The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-04-28
F |NAL FIGHT FOR
TEACHERS BOOST
IS WON
Miss Laura M. Downey In Clever
Speech, Again Sweeps Away, All
Opposition and Estimators Vote
Unanimously For Increase.
Northwestern High School Item
Allowed and Croul Will Get $50
More Patrolmen.

Without one dissenting voice, the
board OF estimates, in committee or
the whole, Thursday night, allowed
the salary increases asked by the pub
hc school teachers. Ii was another
great personal triumph for Miss Laura
NJ. Downey, chairman of the special
committee on salary increases ap-
pointed by the Detroit Teachers as
sociation, who appeared before the
full board and stated her case sub
stantially az she presented II TO the
committee on the board of education
fund earlier in the week. And, as on
the former occasion, she was the
only woman present.
The spectacle OF lone woman,
standing before a body of 40 men, In
a room reeking with tobacco smoke,
was a rather unusual one. But the
estimators for the most part were
willing to forego the pleasure OF their
cigars while Miss Downey was speak
ing and gave her most respectful at
tention. Us
1t was not a long speech-just q
concise statement Of the facts and a
simple. direct appeal for justice, and
every word carried conviction. When
Miss Downey had finished there was
burst of applause as spontaneous
as II was sincere.
Il move that the item stand" said
| Estimator CTaig. 80.
support it," came from Estimators
| Gordon and Barnett almost simuf-
taneously, and the latter announced
that he had been converted. The
motion carried almost before Miss
! Downey could return to her seat, and
she again stepped forward 10 thank
the estlmators for doing, as she put.
it, Just what we felt all along you
were going to do"
| You have done more for the teach
ers OF Detroit tonight than all the
educators In the country could do"
she said.
In her address to the board, Miss
Downey disposed OF all the objections
that had been raised to granting ths
increases, one by one. She pointed
out that the teaching problem Is much
more complex today than 1t was 10 or
l5 years ago and that more money ID
! required by the teacher to 1T herself
for the profession and to keep abreast
Of the advances made in teaching
|
The word never hears much OF
the teachers trials and hardships, for
! teachers. as rule, do very little COM
| planning" she said. But there are
| lust as many heroes and heroines
among the teachers as there are In
any OF the city departments. One OF
| the objections TO the proposed In
crease in salary Is that teachers, with
few exceptions, have no families.
That should not be considered at all"
| The allowance OF the salary In
creases followed a long, but futile
fight, led by President Barnett. against
the item Of $3.50 900 for the proposed
Northwestern high school on the Fer
ry farm. Ordinarily, the report Of the
committee on the school board fund
would not have been considered until
Friday night, but Barnett was eager
to take 1t up and when a motion to
suspend the rules for that purpose
was made he urged its adoption.
| This was done.
AS soon as the board had resolved
! itself into committee Of the whole,
Barnett relinQuished the chair to Es-
| tmatOr Wobrock and took his place
on the floor to be prepared for the
! coming fraY.
When the $2SO,0OO item was reach
ed, Barnett was promptly on his feet
with motion that it be cut out. He
insisted that the high school was not
more necessary than some Of the
grammar schools the committee had
| seen nj TO cut out, and declared that
| the only man who seemed particular
| ly anxious for it was Supt Martindale.
| EstimatOrs Wardell, BaCkus. Craig,
Frisch, Clark. Porter, Mcqueen and
! Nichols all made speeches in behalf
of the item and both Supt Martindale
and Supervisor OF Schools Stewart
were called on 20 explain the need OF
! new high school The debate wax
! ed warm al times but when II came
| 20 vOte. only four ostimatOrs stood
with President Barnett against allow
| ing the item They were Rohns,
| BphlOW Long ana Dingeman.