New-York tribune., 1903-03-21
TEACHERS INDIGNANT.
They Resent Being Treated Like
"Susncious Characters"

The teachers Of New-York City entered q strong
protest yesterday afternoon against the proposed
changes in the bylaws relative to deductions for
absences As the law row stands. one-thirtieth Of
a months salary is deducted for a days absence
unless excused IN accordance with the bylaws. and
& is now proposed to deduct one-twentieth. the
pose being TO limit the number of absences. since
It has been found that some teachers abuse the
privileges accorded to them by the Board Of Edu-
cation
For the purpose Of ascertaining the views Of the
persons concerned a hearing was held before the
chairman OF the committee on bylaws and legtsla-
con, Robert Lee yesterday afternoon, when the
teachers expressed themselves IN no uncertain
terms
1T amounts to a punitive measure. pure and
simple said DR.. John Conroy, president Of the
Male Teachers Association, and such 1t is de-
cidediy improper for ii is OF the principles Of
just punishment thst it should be inflicted on the
offender not the innocent and that 1t should
At the crime. You cannot measure teachers work
by days and hours, and If you are going to treat
them like factory hands you will not get from them
the best work OF which they are capable; for If
they consider their interests they VIII refrain
from extra work In order to avoid illness"
Charles A Dewey, OF the Pr4ncpals Association
Of Brooklyn declared that II the teachers treated
the children as the Board Of Education proposed
TO treat thern-namely, the principle that every
child be suspected until 1t was proved tnno-
cent-they would soon be relieved Of their duties
II the Board Of Education needed money. he was
the teachers WOulC present II Win PcE
cent Of their salaries rather than be treated
SUSPICIOUS characters. He also observed that It
was only fair the board Of superintendents
as il was proposed treat the teachers, and de-
Duct from their salaries for absence
Miss Josephine Rogers, president OF the Primary
Teachers Association. expressed herself similarly.
She old not think the board realized the light in
which such regulations placed the teachers before
the public. Their influence should be increased dn
every possible way, and when such discussions as
in did the
teachers a great injury.
1T is e stigma the profession" said John F.
QuiEley. Of the Teachers Association OF the Bor-
ough Of Queens. "and which it doesn't deserve.
fer most tea ,hers do much more work than they
get aid for As for the proposal to pay the money
into the pension fund, do not think that the ma
gority Of teachers will want pension flched from
the fair and just wages Of teachers who have hap
Miss Katherine Blake. president of the Women
iarb2 vftf - sc Of abuse OF present privileges
ALREADY possessed by the board The chairman
VIII year a time and had yet drawn their
saarS but this could not happen unless tne Oosrd
OF suTal lntendents had passed upon the cases ano
It must oe assumed that it had satisfactory rea-
she had beard of shirkers, Miss Blake had never
met with such case herself - o,,s ,-oLo.,
Association. not that il was legal TO de-
Gqct more than DAY pay for gay aosenTe; sa bs
failed that il would have any appreciable
JOIN i b SGif co5tr Of the Gsss Teaehers AssociA-
tOE Of Brooklyn, had collected some information
regarding sick leave arrangements in ether city
departments- In the Police Department, he saio.
Cle-haf of l-565 ot a mans annual income
vas deducted for absence through sickness with
limit to time In the Fire Department no de-
GUc1fon made for absence through sickness.
while Other absences might be excused with pay.
IN the City Hail deductions were made. and in
q the largest life insurance companies in the
world the pay Of faithful and efficient enpioye
might be continued through several months Of ILL
NJ. cottBen also sent post cards to all the prin-
opals Of Brooklyn asking for statistics regarding
ne matter in hand. and from their replies he esti
mated that only eighteen teachers IN Brooklyn
ever unnecessa riiy absent from their duties while
PIE never SO absent Supposing the condi-
rl0Ls To be thu same throughout the city. there
would be found fifty tea chers unnecessarily b.
10 9S3 who
Several Of the speakers urged that the present
-aGlarion whereby absences of less than FIVE days
osnnot be excused was extremely unjust and put
premium absence.
The chairman said that he took the same view
himself and added that the regulation q
bylaw but merely ukaSe which the board OF
suPerfrte1 dents IN its sublime wisdom had seen
II n prcmulgafe. Mr. Harrison thanked the teach
ers for the information they had given him and
said that their remarks had been very -filuminat-