New-York tribune., 1899-11-16
TEACHERS PAY MUDDLE.
wHALEN AND CoLER ATTACKED AT A
MEETING OF THE SCHOOL BOARD.
A RESOLUTION TO PAY THE OLD SALARIES
ADOPTED AND A COMPROMISE
AGREEMENT REACHED.

AGREEMENT REACHED.
While there was no settlement yesterday OF
the question how to pay the salaries OF teachers
In the boroughs Of Richmond and Queens where
the appropriations have been exhausted 'hei'
has been an agreement by which the teacheie .,
the boroughs OF Manhattan and the Bronx anu
BROOKLYN will receive that portion OF the'r sai
aries TO which they were entitled unoer 'ne
.o,sar,e IN force before the Ahearn law went
into erect The agreement was arrived at III d
talk which Corporation Counsel Whaieh' AS
sistant Deputy Controller Levey. PRESIDENT hi'
lie Of the Board OF Education ana SuPern-
tendent Maxwell had on Tuesday. II was an
nounced yesterday in the following le''er ''
President Little. addressed to the ac'ihs se
tary of the School Board:
Doar Cir. The Controller having refused 70 pay
the teachers salaries for the month OF 'decs,or
rendered by this Board. or account OF tne 5000
p 'e te ,nfopm YOU that have made the followins
arrangement with the ControIer ~ .Ia money due
them on account: . ,o,, navrolIs
First-We are AT once 10 prepare new Satto these
for October on the basis Of May last, ana 'nesss
viii be paid on account. II being understood tnr, ,,
the receipt the teachers will he reGureo @ sga 20 tights
that they oay have regarding the presen, sal
secondWe are at on5er 0nTe No Of the present year
uron the following basis: ..,sos ,or IN the
.bssnD Eyery s% must first be provided for We must
then deduct from every teachers snyy,ber any
snS every excess paid bevond the salary schedule
Of the BOARD that was IN force on ,,, rrr e also in
clnSe any excess that has been paid TO tea teacnecs @
entitled to the minimum nandatorx otheT than
those receiving the Aheern mandatory saISrle, thn
be paid only only sSn noober November and December
as the money remaining 10 me credt ~ h,t NOT less
tnan they receiving when the Ahear" 10"
went into enect. ill.,, 49, coIcu1ations' necessary
~ carry ont the above should 1t develop that
is not sucent money to pay tSs IN Abearn 1E law went
into effect and also to nay the minimum u attH tben
tory salaries demanded by that law te @ make up
any deficiency required for the rolls made upon INC
sIscs PASS msv be proper for to say to you
s,eS that the question Of the proper tey
ZION a. the Ahearn lew is to he carried nr Rrook
20 court bv the teachers OF me there are so sim
,ar sn. t the questions involved here that Is 6
Nsved fyv the Corporation CounsTi, sen Settle II for
e,son 9 should the Court decide that he vs'9hs "a h
soronEs have rgt Sy qReeT tho Abearn law
salary SCHEDULES aud therefore ncb ms has been
"a the sgat,on Tna for the last few months ell @
that may ke due them unassn uns Cunt Gu sustain the
re paa Counsss opinion. there would cbnrs ss
matter Of fact be nothne more oe d" that there
,s ne Hostility toward them in any OF Cnensei -ne and
partnents and both the coTnTrai1ds indsment Of the
heir
law necessl.a1es Tins JOSEPH J. LITTLE.
cerely yours, o.7D
The most important meeting OF the ocnooi
r,oora for yhe boroughs Of Manhattan ana Inc
rsronx that has been held in months TOOK pi"'
Yesterday. and Corporation Counsei "haIen anu
controller Coler were attacked by seVerai mem
ners Of the Board and accused or wroneuoile'
The discussion was started by the reaolhs VI
short letter from Deputy Controier LeVes' a'n
a.. ,ha+ a new schedule Of salaries in accord
ance with the schedule before May iast "he"
~. Abearn hill became law, should be made
,-..,ao,. Iosanb 7 Little said that he wished to
90 over the entire matter before the Board IN
- chat the members cou1d see just where
v,o.tars stood The payrol1s under the Ahearn
,u be said were adopted on May II. going
into effect on June l. and President Little wrote
,o Mr. Coler TO inform him Of the fact in that
letter he mentioned the adopting of the pay
rolls and said that the law authorized 'he
Board Of Estimate and Apportonment 10 issue
revenue bonds unless there was surplus suih-
cient TO meet the advance In salaries. ana 10
meet the salaries in excess OF the minimum
amount Mr. Little asked the opinion OF Con-
troller Coler. Within a few days the Conroier
replied to the letter and said that he agreed
with Mr. Little but wished to defer the Issuing
Of revenue bonds until the amount could be ex-
actlv ascertained He also said that 1t would
be necessary for the Board TO state the amount
not later than September 10.
President Little continued IN his explanation
by saying that early In November he had an
interview with Controller Coler. and they de-
cided TO submit all differences to the Corpora
ton Counsel The decision Of the Corporation
Counsel, which was read at the meeting Of the
Board of Education one week ago. said that
the school boards had no right to increase sal
aries the minimum amount unless they mad
the necessary funds so 70 do
This opinion OF the Corporation Counsel left
the matter practically in a state OF chaos and
as II is to-day. President Little explained that
the Corporation Counsel was the legal adviser
OF the Board and that If the Board wished to &C
beyond the opinion handed down Mr. Whaler
would have tc go to court and ask TO have hi:
opinion vacated an act which he would probably
refuse to do.
Mr. Little then surprised the Board by tellinl
of the conference in the Corporation Counsel;
Office on Tuesday afternoon with Mr. Whalen
the Controller and several assistants. when th
partial plan outlined in his letter adopted
MILES O'BRIEN is ANGRY.
Commissioner Miles o'Brien then. with fac
red with emotion said that he refused to retrea
one step from the plan already adopted. II
further said:
We should not bow to the Corporation Counse
There are men in the Board who have as high
legal opinion he has and they must be considered
Why we are not TO be lampooned by other ofi
cias who know no more II as much as ourselves.
/ don't claim to be infallible or that the other
are but / shall allow any city official {
ampoon and accuse us OF acts We are no
guilty Of
owe II 10 my place Commissioner.
owe Il 10 my family and friends.
81 TO my honor.
Mr. O'Brien then offered resolution. TO tn
effect that the payrolls were correct as sent in
and that they must be considered so.
Commissioner O'Brien then defended his reso
luton. and begged the Board 10 pass 1t, in or
der that the city officials could what tn