Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1906-02-24
MAY Cut Out Janit0rs
In Order To
Pay For New Teachers
BOARD WILL ASK COUNTY TO ASSIST

Shall the new schools which are be-
ing provided in Honolulu go without
sufficient teachers or shall the old
schools go without janitors. This was
the main question discussed at the
meeting of the Board of Education yes
terday Economy was necessary said
Superintendent Babbitt. The facts OF
the situation be set forth in detail in
the following letter:
To the Commissioners of Public III
struction. Honolulu.
Ladies and Gentlemen: The last
Legislature appropriated $3.50 900 under
the heading Payroll. Support Of
Schools" for the biennial period ending
June 30, 1907. From this appropria-
ton must come all salaries paid the
teachers in the various schools. truant
officers, janitors and the Office force
Of the department aside from the SUI
perlntendent. Secretary, Assistant Sec
rotary and the Stenographer and Book
Clerk.
Monthly Pro Rata.
The amount s55O.OOO divided pro
rata, entities us to draw upon the APP
preparation s22,9l6.67 month. Any
thing drawn over that reduces the
available balance for the remainder OF
the biennial period. The payrols for
November approximately equaled the
monthly pro rata. For December the
monthly pro rata was overdrawn by
1879. thus necossitating a reduction
in expenses and this was accomplished
by reducing the force in two schools
from four to three and three to two
teachers respectively and also diminu-
ton OF salaries paid to some substi-
tutes for regular teachers. BY this
means there was obtained a balance
Of Sli5.5l on the credit side. The
February balance will be considerably
smaller.
Teachers Needed.
More and better teachers are con-
stantly in demand and, with present
contemplated building operations COM
pleted. not less than 10 teachers will
be needed. with our present pro rata
and salary list, II is going to be i'm.
possible to supply them and the ques.
ton suggests itself-How shall we ar
range TO get more teachers?
That the present force is exceedingly
poorly paid Is admitted without argu-
ment. That as whole they are doing
their work willingly and we'll, under
the meagre salaries. Is cheerfully
granted. And yet the fact stares US
in the face that we need more teach
ers as well as better ones and that
there are no funds with which TO pay
them under the present arrangements.
As the salaries paid the teachers In
the summer vacation are variable,
owing TO their length Of service, there
Is always something saved from the
monthly pro rata and this balance to-
gether with the balances OF the ono
/ or two months Of the school year
amounts to Si,769.3S which can be ap-
piled at the beginning OF the next
school year for salaries OF teachers.
! IL does not seem wise to draw on this
balance until we see exactly how we
are coming out
Make Teachers Sweep.
The only solution that presents IT,
self is to reduce or wholly cut off the
Janitors in the various schools In the
| district of Honolulu This unQucs-
| tiOnably means an added burden on
the teachers and II may be an open
question whether II Is a wise method.
We are at the present time employ
ing;
Janitors, Kaahumanu School. .S55. 90
/ Janitor, POhukaina and Hawai-
hhao NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 2J.OO
| JanitOr, KaakOpua .......... 20.0O
! Janitor, Maemae ............. 1000
Janitor, Kauluwela .......... $500
2 JanitOrs, Kaiulani ............ $500
| 3 JanitOrs, Normal ........... $500
Janitors, High ............. 5000
JanitOrs, Royal ............. 5000
] Janitor, Kalihiwaena ....... 1880
making a total of s372.5O per month for
JanltOrs for ten of the schools in the
district OF Honolulu or a total for the
biennial period sS940 for these ten Ho-
nolulu schools while outside of Homo
lulu, so far as | know. there is but
one Janitor employed, namely at Hilo,
who has charge OF four different school
! buildings at a salary OF $50 per month.
1t has been argued that the condi-
lions OF the buildings and the char
acter OF the students differ from the
outlying districts. That II this extra
work be imposed upon the children,
their parents will ask for their release
| iiOih oAHbOi VI lIuHhltI W
schools where they will not be Obliged
TO work, The argument has also been
advanced that the teachers are so
poorly paid now that we have no
moral right to ask more of them
Granting that this last argument has
some force, the fact remains that the
Honolulu teachers as a whole are bet
ter paid than those in the outlying
districts and this work has been ex-
pected OF them whereas IL has not been
required of those in Honolulu.
The matter practically resolves it.
self into the question OF teachers or
janitors. We need more teachers. We
have no money TO pay for them un.
less we reduce or dispense with the
ianitOr service.
Error OF Teachers.
| There Is among some, and fear
among many, of the teachers a feel.
ing that II the department can furnish
material for manual training work,
school supplies. flags, etc, that that
1 mo ,t.gl..