Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-17
Unequal Salaries Likely to
Cripple Washington Corps.
BILL NOW IN CONGRESS
Instructors in Drawing, Mechanical
Arts and Manual Training.
HIGHER PAY IN OTHER CITIES
Many Ready to Resign If Equaliza-
ton Of Remuneration Is Not
Voted to Them.

Unless Congress passes the bill. intro
duced last week. to place the salaries
Of teachers Of drawing, mechanical arts
and manual training on a par with the
salaries of teachers Of regular academic
and commercial subjects, Washington Is
destined to lose some OF it's best teachers.
according to statement made today.
Several teachers Of these special sub
jects are holding their positions tenta-
lively awaiting action Of Congress-. II
the bill is not passed, 1t is expected, they
will tender their designations.
There have already been several who
have gone to New York. Chicago and
other cities, where they can get the same
salaries as academic and business teach
ers. Once or twice this year there has
been lack Of teachers in these subjects,
with the result Of a crippled force.
Discrimination Charged.
The mechanical arts teachers claim the
organic school act of 1905 discriminates
against them. They have compiled sta
tistics Of twenty-four large cities besides
Washington. 1t is shown by these that
only five Of the cities discriminate
against the teachers of these subjects,
and In some Of these instances the dis
IS DdSoQ on sex.
In New York teachers of mechanical
arts may receive a maximum salary more
than double that which they may receive
in washington. In spite of this, in q
recent examination held in New York,
there were but seventy five applicants for
these positions, while there were 500 who
sought to be teachers in other subjects.
1t Is claimed that where there Is such a
scarcity 1t cannot be presumed that
teachers would prefer to work in Wash
in Nv 1a1 -
receive in another city, and that this is
bound to draw teachers from the District
In fact. Secretary Harry English of the
board OF examiners for teachers, who
recently went to New York to inquire
into conditions there, reported that with
its present scale of salaries Washington
is no more than a training school for
teachers in these subjects.
Adds $4,120 to Pay Boil.
In order to pay the teachers the same
salary Congress would have to appropri-
ate A,12O more than is expended for SAL
aries at present. This is regarded as q
small amount. considering that the high
school system may be badly crippled il
the money is not appropriated.
Many prominent persons, including sew
eral school officials, have expressed their
belief that the schedule of salaries should
be rearranged SO all would be paid more
equally. The teachers do not hesitate to
say they believe that II the matter were
left to public opinion they would receive
the increase.
In printed account Of facts concern
Ing the teachers Of the high and normal
schools it is shown that three teachers.
after teaching, respectivell, twenty, sew
enteen and sixteen years in the high
schools of this city, are receiving but SO
more than an academic, scientific or busi-
ness teacher would receive at the begin
ming of the second year after his proba-
tionary year. 1t Is also claimed the pu-
pills trained by these teachers may, with
out further preparation, obtain higher
salaries than the teacher who taught
them.