The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-04-26
A MISTAKEN POLICY.

| u MID AMIN
The Free Press believes that the
| school board made mistake when it
declined at its meeting Monday eve
ming to increase the salary of Supt.
Uline. He certainly deserves such an
endorsement for the good services he
has rendered and the board ought to
have been broad enough to have met
the emergency. In fact the Free Press
believes that the board ought at it's
next meeting reconsider its refusal
and make the increase. There was no
hesitancy on the part of the board to
grant increases to the teachers in the
grades to the aggregate of over 5000.
This was right and proper and the
Free Press has no criticism to offer
against it. But it should have COM
pleted the good work by adding at
least 500 to the superintendent sal
airy. Supt Uline has done splendid
work in our schools and is fast bring
ing them to front rank. He is prac-
tical in all matters and not as much
given to following various fads that
have grown up in the public schools
of the day, as are the majority of
school men. While quiet in all that
he does and not disposed to make
much noise about.it at any time, it is
the work that tells and the influence
he exerts will be felt upon our schools
for years to come. The continuance
of such policy simply means that
some day our schools are going to be
the loser thereby. There is not a
city of the size of Mankato in the
state, but that does better by it's sup
erintendent than does Mankato The
fact is MankaTo is doing only about as
we'll as many of the towns half its
size For instance Albert Lea, less
than half our population pays 81, 600.
Faribault which is not as large as
Mankato into two or three thousand,
pays 81, 800. Marshall pays the same
as Mankato. Red Wing with a smaller
population pays 81, st. Cloud
80, 100. Saltwater pays $4,000. Of
these cities mentioned Saltwater is the
only one in which the assessed valua
ton exceeds that of Mankato. st.
Cloud city with less population, and
a valuation one-third less while
it's school tax rate is about 33 13
per cent greater than ours, pays its
superintendent $4O0 more than we do.
AS a matter of fact. if Prof.
Uline is not worth $1,000, he is not
worth retaining in our schools. He
has done most excellent work and he
ought to be paid for it accordingly.
1t would be more in keeping with his
value to the schools and the future
welfare of the same to place the salary
at So, 900. That is what ought to be
done, and then keep a man in there
who is we'll worth that sum. And the
Free Press believes Supt Uline is such
a man.
In relation to this increase of salary
we are advised that Supt. Uline has
never said word to the board in re-
spect to the same, but that he did rec
ommend an increase for the teachers
in the high school, and this recon-
mendation was followed with the ex-
ception of principal. And right here
the Free Press believes the board made
another mistake. Miss Fullerton is
doing most excellent work and well de-
serves an increase of salary. The board
would think nothing of paying 81, 900
to a man for no better work than she
is doing. Why refuse it to her Is it be-
cause she is a woman2 1t is mistaken
policy that is being followed as re-
spects the keeping down of salaries of
the heads of our schools, and as long
as it is continued, they will never take
the place they ought among the schools
of the state and among. educators
generally. There has never been COM
plant on the part of taxpayers as to
wages paid teachers We want good
schools, cut they cannot be obtained
without first class ability at the head
of them and such ability costs money
to retain. The board should recognize
this point and fix the salary of the
superintendent and principal at a
figure that will command the best
ability and then retain only that class
of people therein.