The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-02
Dr. Phillips Salary Reduced to S4200 Per Year-Mc-
 Lester Reduced 5000
SUMMER AND NIGHT
 SCHOOLS SUSPENDED
System of Automatic Yearly Salary Increases Suspended and Cuts Substituted-No More Free
 Supplies Furnished

Sas1nSs Tn the annual budget of fIrc board of education were made yes- terday at n conference between the board and the city commissioners which will probably bring the $7s,000 re- trenchment announced last week in other departments of the city govern ment up to $1OO,OOO per year or over,
 Not even estimates of the total say- ings could be secured last night and as matter of fact the work of cutting expenses in the school system Is not yet complete, but some of the more important details in this phase of the retrenchment of city governmental ex- penses were announced last night nft- CT the conference ns foIIowss
 Salary of pr. J. H. Phillips city super frtendent of schools, reduced from s5ooo per year to $4200.
 The elementary summer vocational school, and the night schools were sus- perded. The former was for the use of students desiring to make up back work or take extra work not provided for in the regular scholastic year.
 Salaries Are Reduced
 The automatic system of annual salary Increases for the teachers and officials or the school system was suspended and instead the same ratio of decrease in sal aries as was used on the other depart ments of the government was decided upon. The suspension of the automatic increase system applies only to those teachers receiving s75 and more, and the decrease in salaries will apply as fol- lows:
 Those drawing from s75 to $l10 will be cut PIE per cent; those receiving from $111 to $145 will be reduced 5 per cent; those drawing from $50 to s245 will be cut ID per cent and those receiving s250 and up will be cut 15 per cent
 The salary of Dr. J. H. McLester med ical director of the schools. was cut in half, making it now 5000 per ye8. Both pr. McLester and Dr. Phillips sent word to the conference that they were willing to accept any reduction in salary the members of the board of education and city commission thought necessary.
 The city purchasing agent. R. M Grif- fir, will be instructed to do all purchas- ing of supplies for the school system in the future.
 The arrangement providing free text books and supplies for certain grades was modified so as to include books only and no supplies of any kind will be furnished from now on. such as pencils and tablets.
 Abbott Working On Details
 City Comptroller Abbott is working on the reductions and will have them ready fer announcement in detail probably to- day.
 committee was appointed from the co cmmission and the board of education to go before the county board of educa- ton and attempt to secure a proper ad- Justment of the ratio of funds paid to the city schools and the county schools. If is stated that the law intends that eech child in the county shall receive the same ratio from the county education fund, but that under the present system the child attending the country school rec elves about $2 more per annum than the city school scholar. By an equit- able adjustment of thrs matter it is be- lieSed the county will pay to the city school fund about $40,000 more per annum than in the past.
 Tt is argued that as a matter of justice the city scholar really should receive larger ratio than the country scholar by reason of the greater expense in conduct ing a city school, such matters as teach CTS, car fare, light and heat costing more for given number of scholars and teach CTS in the city than in the country.