Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1900-1903, 1902-11-20
BOARD OF EDUCATION.
Resignation Of Janitor of Walsh School
Was Accepted.

Was Accepted.
The matter of regulating the salaries
of the janitors of the schools formed
the main discussion at the meeting Of
the board of education held last even
ing. Mayor Kilduff presided and there
were present Commissioners Carmody,
Kent, Griggs, Russell and Chapman.
After it was voted to have Inspector
of School Buildings Smith get esti-
mates for the cost of plastering two
cold air rooms in the Walsh building,
the question of salaries came up.
Mayor Kilduff opened the debate by
remarking that it was rather late for
this matter to come up. The board has
handed in the customary list Of ex-
penses for the ensuing year, and If any
provision was to be made for the JAM
tors by way Of increasing their sal
aries it should have been made then
1t was not businesslike to do it at any
other part of the year. The board Of
nnance seeing no way to make the in
creases recommended by the board in
the middle of the year, and yet not lik-
ing to turn down these recommends
lions, is placed in a very peculiar stu
alton. 1t was not good policy to at
i
once been fixed.
Then superintendent Tinker intro
duced schedule, which is as follows:
-Four rooms, $500; six rooms, 5000:
eight rooms, $500; ten rooms. $720;
/ twelve rooms, $720, with assistant Mt
$500; eighteen rooms $50, with as
i sistant at $500. In the High school,
/ which consists Of twenty-nine rooms.
Il It is proposed to increase the salary OF
the janitor from $40 to 5000. with ain
allowance of $500 for m assistant.
This is an increase of $50 for the as
sistant. AT the Crosby grammar
4 school. which contains twenty-three
i rooms, the proposed schedule is $3.50
for the janitor, and two assistants at
$500 each.
4 This included the maximum figures
and it allowed would make difference
Of $700 between the present sum al
lowed for salaries. Tt would affect only
one janitor, he at the Webster school
. But in another way 1t would make the
salaries Of some janitors as high as
that Of some professors now employed
in the schools. 1t would give ianitors
i Of buildings of twelve rooms the very
n easiest Of times and give those of ten
rooms the very hardest of times. The
board was under the impression that
the assistant ianitors do all the work
at present and that this should not be
An assistant was merely to help. moi
do regular work On the other hand
various suggestions were made to cure
what the board knew to be gross
evil in the present system of doing the
work in the schools, but all of them
fell fiat. The arrangements suggested
would work all right until they would
reach the ianitors of twelve-room
buildings The Clay and Bank streets
schools made insurmountable obstacles
these being heated with a series OF
fires which gave the ianitors considera
Bile work in the winter season. After
the matter was discussed from seem
fnglv every point of view Commission
er Chapman moved that the schedule
be adopted. The vote was doubtful
and Commissioner Griggs said he coul6
not vote for schedule that was moi
consistent in all its parts. The ques
ton was not again put, but the mayor
said he hoped the commissioners would
think the matter over.
The resignation Of Thomas T. Dow
ling, janitor of the Walsh school, was
accepted. to take effect on the 10th oil
this month Martin McGrath of CO.
East Main street applied for the posi-
ton, but no action was taken on hi!
application. The payrolls and inevita
BILE bills We're approved, after which
the mayor asked Superintendent Tin
ker how the rules relating to vaccina
ton were carried ont, and the latte
replied that every child in the publi'
schools has been vaccinated eXcep
about dozen whose parents seem de
termined to defy the law. On motor
of Commissioner Chairman it was de
cided that the committee on rules will
Superintendent Tinker should eonfei
with the prosecuting attorney abou
bringing prosecutions against thos,
parents whose conduct. in this matte
I has invited trouble.
Tt was also voted to carry out th'
proposed exchange of land with Jnhl
F. Tohin on nrblin streets afte,
which the board adjourned.