The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-01-09

Courteous attention was given to Miss Euphrosyne Bown, principal Of Grand street school and president of the Bridgeport Teachers association when she appeared in response to an invitation of the board of education to speak in support of its petition.
 The matter of the teachers salaries vas laid on the table following Miss Bown's argument. Miss Bown occu- pied half an hour, in reviewing the work of the association, explaining it's aims and discussing the various phasas of the work of teachers in diff ferent grades
 charts She spoke as follows:
 Gentlemen:
 thank you for this opportunity, in behalf of both the teachers and my self, of strengthening out any misap- prhensions that may have been un- consciously, perhaps, conveyed to your minds.
 teachers formed association for professional purposes For a long and outside the profession had urged upon the teachers the importance to tn themselves of am organization. In e. ganizing, the teachers have but fol- lowed in the footsteps of others in the profession in other localities. In fact, the local teachers were tardy in heir action
 Cf organization, the teachers, both as individuals and in committees, had called upon some of you and urged upon you the great need of an in crease in their salaries, and some of you will remember without difficulty, am sure that some of the teachers then talked of a maximum of $500 and an equalization of salaries. So that the two main points of the fu- t1re petitions had already been talked about before the organization
 NaturaIly under the circumstances that I have explained, when or ganized, the salary question came to
 In Other Cities.
 Personally believing in their cause, and not being one of their immediate nubber and notgaining financially by the work. we can with greater pro- priety present their case for, them.
 During the course Of our work for the higher salary and the one max iniunl, both last year and this year, we done along the same lines in other cities. what the advantages and the disadvantages of their schedules To this end end we have sent out ques- tioners, and have met with uniform courtesy and helpfulness.
 We have substantiated our position in every instance by facts. figures. statistics and arguments. We seek changes from the standpoint of req son. We stand on firm ground.
 Hope to Convince.
 As in all large bodies at work, there will be some over-zea1OuS here and there; and if remarks, perhaps unwise have been made, such has not been the spirit of the association. Never for one moment have we in tended to approach the board of ed ucation in the spirit of having the up- per hand. The intention of our whole course of procedure has been one of respectful petition of an at tempt to convince; and we hope that we shall not have worked in vain-
 As soon last year as the board of education made known its decision to reduce the number of maXimums to three the Teachers association acted to the board of education for the com sideration that their desires had re- ceived. But at the same meeting the teachers put themselves on record as a body who would continue to work for one maximum, and the action ta ken this year is but the outcome of that decision. Accordingly. the ar guments still fresh in everybody's mind and with an earnest desire to al. teachers, the matter was again taken up this year in the general meeting, referred in turn to the eX- ecutive committee, to a sub-commit- tee, and in due course was reported back to the general house.
 Likewise it is untrue that any mem-' her has especially agitated the ques- ton or carried on any campaign that has in any way interferred with the school program.
 Meeting Objections.
 If may take a few more minutes, I would like to meet few of the ob-