Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-04-29
TEACHERS WANT N RE- PAY
School Commissioners Lack the
Means to Grant 1t.
Legal Voters at City Meeting Alone
Have the Power to Provide the
Additional Appropriation
Necessary.

| schools OF Burlington for an increas,
in their salaries was made manifest at
| a special meeting of the board of school
commissioners held at the high school
building Tuesday evening, when about s..
of the grade teachers appeared b fore
| the board and presented petition signed
by 70 Of their number. which asks fOr
an increase of salary. That the increase
is deserved seemed to be the Conccnaus
of opinion of the board. the members If
which seemed willing to pay the teachers
a larger salary If the money We're avail
| able The appropriation of the school
board has been used up to the limit as
was brought out in the statement OF
facts of the case by Superintendent
Chittenden. A. G. Whittemorc presented
the cause of the teachers. and remarks
We're made by members of the board and
several of the teachers present.
The petition as presented to ne board
| follows:
Burlington, Vt. April %, 1915.
The Honorable Board OF School Commits
soners. burlington, Vt:
Gentlemen:
In connection with fixing the salaries
of the teachers OF the public schools Of
the city OF Burlington for the year l95-li,
we, the said teachers, respectfully ask
that the following facts he taken into
consideration by this board:
The salary at present received Ivy MS Is
$50 each, and is considered the maximum
salary of teachers in the grades. We
have been Informed upon various occa-
sions in the past that our salary was too
low and that the board would recon-
mend an increase as soon as the city is
able to pay. Little advance seems to
have been made In this direction and We
now receive only So more than We have
received for the past eight or ten wears.
salary of $500 per year makes the
weekly stipend sl0.5S. Reckoning the cost
of living low. this expense by the week
is not less than $50. to which should be
added at least 25c per week for carfare,
making the total cost of living per week
for each teacher s775 This rs you
will readily see. leaves only s2S2 for
clothes, Notwithstanding magazines
and educational periodIcals-s
work. educational meetings. church work.
pension money, and possible Doctors and
dentists bills. These are all necessary
expenditure for the teacher In case of
sickness, also, If substitute teacher is
necessary, We must give three fourths OF
our pay to the teacher taking our place.
Argument in these circumstances is not
necessary to show that a human being
cannot live comfortably and respectfully.
even as a teacher In the grades of the
public schools Of the city without help
/ from other source
| We also call to the attention of the
commissioners that during the past year.
| our duties have been greatly increased.
and much more time and hard work are
! now necessary TO do what Is required of
us In school than in years gone by. With
this we find no fault and are always
ready to perform any and all school
duties required of us; but We think that
this also should be taken into considcra-
| ton in fixing our salaries In the future.
! We understand that it is admitted by
everybody. school officials and taxpayers,
that the teachers In the grades are under
paid, and that the only reason urged
for not increasing our salaries is that
| the city is not able to do it, and that
there are no funds with which to in
crease the wages OF the teachers. We do
not think that this claim is we'll founded.
nor do we think 1t just Burlington is
not only the most populous city in tho
/
grand list being approximately $1,000 90;
yet It pays its grade teachers the least
| Of any large town in the State. We have
| nothing whatever to do with tho eX-
penditure of the moneys of the city. or
with managing its finances. The fact
| that there does not seem to be money
| in the treasury with which to pay our
| salaries does not make our work worth
| any less Its value remains the same,
and We do not think that the taxpayers
of our city will for minute countenance
! n demand and receipt of toll without a
| fair compensation in return.
We are pleased to acknowledge the fact
that our relations with the school board
in the past and also our relations with
the superintendent have been most
pleasant and cordial. and we desire now
to thank the school board ana also the
superintendent for the many faVors CON
ferred upon us We sincerely trust that
these same relations will continue in the
future: but at the same time we re-
spoCtfully insist that under the circum-
stances 1t Is no more than just that our
present salaries be increased for the
next year so as to amount to at least
5000 each and We humbly ask that
this be done. According to our calcula-
tlon. to do this will require an increase
tax of no more than one cent ON a dol
lar OF the grand list, and this would
mean that the taxpayer with poll tax
Sc 00-would be obliged to pay, in addi-
ton to what he is now paying. two cents.
while the taxpayer with ten thousand
dollars In property and a grand list of
500 would be compelled to pay 800 in
addition to what he is now paying.
Sincerely trusting that our application
may be favoraby considered, and that
| our salaries may be increased as We
have requested, we are.
Most truly,
(SIGNED BY &c TEACHERS)
| Superintendent Chittenden in his re-
marks stated that the board was not able
to give the desired raise in salary on ac-
count of n Lack of money at the disposal