Norwich bulletin., 1912-10-08
TOWN TAX OF Il 3-4 MILLS VOTED
Voters Annual Meeting Add 700 to Budget Submitted by SelectmenLargest Additions Are $12000 For Free West Chelsea People Lead Movement For Equalza- ton of School Teachers Salaries.

I circumstances was to engage all the | teachers for this year. The board | could not possibly decide upon the rel | | ative efficiency of teachers, but pro- l vided for a $40 year increase affect | | ing S3 teachers. and 1t was provided | that this might be checked in case of l inefi1ciency and jumped in the case of 1 marked ability. If by equalization was
 meant the same pay for all teachers | in the same grade, this salary list did | not provide for that now. but the sal | ary schedule and rate of increase | adopted would eventually provide for | eQua pay for similar grades. He was 1 applauded as he took his seat. l MT. Beckley argued for equal pay l pay now for equal grades, saying that l the present plan was unfair and 1t 1 would take a long time for an effi- | cient teacher to reach the maximum. l Equal wages for equal grades and ser l vice, always contingent upon the rec | ommendation of the superintendent, 1 who was efficient, was what MT. Beck 1 ley said was the fair thing.
 1 Mr. BeckIey Presented Resolution. 1 MT. Beckley concluded his remarks
 by presenting a resolution declaring l that 1t was the sense of the meeting 1 to put this into effect and to increase ] the amount of salary appropriation to sSS,500. It was seconded by Thaddeus l Leahy.
 Speaking as an individual and not as member of the school board, MT. | TirreI said he was certainly in favor of good pay for good teachers. and of | having the best teachers, but the board I had had no way of knowing whether
 all teachers were of equal efficiency,
 so had not thought 1t good business l to put all in the same grade upon the same pay until a years trial had shown what each teacher was worth. Then the good teachers would be rais- ed, perhaps to the maximum in one year.
 MT. Beckley instanced some cases
 of low pay in Greeneville, but the figures he quoted were not supported by the answers made from a list held by Dr. P. J. Cassidy of the school
 board.
 1 Moved indefinite Postpenement.
 A. A. Browning moved an indefinite postponement.
 The chairman was unable to deter
 mine on a viva voce vote and former
 Councilman Barry moved to vote by
 passing in front of the chair. He
 claimed that the superintendent ought
 to be able to decide inside of a year
 what the teachers were worth, oi !. they'd better get another superinten-
 dent.
 Henry D., Johnson brought to the
 desk a petition of 93 taxpayers. ask
 ing for the level rate in salaries. Endorsed Town School Committee. Amos A. Browning addressed the meeting, declaring that we ought not to make any such attack as this on this school committee. or take this matter out of their hands. Consider
 ing that the committee had, been , elected, knew what it was about, had
 been deliberately elected on a uon- partisan basis, we ought not to take this out of their hands and ride rough , shod over the town school committed He praised the committee as highly competent board without an inefficient
 imember on it, and he urged that the
 icftizens stand by the committe in . what it had done.
 a All Teachers Ought to Benefit. s Albert Boardman was applauded as . he came forward to speak. He ques- d tioned whether the committee would = not be willing to have higher salaries n paid, and he thought the teachers ir
 the West Side and at Taftville were
 doing as good work as Central schoo
 districts even at lower wages. He . said that all the teachers ought te - benefit by the consolidation of schools '; Henry G. Peck urged the appropri- z ation of SS500 extra. saying that ths T board had not asked for this amount ?, but he presumed they would not ob. :; pect to having 1t and if the citizens ; wanted 1t, they ought to go ahead an( | e oylc !; plause
 : Joseph D. Pfeiffer claimed that tn, y teachers on the West Side had no
 been properly paid and now they coult
 not give as good service if they kneV II they were on lower wage rate. " Appropriation Was Carried. of Moderator Spalding called for an of other viva voce vote and this tim DO the noes" were plainly in the major le ny. The resolution offered by MI of Beckley was then passed. as Many Left the Hall. "a With this fight over. many left tn ,,. hall at this point The other items o, ot the school budget were voted as fol m lows: Fuel, supplies and incidental. ,d $l5,865.27; interest, $5,357.6O: repairs d s14,ooo; insurance, $1,294.21; evenin ,d school $500; total. s125, 5,s07.0S. ,y Salaries Fixed.
 The salaries were voted as follows s. First selectman, $2,100. same as las r. year; second and third selectmen, S20 n- each; town clerk. $200; tax collector ut per cent. on amount collected as Joseph T. Tanning spoke of the vas
 increase in the town treasurer's worl D. Including all the new school. worl d, which was formerly done by distriC 0; treasurers, and he moved that tn t. treasurer's salary be s1.0O0. It wa ct voted.
 n- Assessors Salaries Increased. lo John J. Corkery spoke for an in
 crease in the salary of the assessor
 saying that 1t seemed like good econ :, omy, and he moved to increase the sal nH H ary of the assessors to $S,00O. Th as as ayes carried the vote
 w IoWn Counsel T. M Shields eS A- plalned matter in the warning to re
 lease to the town of Sprague the ir 9t terest or the town of Norwich in tf us scnoolhouse in what was formerly il . ohetucket school district, for which tt ', town Of Norwich is to receive a pax st ment' The matter was voted. 'n oo Appraisal of School Districts, B. It was also voted to appraise u oc school districts and their debts und, in consolidation, after 1t had been e,
 pialned by Town Counsel T. ] he Shields. The appraisal is to be mac h. by one member appointed from il as town school board, one assessor ar
 one selectman. li- Authorized to Borrow Money. ill, The selectmen were authorized ter borrow not to exceed $105,OOO ; air necessary to take up bond issue fal he ing due in 1913 and to take care
 the different school district notes. They were also authorized to borro & not to exceed s125,000 to defray u @@r @ lawful current obligations of the tov M during the year.
 H The hour of annual town meetir was voted to be at s D. m. in yea H when no town election Is held. III No4nd NA;. .L ,