public schools do not come up |
to the necessary standard / also be- |
leve that this higher education should |
be paid for by the individuals. and not |
burdened and saddled onto the taXpay- |
erS.
I will now draw your attention to |
Il.