The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-02-26

the matter yet. He said, No,' prob ably due to the fact that Judge Ull- mans successor had not yet qualified. I asked if I might say to the teachers that the matter was being favorably considered by the board. He replied, No"
 This, then, is MT. Beede's position as understand it: He is greatly in favor of better salaries; he has recommended i to the committee on schools to take action upon the matter; but-could give no assurance that the board would take i favorable action.
 | Now, I wish to call attention to sev- eral facts In his annual report for 1904 among other things MT. Beede said: "Concerning the character of their work, teachers are the most poor ly paid of all public servants. Their duties are wearing and exacting, and every year many are obliged to give up their work, temporarily or permanent ly, on account of physical or nervous
 exhaustion. Certain qualities of mind
 and heart are required which are not necessary in those engaged in many other occupations"
 That year MT. Beede recommended a
 plan for paying an additional increase
 in salary, after the regular grade max
 imum was reached, in special cases ot
 undoubted excellence and superiority.
 If such a recommendation, concern
 ing only very small percentage of the
 teachers, received no consideration at
 the hands of the board of education,
 what grounds have we for believing
 that a recommendation wlich affects
 the entire teaching force will receive
 favorable consideration? In his report
 for 1905 Mir Beede gave list of fifteen
 cities about the size of New Haven
 showing the per capita cost of all
 school expenses. He called attention
 to the fact that New Haven was lowest
 on the list. Among other things in this
 report we quote:
 'It should be remembered that school
 administration is mainly a matter of
 business, not of sentiment. Low sal
 aries usually mean inferior service and
 crude results; good salaries mean skill
 ed service and lnished results"
 This was in 1905. Was anything done
 by the board to secure better salaries Officially l know nothing about Mir.
 Beede's report made this year, but if
 the newspapers have quoted correctly MT. Beede in his article on salaries, said substantially as follows: "Leav- , ing out of consideration the teachers . side of the question, from the stand , point of the efficiency of the schools, salaries should be increased" Again he strongly urged the committee on 7 schools to take up the matter of in- } crease of salaries.
 Now, what guarantee have we that } the committee will consider the matter 5 or, if it does consider it, will not table it or report unfavorably on it? 3 Judging by past experience, 1t will = take more ttan a recommendation from . MT. Beede to obtain practical results. 5 Now, claim that in matter of this
 kind, one which concerns vitally the I welfare of over 400 teachers, the teach l CTS side of the question should be re : spectfully submitted to, the' committee Q on schools.
 It is quite within the range of pos T sibility that the board does not realiz' . the extra work imposed upon a teache a in addition to her regular classroom work, as for instances all kinds o e school meetings, teachers courses ant e clubs, etc, all of which are more O q less of a drain upon both her Srengtl Il and purse.
 We so seldom come into close con
 tact with members of the board tha ' we think our mutual relations are no Y what they should be. To consider tn - advisability of appointing committe n to present our side of the case to tn e board is the purpose for which thi Il meeting was called.
 Before I forget it I wish to state that . whatever is said or done here to-day, hope that the meeting will not adjour
 before steps are taken to form an or
 ganization of the teachers of New Ha
 ven. The need of such an organizatio < was forciby brought home to me las Y week when we wished the teachers C
 New Haven to take action witA regar 'o to the pension bill now under consider
 ation
 r When Mir. Hackett invited the super d vising principals, at least six of whol ,e were present, to withdraw, they did s If l,-some not without a protest l. At the conclusion of the chairman
 remarks Isaac Smith, of Boardmal r. arose to say that he considered it UT rs fortunate that the supervising prime " pals were not allowed to remain sta "a ing that he thoug5t they could help u h. teachers very much
 " A young lady teacher answered tn
 statement by remarking that if the sl l. pervising principals were very eager IS. help the teachers they should have dor r. so before now. This sentiment wt l. vigorously applauded.
 at Miss Mary c. Boyle, of the Day di
 trict, in a clear, interesting and logic nc way, entrusted the position of teaci UT CTS with day laborers, stenographe to and professional men, to the disadval to tage of the teachers.
 ny Other teachers spoke, all to the effe mt that the teachers should first have z gh --------------------