Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-27
Statement by Superintendent A.
7. Stuart.
SYSTEM IS NOT TOO COSTLY
Temper Of Congress Toward Better
Pay for Employees.
INCREASE GIVEN POLICEMEN
Teachers Can Take Heart From Ac-
lion of House of Representatives
.-1 ssLs
Salaries Low.

Superintendent Stuart today discussed the
charge that the public schools of the Dis
trict are unduiy expensive He explained
the nature of school expenditures. Super
intendent Stuar< said:
Now that the temper of Congress toward
better pay for District employees has been
clearly shown by the prompt action of the
House in passing the bill establishing an
improved salary schedule for policemen 1t
Is good time to express the hope that our
legislators will not heed the cry that has
been raised as the last refuge Of the oppon-
ents OF the salary increases for teachers.
10 the effect that the schools are already
costing too much. Every teacher and school
official Joins in congratulating the deserving
ponce force. from the major down, on the
i1beTal response which Congress has made
to their plea for living salaries.
Two things in this connection the teach
ers note with satisfaction: First the per-
centage OF increase given the policemen In
the bill which has just passed the House
nearly Is per cent on the gross amount of
the current appropriation act Is almost pre-
ciseiy the percentage of increase which. If
added to the teachers pay roll, will meet
the demands of the schedules Of the Bah
COCK DILL and indeed, of the other bills
and amply cover all that the teachers are
ASKING IN every department from the high
school to the kindergarten.
Automatic Salary Schedule.
Moreover. the teachers can take heart
from the action of the House in refusing
emphatically to spoil so-called automatic
salary schedule by requiring an examina-
ton as condition of every step of ad-
vancement. During the debate yesterday
an amendment was offered requiring that a
Policeman should pass an examination be-
iore obtaining any promotion, but this was
defeated by an overwhelming vote. Such
proposition if made to the subcommittee
or the House can of course meet with no
favor from them. as 1t wholly nulIifies the
good which is sought to be accomplished
by system of automatic promotions for
satisfactory service without the interven-
ton of the board or any officer thereof, as
Is provided in the Babcock BILL
In answer to the question, Are the
schools costing too much?'' Mr.. Stuart said:
"A thoughtful article in The Sunday Star,
entitled Cost OF Crime in the Capital,
supplies an excellent answer to this ques-
ton, and forces the conclusion that II, as
stated, the sum of 81 ,2643S4 10 spent for
the prevention and punishment of crime
In the District of Columbia, and only ST.
743 GA for the support of the entire pub
lie school system, the amount available
for educational purposes in the capital city
instead of being excessive, is deplorably
small 1t does not speak we'll for the ideals
Of any city to read that while 12.4 per cent
Of its entire revenues in the year 1905 go
toward maintaining the various institutions
and organizations, preventive, punitive, Ju-
dicial corrective or what not, made neces-
sary because of law-breaking, only III per
cent can be applied to the imperative needs
of public school education Tor $1,000 chill
dren.
are not costing enough. The total appro-
pristton for the present year for the District
of Columbia is s10.1SO. Io1 81. The total LOT
schools, including salaries of officers ana
tea Cheers buildings. fuel, free books for all
and contingent expenses, Is s1,143,6o4, or
II. 12 per cent
Expenditure Not Excessive.
The question arose as to whether this ex-
penditure is excessive. The superintendent
said.
THE latest reliable data concerning school
expenditures compared with general munich
pal expenditures. are found in bulletin No.
AZ of the Department of Labor, September.
1892 Keeping in mind that Washington
sets apart for it's schools only 1712 per cent
of its revenues. notice that Scranton spends.
41.37 per cent: Chicago, 8.S5 per cent; Dem
ver 1898; Los Angeles, 33.7 6; Salt Lake
City, 33. 40: Indianapolis, 32.75; Erie. 81. ~;
Springfield Ohio, 1892: Reading, 1910;
Grand Rapids % 40: Wilmington % %; Co
lumbus 2970: Somervllle. $3.50; Trenton.
27.79; Omaha. PIG: Elizabeth, 1860; Hart
ford, 26.45: New Haven, 1895: Cleveland,
&c 10; Paterson. 254S: Toledo. 25.33: Mime
apolis, 25o3: st. Paul, 24.67; Lowell % 5s;
Kansas City. %. 03: Washington, q 90; Wor-
cester, 2194: Newark. PIT; Detroit, 21.44;
Providence. 21.3f Milwaukee, 20.49; Fall
River 1922: Kansas City, Mo-, 2017. Wash
ington is put down as expanding 1876 per
cent, which places her number 81 in a list
of ninety-six cities, but today a relatively
smaller amount is spent, as has been
shown--only HIP per cent This indicates
that since 1902 the schools have not shared
proportionately in the constantly increasing
appropriations for District purposes.
Dual System of Schools.
IF with the added expense caused by the
necessary burden OF dual system of
schools, white and colored, with duplicate
supervision, and the unusually large en-
rollment in the high and manual training
schools. which have had an unprecedented
growth in Washington, so low a percent
age of cost can be maintained in proper
ton to the entire municipal expenditure,
how can our Legislators fail to reach the
just conclusion that the cost of our school
system Is far from excessive?
I'VE are all confidently hoping that the
splendid action Of the House in providing
for the police force will be speedily fol-
lowed by the enactment of liberal salary
law for the teachers