The Washington times., 1911-03-01
TREATED
LIKE MILL HANDS
Congress Ignores Protests
Against Poor Pay and
HardShipS.
Continued from First Page.)

with the other District bills which the
House was too busy to consider let
alone enact into law. -,
Next year" said the teachers, we IL
get the retirement bill. Be patient
Congress will not forget us
Next year" was this session, which
will pass into history with the close OF
this week. Not a hill of general leglsla-
ton pertaining to the District of Column
bia has been voted upon. The teachers
retirement bill continues to slumber as
peacefully as ever. The teachers con-
tinue to wait-nOt patiently any longer
and the Board of Education continues
to wonder what it is going to do about
the problem of approximation among
the men and women who have been de-
voting their lives to the youth of the
city for so many years.
The school service is impaired. The
board cannot discharge the thirty or
forty superannuated teachers without
making itself liable to criticism. The
superannuated teachers face dismissal
and want in their old age, and the
younger teachers see no incentive to
faithful service. All this because Con-
gress hasn't time to pass teachers
retirement bill, in which Cmark this),
Teachers to Pay One-third.
THE TEACHERS ARE REQUIRED
TO FURNISH ONE-THIRD OF THE
FUND, THE DISTRICT ONE-THIRD.
AND THE GOVERNMENT ONE
THIRD.
And this isn't all. either. There is
still more OF the public school teachers
kick This~Is the final grievance:
Congress has refused TO increase the
salaries of the instructors in technical
subjects, such as manual training, draw
ing, physical culture, music, domestic
science, and domestic art. The District
l.. -f,-4,- t.a oh nP class
and their pay is fixed by statute at $500
a year
These teachers must be graduates of
credited colleges in the courses in which
they are to give special instruction.
They must have expended large sums
in fitting themselves for this special
work They must be thoroughly expert
in their various lines. Being such, they
are rewarded by the liberal Legislature
Of the District Of Columbia with a pit
tance of $66.66 a month
AND IF THEY MISS A DAY BE
CAUSE OF SICKNESS, THEY ARE
DOCkED LIKE A MILL HAND.
Count One Day AS Three.
For years the Board of Education has
been trying to have the salaries of this
class of teachers raised. The House
passed the District bill this year with
ont provision for increasing these sala-
rieS. The Senate inserted an amend
nent raising them. but the conference
committee cut out the item and the
Senate aCceded to the committees ac-
ton. Although the District appropria-
tion bill is still in conference this item
has been disposed Of. There is no
chance for it to he inserted. and the
speC'al teachers will have to struggle
along at least until july I, 1912, on the
paw they are getting now.
The last blow to the teachers fell yes
tcrdav. when il was discovered that
any who were absent on that day would
be dOcked three days pay, on the
theory that there are supposed to he
thirty days in February, for payroll
purposes, and that an absence on the
last dav would he construed as an alb
Sence for three days.
1t is too late for the teachers to do
ANYTHING but kick at this session. Their
needs are insistent and are admitted.
but they cannot hope to get any relief
They can, however. begin now to get
ready for the next session. 1t looksAas
n they will have to organize and fight
II they are to get what they are entitled
to IN common justice.