The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-03-19
Rath r Than That Of Modern
Cities.
Uncle Jasper Talbert
Outwitted.
How the House Passed Some
Pension Bills.
isPEcIAE TO THE PRKssI

isPEc1AE TO THE PRkssI
Washington, March 17.-An agitGtion
which has bsen going on In Washinet'n
over the salaries OF the school tsacheIs Of
the city cuiminated In debate In the
House on Thursday. Washington has
twelve hundred and twenty -four school
TEACHERS, who Ieceivs salaries ranging
from $500 per annum In the lowest
primary grade to $3.50 per annuw, which
IL received by tas director CT high
schools. In all 1851. 700 are expended In
salaries of the regular school teachers
In addition tse night schools cost $500
per annum, and the kindergarten schools
s25, 600 Ger annum. One half OF the
expsr sss OF the schools is paid by the peo-
pie of Washington and the other half out
Of the general treasury OF the United
States. The debate In the House arose
over the salariss Of five principals OF high
chools at $1,000 per annum each. A mo-
tion was made to increase the salary Of
one Of these teachers t6 $500, and over
this amendment the whole question was
debated. 1t was urged that these salaries
were far below those of similar positions
In many other American cities Of the
siss Of Boston. 1t was urged that other
cities were Turing away the best of the
Washington teachers ty promises OF hivh-
or pay. Elaborate tables were presented
to show that Washington was behind the
times In the matter Of salaries. On the
other hand the members of the committee
on appropriations In charge of the bill
declared that the salaries in Washington
were sufficient, and that the examples of
other cities were in some respects extrav-
agant. The Mississippi statesman, John
Allen. declared that In his own great city
Of Tupelo the principal Of the high school
was doing grand work on q salary OF less
than five hundred dollars. and that there
were many worthy people in that region
who were envious Of his salary and Anx-
ious to get his plaos. To Mr.. Allen q
reply was made by Congressman John +.
Fitzgerald, WIN quoted the exampls of
his own city of Boston. which paid the
highest salaries for teachers, and con-
sidered it the best public policy. The
House, however, Inclined In the direction
Of the Tupelo precedent and declined to
authorizes the increase of salary.
Uncle w. Jaspar Taltert, the long
and severe member from South Carolina,
who is n thorn In the flesh Of friends Of
the old soldiers, is gradually being
brought under control by various devices,
although at first he saw through all the
wilss Of those who tried to make him
forget that quorum was not prsssut.
Even during the day sessions the quorum
sometimes fails. While pensions we're
being considered at night sessions, the
Democrats and Republicans alike tried
every scheme possible buy of no avail,
because Uncle JaSpar wot4d not be Inc
weighed beyond the oon1ines of the cham
Der. The pension workers could mot get
him down into the House restaurant for
Congressional GOLD tSa" served out Of q
be tile With distlllery brand on It, be-
cause Uncle Jaspar Is temperance. They
tried to get him down to get q bite Of
does net permit tim to eat at,~night and
this scheme failed. Finally the debonairs
DR.. Norton thought of q great scheme
and he had Uncle Jaspar notified that
some dozen Of his cousins were In town
and that Dnole Jaspar was wantsd right
away at the Metropolitan hotsL This
failed to work, too. as whea Unole Jas
he said he was not half as much afraid of
his cousins being lost in Washington %
he was of some ''bounty jumper or coffes
cooler" getting his hands into Uncle
Sans money pocket Although the abo-
litlon of the night sessions has restricted
Uuols Jaspar's activities. he eth is
trou blesome and has to be managed.
Quite often Uncle Jaspar had oppoi tuni-
~ to demand QUORUM on the House
resolving itself Into the committse OF
ths whole and also on matn-
tanning quorum Of hundred
members IN the committee. True to his
determination Uncle Jaspar stlll de.
mands quorum and 1t has to be OBJ
tanned. Whenever bill he does not like
and he is posted on every bill-comes
up he is liable to demand quorum and
there is a great sourrying and hustling
to get the hundred necessary. His de-
mands became very annoying the other
day and 9 plan was devised-some say BY
the patriarchal Sulloway, the chairman
of the invalid pension com mittss and
come say by Samuel W. Smith, the hard
working Michigan MANLY which Uncle
Jaspar would have his attention so en-
crossed that he would quit his demand
for a quorum and be quiesOsnt. The
scheme was very simple and, az 1t proved,
Fsry effeotual. DE GranenFejd OF Texas,
briggs of New York, Norton Of Ohio.
Littlsnsld OF Maine. Graf OF Illinois.
Myer Of Indiana, and other Democrats
and Republicans In favor Of pension lsgis-
lAtlon and friendly with Talbsrt were Sc