Evening journal., 1915-06-18
JANITORS PAID,
Teachers MUST
WAIT FOR MONEY
Board of Education Takes
Care of Engineer Thomas
and Men Under Him
Cash MAY NOT Be DOLED
OUT Until next MONTH

While the teachers OF the public schools
of Wilmington are waiting for their
salaries for May and wondering how
long they must wait until they get
some money from the Board of Educa-
tion, their feelings will not be softened
very much by the knowledge that Ma
rine w. Thomas. engineer ianitor at the
High School, and the ianitors under him
have been paid their wages as usual
While the Board of Education has
been putting up a plea that it has no
money to pay the school teachers for
services rendered in May, because it has
expended about $4,000 more than itsI
appropriation for the fiscal year just
ending, it nevertheless has taken care
to pay the ianitors of all the schools I'M
full for the month of May
Announcement that Janitor Thomas,
the man of much power at the High
School, and the other janitors have
received their money, while the
teachers have been compelled to wait
until Council goes to the financial
aid of the board to make up the lat
ter's deficit, caused much surprise to-
day. Janitor Thomas. who is entered
on the payroll as engineer" is paid
at the rate of S3.5OO a year for IN. w.
Thomas, ct AL" the understanding
being that he is to pay some of the
$4,000 out for assistants in doing
janitor work at the High School, He
receives the entire check and is sup
posed to pay out to his assistants an
amount that does not appear on the
citys financial records.
Now that Janitor Thomas has laid
aside his engineering and political
duties, and as nature is supplying all
! the heat that is required for the
closing days at the Highe School. he
can enjoy the spending of his salary
while the hundreds of school teachers
must wait for their needed cash be-
cause of the lavish manner in which
the Board of Education has doled out
money during the past twelve months
Instead of paying the teachers the
board has spent money right and left
I and has created a deficit estimated at
about $4,000 Now il is appealing
to City Council TO make an extraordi-
nary appropriation of $4,000 to the
board to pay teachers their overdue
salaries for the month of May.
City Solicitor Hastings has drafted
an ordinance providing for such an
extraordinary appropriation and has
left up 10 the finance committee of
City Council and to the Councilmen
themselves the determination of
whether or not an extraordinary
situation" prevails that would war
rant Council voting an appropriation
to the Board of Education. Before
| such an ordinance could become ef-
fective il would have to be approved
by the finance committee of Council
and be passed by two-thirds of the
members of Council. Thus far the
members of the finance committee OF
! Council have not approved the or
dinance, some of the members not be-
ing satisfied as to an extraordinary
situation" existing that legally would
warrant such an appropriation.
Because Of the Board of Education
plunging ahead with is expenditures
and not taking care of the salaries
Of the school teachers. the latter have
been put to great inconveniece. Not
only have many teachers contracted
Obligations which they expected to
meet promptly the first of June, but
they also have beer planning for their
vacations, and have had their plans
knocked awry by the Board default
ing in payment of the salaries for
May
Aside from that. unless City Coun-
Gil passes an appropriation ordinance
to make up the Board of Education
deficit, the teachers may have TO wait
until July for their pay for the
months of May and June. The Board
of Education will receive the first
allotment Of its appropriation for the
fiscal year of 1915-1916 in July, and
then will have money to pay salaries
of the teachers.
Even if Council should appropriate
$4,000 now TO the Board of Educa-
tion to pay May salaries, it would
mean that the board would have to
take the June salaries out of its ap-
preparation for next year. thus carry
ing over $4,000 of the deficit TO next
year. The school teachers salaries
amount to between $4,000 and S21,-
600 a month. Beside paying the jani-
tors of all the schools for May, the
Board of Education also has paid the
clerical force at the Board of Educa-
tion and High School Offices, and has
paid the $40 a month increase in pay
granted to principals, but has not
paid the salaries of the principals ex-
elusive of the $40 a month increase
granted.