The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-06-08
HALF A LOAF.

The Board of Education in its action
on Thursday evening, increasing the sal.
! aries of the teachers, proceeded on a
reasonably proper theory as far as it
went But it did not go far enough.
1t only used i'll the increased pay Of the
teachers about onc-half of the money
that the additional one-mill tax will
yield 10 the revenue of the board. The
one-mill tax will yield about $4,000;
so, $3.50. The principle upon which
this increase was granted was correct; I;
but it should be pushed farther. The
distinct understanding in the minds of
the most of the citizens of Salt Lake
who gave expression TO the Legislature
in favor of the increase Of the tax
limit by one mill, the Legislature agree
ing thereto, was that tho money should
90 TO the teachers. The Commercial club
committee on education made its agree
ment TO the passage of the bill specific
on this point; its assent was limited
expressly TO that purpose Others also
took the same view. There is no rea-
son, therefore, why the board should not
go further and give the teachers the
whole loaf in place of the half.
We see no reason, in fact, why the
superintendent should not have included
in his recommendation for teachers sal
aries the whole of the revenue that this
additional mill is expected to provide.
He must have had some instruction or
tip that he must not take more than
about half Of that money for the teach
ers. Any such instruction or tip, how
ever, was wrong; his schedule should
have included the whole of the money
expected from that raise. There would
appear TO he no reason why there should
have been any cut by the board In his
report the Superintendent favored the
increase over the seventy and eighty
dollar schedule to the extent of s. per
month. The board cut that TO 500;
there seems TO be no reason for that at
all. There is plenty of money left after
making the increase which the board
has already agreed to, to 60 to the full
length of the Superintendent s recon-
mendation There is, besides the forty
odd thousand dollars which this one.mill
tax will add 10 tho board S receipts,
an increase IN the assessment roll which
amounts to fully ten per cent that would
increase the board s revenue on the
other taxation propositions. specifically
on the five and one-half mill levy, ten
per cent; which would give the board
another increase of upwards of 100000.
which would abundantly secure it
against any pinching of finances, and
would allow of some liberality, In place
Of the pinch which is so far imposed
upon the teachers.
There has been right along good
deal of argument and sentiment in favor
of liberal pay for the teachers. The
board has contended that il did not have
the money heretofore to grant such lib
eral pay. There is now, however, no
reason for any such excuse, and the
board should come to the front and show
an appreciation of the teachers work
and of the argument which the board
itself has used in favor of increasing
the pay Of the teachers if it had the
money to do 1T. 1t now has the money,
and it should honor it's own arguments
by making the increase 10 the full eX-
tent that the law provides, that the
money available iustifes. and that the
Salt Lake public expected.