Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-27
PAY OF THE TEACHERS
INCREASE NAY DEPEND UPON
RETRENcHMENT.
Condition That Seems to Confront the
Schools Subcommittee OF the
House District Committee.

1t does not seem at all certain just now
that legislation will be enacted at this ses-
sion of Congress to provide more adequate
compensation for the public school teachers
or the District. Although the members OF
the schools subcommittee of the House Dis.
trfct committee. of which Representative
Morrell of Pennsylvania Is acting chairman.
believe that the local teachers are under
paid they are also understood to be OF the
opinion that the local organization is
comparatively expensive one and that
bill TO increase. teachers salaries, unless 1t
contained provisions for retrenchment in
other directions. would have no chance or
passage whatever. Ia other words, It ap-
pears from present Indications to be prac-
tically settled that no attempt will be made
at this session at least to pass a bill for
the relief of the teachers unless tho same
measure provided changes in the school
system. In view of this fact and also coz
sidering that the end ,of the present session
appears 10 De pretty well in sight, the
chance for the enactment of any school
iegislat ton at all looks pretty slim.
To Hold Executive Sessions.
Some members of the House who take an
interest in this matter take the pessimistic
view that the District committee will not
report any school bill at all this session.
The schools subcommittee will hold several
executive sessions this week and next. at
which the authors of the various school
bills introduced at this session will be heard
in advocacy of their respective measures
Not one of these bills, however makes any
decided retrenchments, and it seems TO be
ground Tor the belief that unless the sub
committee, after going over the Testimony
decides to make radical changes and to
cut down expenses to offset the increase
IN teachers salaries no bill at all will be
reported
There is some additional ground for the
belief, moreover, that any school bill which
increased teachers salaries and did not pro-
Flde retfenchments in other directions
would be opposed by members of the House
appropriations committee. No definite state
ment to this effect can be obtained at pres
ent for publication. but some of the MEM
pers or the appropriations committee seem
to think that there is hardly enough time
remaining in this session to draft a school
measure, more equtably adjust salaries and
make changes in the present organiza ton
ana that consequently the whole matter
should go until next year or the first ses-
sion of the Sixtieth Congress.
Doubt as to the Senate.
1t must not be forgotten, moreover that
IL the House passes q bill increasing the
salaries of teachers and making retrench-
ments in other directions, such measure
would probably come in for a good deal of
slashing at the other end of the Capitol
Inc Senate has long watched carefully over
the local school system, and it is doubtsu
whether any measure of this sort original
ing at the House end would meet with APP
prevail at the other There are some mem
'oers of the House, of course who believe
that II the District committee should feport
Dill which merely provided for increasing
the teachers salaries and left the present
school system as 1t is the measure could
be passed without too much difficulty
These gentlemen take the ground that il
can be shown to the satisfaction Of every
member of the House that the local teach
ers are underpaid and that this condition
should be reneGied at once the other de-
sired changes, il any, to wait until, some
time in the future
The local schools have many friends on
the floor. some of them quite influential
and perhaps effort will be made to twist
the subcommittee around into this way of
thinking.