The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-05-04
BOARD OF
EDUCATION
A Lively Session Held
Yesterday.
RAISING TEACHERS PAY
Session OF the Normal Instead of a
Summer School, shall Con-
sumptiyes Teach 2

AT the meeting Of the Board of Edu-
cation yesterday afternoon several
matters which have been pending for n
long time we're put in the way of SCI
tlement Ii was decided that there
shall be a summer session of the nor
NAL school instead of summer school
as usual. Those present at the meet
ng, which was more lively than usual.
were Minister Mott-Smith, Professor
Alexander. Inspector-General Town
send. DIR. Rodgers. Mrs. Jordan, Mrs.
Hall, and Mr.. Won Holt.
The first question taken up was that
OF raising the salaries OF the teachers
and restoring the schedule which pro-
vides for the regular increase of these
for long terms OF service, and for
other sufficient reasons. Minister
Mott-Smith made a clear presentation
OF the whole subject, stating that the
Board members were all anxious to in
crease the salaries of the teachers If
they could be increased. The best way
10 manage the matter was to refer all
applications for increase of salaries to
the Teachers Committee, whose busi-
ness IL was TO decide upon wcrthiness.
In the present instance IL was neces-
sary to refer the whole subject to the
chairman of the Committee on Finance,
in order that the latter might inquire
INTO the status of the appropriation,
when IL will be available. and~how
much will be left to use for raising
salaries after the regular payroll as 1t
now stands Is provided for. Suspend
Ing the schedule providing for period
ical rises In salary last April was a
radical proceeding which was rendered
unavoidable by stern necessity, and 1t
was highly desirable to put II in opera
ton again as soon as possible; but 1t
was absolutely necessary first to find
out how the Board stood In relation to
finances, else they might find that they
had spent more money than was avail
able. The facts could be CLEANED from
the secretary OF the Council of State,
the Minister of Finance, the Auditor
General. and other sources. The basis
OF the appropriation must be investi-
gated before they could go ahead: also
President McKinley's approval must be
obtained. The best way, In fact the
only way.wa to notify Mr.. Won Holt,
the chairman of the Finance Commit
tee, and ask him TO report at the next
n Getting. (Mr. Won Holt had not :hen
come I'M. Heretofore the practice had
been to vote the rise in salary recon-
mended by the Teachers Committee,
making II conditional upon the appro-
priation. This sort of action Is hazard
lus. The Board desires that all teach
ers having claims for an increase OF
salary should present them and have
hem investigated.
One of the members suggested that
the Government was at times penny
wise and pound foolish In its manner
Of remunerating It's employees. and cit
ed the case OF the watchman at the
Electric Light works, who receives SIS
a month and does not have to work by
any means every night. The work Is
not skilled labor and requires no edu-
cation and no knowledge OF electricity.
To teachers. on the other hand, VINO
have spent a good deal of money and
many years educating themselves for
their work, Is given $40 a month and
they board themselves. This was CIV
en- as an example of the discrepancies
in salaries paid by one employer, to
wit. the Government.
Minister Mott-Smith said that the
same sort of thing is found in all the
walks of life. and showed by statistics
| that whereas the average of the sala-
ries paid to male teachers in the Unit
ed States Is $475, in Hawaii IL Is $3.50.
In the case of female teachers the fig
ures are respectively $402.40 ad $3.50.
In Canada they are lower still; but In
California they are higher than in Ha-
wall.
/ Mr.. Won Holt came In, and the deci-
sion about referring the matter OF the
status OF the appropriation was ex-
planned to him. He promptly and in
dignantly announced that he did not
/ propose TO do ID. He had too much to
/ do already. and he did not propose to
devote any time to IL. IL was not worth
busy mans time to go into 1t. He
certainly did not intend to devote a
month to an investigation and then find
out u was no good.
| The Minister said that the matter
should be taken seriously. IL affects a
great many teachers. and 1t Is a matter
which must be attended to.
I Mr.. Won Holt was exceedingly sure
mat he did not propose to go into an
Investigation and then find that the
territorial Bill rendered 1t of no effect.
I Mr.. Mott-Smith spoke of the neces-
sary division of duties in the Board.
and said that the Board did not know
Where they were In reference to this
matter. and that IL was necessary to
find out.
Mr.. Won Holt said II was no use. be-
cause the Board may be turned out af-