The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-13
That Oh arg e Made as
Aldermen Give w O.
men Whole of Increase
BOARD URGED TO
STAND BY BUDGET
Finance Committee Asked That
Pollock Umlauf Combination
Be Defeated, Backing Up
Its Request by Opinion
From City Attorney-Plan
to Boost All Now.

| Just as II came from tho Common
Council, the annual appropriation ordi-
nance was concurred in hy tn. Board
| of Aldermen last night. and goes to the
J Mayor for his approval. carrying d
total OF s3,30o, s5c.s3. All efforts to
! amend the paper were unsuccessful,
though vigorous fight was made By
! members of the Finance Committee
gainst thu action Of the Common
Council In designating that all Of the
! Increase foI public school teachers
should go 10 the elementary white wo-
men teachers, and fixing a schedule of
their pay for the tlrst six years of SER
| vice, as being both unwise and illegal.
| The charter gives the Mayor authority
| TO veto specific items OF the budget.
without affecting the remaining Items.
| Tho budget. as originally recommend
! ed b. the Commute, on Finance. pro-
viied for the City school Board pay
roll s265.00o. as against s206000 in ne
! budget last year. an increase ii s2l,50o
| having been made necessary by eu-
p!oyment Of additional teachers incl
dent to thu opening OF new schools.
Fixes sliding Scale Of increase.
In the Council the item was divided
and the remainder OF s27,50o. Intended
as fund from which the pay OF teach
crs might be generally incr sascd. was
there set apart for the increase OF tho
pay Of the white elementary women
teachers, the Council amendment spec
| lfyin6 that tho increase shall be grad
Cd 10 give $40 additional TO first year
teachers, 500 TO second year teachers
$50 to third year teachers, 800 to
fourth year teachers, sl20 to fifth year
| tcachcrs, ana sl35 to those having
taught SIX or moro years. thus giving
all of the increase TO 235 out OF the AS
teachers employed.
In accordance with unanimous action
! of the Committee on Finance, after
! long consid grafton of the amendment
at two meetings. Subcha!rman cirundy
moved last night TO restore the item
to its original terms as reported by
that committee.
illegal, Says Grundy.
Il; was the unanimous verdict OF the
Finance Committee" ne said. "aft.r
worked decided injustice We be-
iievc further that 1T brings politics
into the schools tha, it is a distinct
attempt to u5urp tho powers OF tn,
School Board, and according 10 an
opinion OF the City Attorney. /. clearly
! Illegal procedure. II expresses a dis.
trust OF tho School Board. whion has
served US faithfully and SO far ms
know without politics Lauchterl
will BE- more politics in the schools than
anything else. II has already resu. led
( in Reorganization and disloyalty among
the teachers that is lamcntable. The
| report OF the Finance Committee would
give these elementary teachers n IL
/ per cent. increase, and while that may
seem small. 1 remind you that we Lay.
| only been able 20 Increase firemAn. no.
! liccmen and street cleaners Der cent
"a
! with families out in the cold. If tho
schools are 10 be managed successfully.
! the board must work without Interior
cnce 1t is gross breach Of d!sci-
pine for th,se elementary teachers 10
elcctioneer as they have done 70 ge; all
the increase Tor themselves. ut the en-
! pense of their fellow workers"
Teachers Hear Whole Debate
! Several hundred OF the elementary
teachers were packed behind the rail
ing in the Council chamber during IN.
! whole debate.
/ Mr. Mitchell argued that tho amend
! ment should stand; Mr., Powers tha, it
would tie UP tho budget TO refuse con.
! currcnco and result in intcrminable
delay with important city work. and
| Mr. Don Lcavy that the teachers we're
deserving OF the increase.
| The chair presented formal com
| munication from tho City School Board
protesting against the action OF the
Common Council Givins a resolution
! adopted at a meeting held last Monday
/ hI unanimous vote, setting forth that
/ In the judgment of the School Board
/ tile increase OF tho elementary tench-
ers appeared TO discriminate unjustly
against teachGrs in the high schools
and other employees and that to nrc-
vent disruption OF the schools. if such
/ an increase were allowed. it would be
necessary 10 Increase others in propor.
! tion.
City Attorneys Opinion.
! y written opinion of city Attorney
Pollard was read setting forth that
members OF the School Board arc not
! city but State officers. and that IN,
. persons whom the board is authorized
| to employ to teach are By section l5SS
- the code OF Virginia employees of
/ the state and not of the city; that
! clause IL, Of that section, expressly
authorizes the School Beard Ito man
age and control tho school funds .: tho
city. to provide for the pay OF teach
ers and Of the clerk of TIE board etc.
! from which IL follows. The City .tttor-
iucy ruled. that tbs Council could not
if they would. designate in what man
ncr the appropriation made for public
schools in tho budget should he OK
! pended. since this is power and duty
! expressly conferred by the Legislature
! upon the City School Board. and am
/ unable to find that the Council Of tho
| city of Richmond are anywhere given
amy supervisory power over the OK.
renditurc of The appropriation. as is
rho case with tho employees Of the Fire
Department"
i Elementary Tcnchrrs WIN
! Notwithstanding the protest O! the
School Board aud OF the Committee ON
! Einnncc, and tho urlcntliNocnl nnininn