Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-05-13

conclusive proof that this is true. He
says: our standard of teachers sal
aries is next to Philadelphia. the high
est in the State There is no justi-
hcation for this. The average in other
is $796.3T. s79O,32 and s739,49. Harris
burg s School Board does not need to
pay in excess of these figures to retain
its present teaching force, or secure
one equally well qualified.
Then the total paid special teachers
principals in grade buildings. super
intendent, district supervisors. secre-
This is an average of $99S.56 for special
teachers. up to S3.500.O0 for the super
intendent. A comparison with averages
than Harrisburg will probably reveal
the fact that the, Board is paying a
good deal more than is absolutely
take the salaries of the janitors, an
aggregate OF $27.243.63. or an overage
OF S6Sl.OS, ranging from $3.50 to $4,000
month. 1t looks as If that We're lib
eral pay Similar fact might be dis
closed upon scrutinizing inspection
OF the items of medical inspectors,
dental clinic, etc. To the uninitated
being required. or if so but two for
thirty-seven school buildings, seems
preposterous.
Then another item which might be
looked at is that of two teachers at the
Children's Industrial Home. Possibly
the question of legality might be rails
ed here, in addition to that of economy.
2. The question might bear inVestl-
CATION, whether the Detention School
is necessary or profitable institution
II Is an expensive institution, when it
is remembered that ii may not average
more than half dozen scholars per
day during the school term. 1t has
been pronounced a useless institution
by the teacher.
8. The matter of an appropriation
to the Harrisburg Public Library may
be legal, so far as the writer knows.
yet TINS feature of the question might
be inquired into. If it is legal, the sum
Of 100000 annually seems quite large.
Other similar items I'm the long list of
the Boards expenditures no doubt will
arrest the attention of President
a. The question is also raised here
as TO whether or not the schools Of Har-
risburg really need any, much less a
total OF five district supervisors. There
are thirty-seven school buildings in the
city, so that there is one supervisor to
every seven and two-ffth school build
aries the sum of S7.SOOOO. Teachers
OF long experience have pronounced
these OFFICIALS supernumeraries. their
or[lce sinecure. their services useless
Is concerned. IF the law does not re-
quire their appointment there hardly
remains any justification to retain their
services. That a competent and active
ly good results, with a corps of train
eu principals and body of well-equip-
ped teachers, nearly all graduates of
hrst,clas institutions of learning,
would be indeed a most Disappointing
fact.
.. In the matter of school supplies
PRESIDENT Stamm will find a problem
full of difficulties. There is such enor-
nous waste in this line as to astonish
those who have made the question one
lor serious and veXatious study. That
n INa aIf, a = -
the present school code is not assumed.
But for the City of Harrisburg IL is
possible to reduce it by thousands Of
dollars annually. 1t is believed that
President Stamm is as anxious To do
this as is any other taxpayer We are
a ta%-cursed people, and between the
millstones of Federal, State. County,
Municipal and School taxes the citizen
crushed ''''0''
g. And as a final point to which
PRESIDENT Stamms attention is called
the writer would mention the Teach
ers' Retirement Fund. To this fund the
teachers contribute s6,34S.55. and the
board - ara contributes. ,S6.39S.55 annually.
tire amount of $12.747.10. If reports
current at the time the proposition to
create this Retirement Fund was under
discussion. and finally adopted. are to
be be credited, this is the naked truth.
This large total is taken from the
Bioards public funds Now the ques-
IlOA 10 WHetHer Dy 1ndirectiOn, by
evasion, by the substitution Of a
synonymous term for the term employ
ed IN the state Constitution. the Board
can do that which it has no constitu-
tional right to do. 1t seems to be the
consensus of opinion among eminent
lawyers, that the constitution pro-
hibits the appropriation of public
money for pensions. except for PEN
sions or gratuities for military sery-
ices A Retirement Fund" is a PEN
sion fund under another name. The
members of the School Board are sworn
to obey the Constitution of the State.
How they can honestly do this by the
mere substitution of synonymous
term for that which is used In the
constitution is for them to settle. AS