The San Francisco call., 1906-10-21
PEDAGOGUES PLAN
To UNIONIZE.
Teachers VIII Take Action
to Protect Themselves
From Loss of Salaries
GALLAGHER'S BRUTUS


An organization akin to a labor
union is contemplated by the
school teachers of san Francisco. Thai
was decided upon yesterday morning
when q meeting of teachers was held
at Plymouth congregational Church, or
Post street. near Webster, to protest
against the action of the Board OF
Education in Withholding the salaries
OF the pedagogues during vacation
tine. It was an intrepid session held
by the $50 men and women present
Hard words were frequent end in dis
cussing the attitude Of acting Mayor
Gallagher IN refusing to grant an
audience to the teachers committee
Madison Babcock. secretary OF the
committee, said, Caesar had his
Brutus-.
That short phrase created sensa-
ton among the teachers assembled
Treason" whispered several. But Mr..
Babcock Gid not elaborate on his I'M
piled threat. He did not draw knite
and shout that he would have Gal
lsgher's blood at the foot Of Pompey
statue. He probably realized tnat
there was no such work Of art IN TINS
city
The meeting was called to order at
1880. DR.. Margaret Mahoney presiding.
and Babcock, who IS vice principat OF
the Hancock School, secretary
MISS MURPHY's POINT.
It was not until the meeting was
about ready to adjourn that the real
stride wes made ftoward the formation
Of an organization that would be able
to carry on the light Of the teachers
for their rights. Miss Annette Murphy,
a teacher in the Horace Mann school.
had taken the floor and pertinently
summarized the position of the teach
ers She said that the Fire Commls-
sioners had decided TO appeal to the
Supervisors for an increased appropria-
ton TO cover its deficit, and that the
Police Commissioners contemplated a
similar action. Why can't the School
Directors DO that?" she asked; the
average pay ofta school teacher is less
than the minimum wage OF the nre-
men"
That suggested an idea to c. W
aIoores Of the Fairmount School. We
ought TO organize" he declared w e
ought TO organize and then we would
have behind US the support Of all the
labor organizations The Mayor. the
school Directors. the Supervisors are
all creatures Of the labor organizations,
and we should place ourselves firmly
before the public in that way. L do
not mean that we should go on SYM
pathetic strikes, but we should organ
ize for our mutual protection and
rights"
TO FORM ORGANIZATION.
That plan caught with the teachers
and the chairman was empowered to
appoint a committee to prepare plans
for the organization and. incidentally.
TO submit designs for the union button.
The meeting opened with the report
Of the corSrnittae-consisting Of DR.. Ma
loney. Madison Babcock, c. ". Moores
and Robert I. Mann-which had been
appointed to confer with the city Of
fcials in regard to the teachers rights.
The point made by the teachers was
that they were entitled by law to their
salaries in fun. and that the Board OF
Education could not legally withhold
the wage. as it had suggested doing
for the benefit OF the building fund
The Board Of Education gave scant
courtesy 70 the committee According
10 Secretary Babcock, one Of the more
cultured members of the Board OF Edu-
cation said the two members OF the
committee in the chaste language OF
8 he schoolroorn: You two fellows are
couple Of Holsters for being in on
.lis committee" This classic utterance
aad been rivaled by Superintendent Of
Schools RoncovierL who. when the COM
mittee applied TO him for intercession,
said; I'm from Missouri; you'll have
70 make q show down."
LoNGFELLOw VS.. b. BAXTER.
But there was a cutting retort coming
for the school authorities. and it was
drawn not from the Billy Baxter school
Of literature. but from Henry Wads-
worth Longfellow. ever a popular au
thor among school ma ANS. Mrs. NJ Mel
Of the Jackson Primary made the point
thar the School Directors and the Super
intendents are but transitory creatures
of world Of change. They are ships
that pass in the night; we are an
chored-' That sentiment was approved.
The other city officials had shown as
little regard for the teachers rights
as the members Of the School Board.
Mayor Schmitz had referred the matter
10 his temporary successor. and Gala
CHER, with q wit worthy Of Talleyrand,
had, as acting Mayor, referred the mat
ter to himself as chairman OF the
finance committee Of the Supervisors,
and when the teachers revived from the
merry -go-round ride they remembered
that the finance committee had already
counted the demands out.
Auditor Sam Horton was the only
oasis found on the administration des-
ert He promised the teachers that he
would preserve their salary funds in
tact until the courts had passed on the
matter The Auditor was rewarded
with a resolution of thanks.
A motion was adopted that the
teachers take steps to recover their
salaries in fun as provided by the sta
tute and charter and that the meeting
consider itself TO represent the ~aEgre-
gate courage of the department" This
was a slap on the wrist of the aggre-
gate sbsentees. (
During the meeting Miss Williams,
the Democratic and Union. Labor can
didabe for State superintendent Of Pub
lie instruction. addressed the teachers,
declaring herself for high salaries. The
committee adjourned to reconvene in
two weeks.
Standard Optical Co.,
Formerly located at Kearny street. near SUIT
Ter. has now opened a complete and up TO date
e+.f fcl,r mont ~4 Ncr