The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-05
FREE BOOKS AND
HIGHER SALARIES
Ordinance Committee swaycd by
Liberal Spirit in Begin
ming New Year.
LIGHT ON SCHOOL PROBLEM
Mills Referendum Laid on
Table After Brief
Debate.
LIGHT ON SCHOOL PROBLEM

Free text books in the public schools
and increases of 10 per cent in the pay
| Of all hremen and policemen In the CITY
were recommended by the Council
Committee on Ordinance. Charter and
reform last night. The Mills refcren-
DUN resolution. after debate, was laid
on the table by vote of to {.
a subcommittee which had investi
gated the matter of free school books
reported that the total cost of all
DOCKS used In tn eschools ut present. if
purchased new. would be $4,000. less
uiscount. If books at present in use
are turned in, the committee estimat
! ed that the annual cost of replacing
worn out copies and providing for new
pupils In the elementary grades would
be $1,000, and In the high school $4,000.
subject to publishers Wholesale dis
counts. The committee reported that
10 carry out such system IL wouldl
pc necessary to have storekceper
and delivery wagon, and the annual
cost for books and maintenance was
! placed at $4,000.
Many Drop Out.
The COMMITTEES reported 1912 pupils
In tho lowest grade of the elementary
! schools. and only 400 in the highest.
the great number dropping out being
due TO pupils going to work and to
the increasing cost of text books. In!
quiry from number of cities provid.
ing text books showed the cost per
pupil for all grades to average from sol
TO 30 cents. and the subcommittee re-
commended that tho city's app ropria
t1on be only available after the State
Board OF Education grants to the local
nchool Board the right to select list
OF books, subject to It's approval II
was reported that si7 pupils. ZOO
colored and Il! -hite. now receive free
books under the INDECENT clause. and
the report was sent to the Council for
reference TO the Finance Committee,
with the recommendation that proper
ordinance be prepared complying With
its recommendations.
Mcssrs Pollock. Brown Nielsen.
Gunst and Umlauf were appointed "A
subcommittee on revision Of precinct
lines IN accordance with the recently
adopted plan Of rcd.st. icting the city
Into four wards.
General Pay Incrcnses
Without word of debate or dis
sentinE voice, the committee recon-
mcnded adoption of ordinances In
crcasing the pay OF the captains, ser
Eeants and policemen. and of all fire
mon and FIRE alarm employees 10 per
cent. The increases involve an addi-
ton to the pay roll annually for lire
men of sll,o6s; In the fire alarm de-
pnrtmcnt of 800. and in the Police
Department, of Sl7,ioo.
Petitions were presented from the
principals. high school teachers and
Undergraduates for increases in pny,
commensurate with the increase re-
Gently recommended for the element
airy schools.
Superintendent J. a. c. Chandler in
formed the committee that In liking
new scale for the elementary white
teachers. 1t had increased 2cS out OF
the i53 teachers in the public schools.
and that the new scale placed the cle-
mentary teachers above the minimum
now paid to high school teachers hav-
Ing n tendency to disrupt the High
school teaching force. All of The peti-
lions for school increases were gent
to the Council with tho recommended
;lon that they be referred to the spc-
cial committee OH investigation OF
the public schools. and supplement
tary resolution was forwarded re-
questing the Finance Committee to
make a prompt report on the increase
asked for the elementary teachers.
The ordinance creating the position
of superintendent and fixing the pay
of the working force at the electric
plant was again tabled.
Referendum I'inn Falls.
Councilman Morgan Il. Mills spoke
in favor OF the resolution adopted un-
der suspension by the Council, and re-
ferred by the Board of Aldermen re-
questing the Legislature for such
charter changes as will permit the
Council to refer to the vote of the
people any Issue it may determine.
Mr.. Mills and Mr. Hirschbcrg both fa-
vored ii as check OH the proposed
Administrative Board. Other mem
bers opposed the idea of a referendum
as Keeping the people in perpetual
fcrmcnt over small Issues which the
Council was elected to determine. and
the resolution was tabled by the fol.
lowing vote:
Ayes-Messrs Butler, Gunst, Moore,
Pollock. Nondcrlchr.
Nocs-Mcssrs. Brown, IIirschbcrg,
Lunsden and Umlauf
1t was remarked that the vote fol-
lowed exactly that In the Council
when the Administrative Board was
created.
The ordinance regulating the plac.
iIfg Of building material in the streets
was referred TO subcommittee COM
posed of Messrs Gunst. Brown and
Lumsden.
Several property owners appeared
to protest against the erection by
Councilman w. Fred Richardson of a
ton stall stable in .hc residential
block bounded b" Grove. Floyd. Lom-
hardy and Plum Streets. The Council
granted permission for the erection of
such stable in August, 1910, but only
in the last week has actual construc-
tion begun. The after was laid over
to Il special meeting to,be held at 1880
o'clock tonight. when all parties in
tercstcd are invited to be present.