Bridgeton pioneer., 1906-04-19

biVo sorVico. Excell6nc6 in the call
ing OF education, now involves pro.
| fessional training, books, magazines,
summer schools and Institutes, travel.
lectures and concerts. A vacation
outing is no extravaganza If it buys
vigor and inspiration for the school
room. The teachers salary should be
sufficient to reimburse him for his out.
lay for professional training. to main.
tain his professional growth, to enable
him to live in the part of the town
and dress in the style which the com.
munity demands, to bring I'D and edu-
cate his family and lay by something
for old age.
| In all the above, I have tried to
picture fairly, general conditions of
the salary question of teachers, draw.
ing largely upon report read at re.
cent meeting of superintendents at
Louisville. A little reflection will
show how these conditions are affect
ing us. For the past six or seven
years, from one to two teachers have
left Bridgeton each year. and secured
/ positions that commanded much
higher, and in not few instances,
double the salary you pay. From
marriages. and from designations for
other cases. places must constantly be
filled. 1t is scarcely realizabie. but it
is true, that nearly SO per cent. of our
teachers have been with us but six
| years or less.
Fefore your May meeting, the Board
OF School Estimates will have met.
Your committees will go before that
board asking for appropriations for
the coming year. Since rs per cent.
of total expenditures is for teachers
salaries, it seems fitting that some dis
cussion of this outlay should be in full
Board.
In case it is discussed. for the benefit
of some of you who may not have
looked closely into the last published
report OF the State Board of Educa-
tion, few statistics from that report
follow. 1t is unfortunate that the
general public is not better informed
upon these matters. The inadequate
compensation paid our teachers is not
because our people as whole do not
believe in education; but because they
are comfortable in the belief that thev
are spending money generously for its
support.
1 Average per capita cost of education
for the counties OF the State based on
average attendance is $29 81. For
Cumberland county it is 1851.
| The average per capita cost for thir.
ty-one cities of the State is 1927. 70.
For Bridgeton it is S17.3
In some counties the per capita cost
runs as high as $37. In some cities as
high as $40.
1t seems to me that no careful.
thrifty community should uphold SO
large an expenditure. It is easily
supposable that the officials who are
spending this money are skirmishing
around to find some plausible excuse
for asking for more.
| When our expenditures are but two
thirds of the average, no fair minded
man can accuse us of extravaganza, or
impute any motiveyother than desire
to secure the best instructors for the
boys and girls.
Mr.. Laning announced the death of
Rev. l., E. Coyle, member of the
Board from the Third ward. He pre-
sented thefollowing resolutions, which
after appropriate remarks by Messrs.
Laning, Blew, Parker, Watson and
President Trenohard. were unanim-
ously adopted by arising vote.
..Mr. President'an Gentlemen -
Your committee would offer the fol-
lowing resolution -
Whereas. The Rev. L. E. Coyle, an
honored member of this Board, has
been removed from our midst by death.
Resolved: That by his death this
Board has been deprived of a most
valued member; the community of an
able representative, and public educa-
tion stalwart friend.
We shall miss his glad smile of well
come. his handshake of good fellow
ship andshis earnest counsel. We feel
that his good offices should have been
spared us longer.
To his family we offer our sincere
sympathy in their bereavement.
Respectfully submitted,
| VIM. e. Service,
Chas. III. Stevenson,
Sam'l A. Laning,
E. J. Hitchner.
The Secretary announced the bal
ances in the several appropriations.