The San Francisco call., 1907-06-22
O'C0NNOR SCORED by
TEACHERS FOR SUING
THE EDUCATION BOARD
Principal Accused of Trying
to Cast Odium on
Federation
SALARY FUND INTACT
DIR. Mahoney Rises to the
Defense of Honesty of
Directors

Protesting against the recent action
or Professor Joseph O'Connor, princi-
pal of the Mission high school, in
bringing an Injunction suit against the
board of education, the auditor and the
treasurer to prevent them from draw
ing on the salary fund OF the teachers
IN order to pay the bills of merchants
ana others, the members Of the San
Francisco school teachers federation
met yesterday and denounced the "un-
timely resort to the courts. They
drew up resolution voicing their SEN
timents and mailed copies to the di-
rectors.
THE teachers federation believes in
giving credit where credit is due and
IL is not its policy to nag" declared
DR.. Margaret Mahoney, president of
the organization. last night. "Since
ooth the treasurer and Secretary Oil
yer have recently declared their in
tent1on of leaving the salary fund un-
molested We consider Professor O'Con-
nors action extremely untimely. From
the very first Auditor Horton has stood
by us loyalty and 1t is extremely un-
Just for any one to involve him in a
legal action for an act which am sat
isfied he had not the slightest intention
of performing"
To say that the president was an
CRY would be putting 1t very mildly.
She referred to the Mission high school
principal as an 'fnterloper" and inti-
mated that his action might have been
prompted by a desire to place the
teachers federation, of which he Is not
member, in bad light. In his petit
tion for the writ of injunction O'Con-
nor stated that he represented 1000 Of
the teachers of the San Francisco pub
lie schools. He gave the name of no
nTT TfSxa6 hsl6
that he represented only himself.
The San Francisco teachers fedora
tion is the only organized body of
teachers standing for teachers rights
said one teacher yesterday, excepting
perhaps secret organization OF
teachers known as the council This
body is made up of unknown members
and is of uncertain principles, and
Professor O'Connor is said to be a
member"
The resolution passed at yesterdays
meeting is as follows:
After a year Of constant agitation of this
question by the federation the principle has
cials that special teachers salary fund exists
and that no other demands can be paid out of
this fund until the teachers have been paid in
called to the matter, took his stand firmly by the
law in favor of the teachers and all efforts to
shake him failed. He supplemented his private
assurances TO the federation by public utter
ances. In this he was followed By Treasurer
Bantel.
In cur opinion in only two instances does
cause for criticism Of the board of education
lie in the matter OF salaries. First the salar
les of high school teachers were improperly re-
duced after the time of fixing the schedule had
gone by. and consequently after the salaries
had become fixed anew at those of the preceding
year: and second, two-hfteenths of the total
yearly salaries Of evening school teachers has
been withheld on the wrong principle Of de-
claring vacations without pay.
The board Of education, which was at drst In
error after hearing the arguments of the fedora
tion. rescinded its action declaring vacations
without pay, and recognized that teachers de-
mands came first. Superintendent Roncovieri in
public utterances also declared for the sanctity
of the special salary fund for teachers. Thus
there exists reason for apprehension the
part of teachers, nor can see any excuse for
Professor 0'Connor's act, nor any foundation for
his allegation of threatened assaults upon the
special salary fund. The federation is moved
TO this statement through the desire to be just
to these officials; particularly in the case OF
the board of education, which the federation
criticised when it considered the board to be in
error and which the fedora tion desires to see
escape blame where no just cause Of criticism
attaches.