The San Francisco call., 1906-10-20
Rebellious Pedagogues
Are Criticised by
Acting Mayor.

Acting Mayor Gallagher criticises the
teachers who are rebelling against the
action of the Board of Education In
reducing their salaries by refusing to
pay them for vacation time. In an in
tervfew yesterday he said that II he
were member of the Board of Edu-
cation he would favor the reduction of
the teaching force and in discharging
teachers he would begin with the COM
mittee that is presenting the protests
Of the rebellious teachers. He said:
I have received a communication
from the teachers, but have not yet re-
piled to 1T. Addressing me as they did,
ing to say to them, but If they had adj
dressed me as chairman of the finance
committee l could have. explained TO
them something about the money ne
cessary for their wages
A LACK OF DISCIPLINE.
think the action of the teachers in
holding meetings and criticising their
superiors shows lack OF discipline;
and think the members of the board
would not be. doing wrong in enforcing
respect from them. If / were member
of the Board of EDUCATION l would
favor reduction in the teaching force,
and in making this reduction 1 think I
would begin by letting out the commit
tee from the opposing teachers:
The teachers should have a right to
present complaints to the board. but
they should act through committee.
and the complaints should be fled in
writing and simply give the teachefs
the teachers have openly criticised the
members of the board in meetings and
have spread these criticisms broadcast.
Employees in other branches of the
city government have had to suffer by
being laid off from work as result
of the earthquake, and there is no rea-
son why the teachers should not have
borne their share of the saving. / think
1t is better for them that they should
lose vacation pay than have the board
make a direct cut in their salaries.
But the teachers claim that the men,
bers of the Board of Education continue
to receive their regular salaries of $3.50
month" was suggested to Gallagher,
and that it is only right that If sal
aries should be cut, it should affect all
alike"
EXCUSES MEMBERS OF BOARD.
That is poor argument" he replied.
The members of the Board of Educa-
tion are elected for short terms only,
while the teachers are elected for life.
There are only four members of the
board, and a reduction in their salaries
would not affect the situation materi-
ally
They argue, too it was further
suggested, that the advanced cost OF
living in San Francisco makes 1t hard
for them to exist with reduced sal
aries
They are all right on that question
and were 1t possible to pay 1t I would
like to see an increase in their wages
OF 25 per cent" was the reply, but they
must not forget that we have peculiar
conditions here now as result of the
earthquake, and we cannot do all we
would like to do in such matters.
I'm making the appropriation for the
School Department those who were con-
ferring with me suggested that we al
low 100000 and it was through my
suggestion that we raised 1t to $1,200,-
600. With the reduced number of chill
dren in the schools we believed thai
would be ample for the year. I don't
see how, under the present conditions
we can increase that amount"