Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-17
TEACHERS STRIKE
IN MYSTERY CALL
Ihronvmous Circular Plans
Drastic Action to Gain
Salary Increase
op1c1N NOT YET TRACED
c,tv Pedagogues Repudiate Hot
Headed Plot of NAL
contents

onnearance Of mysterious circulars
aCentral Committee which hint
.~., strike among city school teachers
-, no called unless their salaries are
'-a.oosed. is not regarded seriously OS
..hool officials and teachers
oBcers of the different organizations 10
-s,on teachers belong denied that the cir
-. ,vsre sent out with their approval
or,gin Is surrounded with mystery.
-" ,.or,ous committees representing the
ahors IN the campaign for higher wages
VIao denied knowing anything OF the CIR
.,ors IT has been impossible TO locate
~, of these circulars among the teachers
annarently they have not been WlueN
circulated as yet. 1t was susges'eu Wy
ss,sS Ada Liveright, librarian to the board
MISE ,ho nerson or persons composing the
s,as si..ors anpartnely thought that there were
-, soven members on the Board OF Edu-
.n,ion II was also pointed cut that the
.s.anosar Of the letter was under the inn
.~s.sIon that the board was elected
TEXT OF LETTER
The letter reads as follows:
cno,rman District No. 21. Strike Com
mittee,
near Fellow Teacher:
The, Board of Education has SHOWN an
attitude of utter indifference to our recent
.stI,ion Your petition has been turned
sslde without investigation on the part
sf any member of the board.
We feel that the time has come where
n.titioning is of no avail; hence the fol-
fowing drastic action has been agreed
Tpon by the Central Committee You VIII
,PadioteIv Pon communicate with the teach
.rs In YOUR district that the following
action Is recommended:
First On November 1. 1917, a fourth
yeouest shall be made for 20 per cent
Increase in salary
second That a fiat refusal or an un-
qualified "yes" must be given the Cen
tra, -ommittee before November 6, 1871.
In case the reply of the board Is no,
vou will ask the teachers to meet in their
respective districts at the places already
agreed U,Jon and not to return 10 the
classroom until the increase mas Deeh
granted.
To show our contempt for the board
and the recent disloyalty it has displayed
toward our superintendent, let us urge
mon the voters in each of our districts
that they demand the resignation OF the
ssven men who have done little save block
educational progress in Philadelphla lot
the last ten years Respecttully,
REPRESENTATIVES, CENTRAL COM
MITTEE
Doctor CARRIER said:
"Thls letter is the first of its kind that !
have seen. | have made inquiry OF all my
district superintendents but nave Deeh
unable to get any information on It. Ihey
have not heard of this move. ! do not
think there is anything to It, 1t is probably
rot up by a few discontented teachers
do not take it at all seriously. 1t Is too
Ridiculous to waste time investigating.
NO INTENTION OF STRIKING
Asked to comment on this letter, Mrs
Emma V, Thomas -Tindal, principal of the
G Weir Mitchell Public School and presi-
dent of the Teachers Association of Phila-
gelphia said: I'VE have no intention OF
roing on a strike. | know of no such
movement as that mentioned in the letter
and can say without hesitation that this
action has no connection with, and will not
be viewed with favor by, the Teachers AS
ISOLATION This is the first | have heard OF
central committed or any other strike
committee"
Alfred T. Sayre, principal of the South
wark Public School and president of the
schoolmen's Club, when he had heard OF
the letter said: There will be no strike
among Philadelphia teachers Such thins
Is out of the question. l have not heard Of
any such agitation and do not believe there
u anything in such talk"
Miles L. Emrey, principal Thomas Jeffer
son Public School, vice president of tn,
committee from that club appointed t
carry on the campaign for increase il
teachers salaries, said no such movemen
as indicated by the letter is being conducted
By any authorized teachers association.
Albert II. Raub, associate superintendent
Of schools, in commenting on the anOny
nous letter said TT is, no doubt, tn
work of a few dissatisfied teachers I d
not believe that it will be taken seriousl
BY the teaching body
DENOUNCES CIRCULAR
Miss Emily NJ. Renshaw, secretary o
the Teachers Association and president O
the Eighth Grade Womans Association
denounced the letter in most unqualife
terms:
This Is the work of a bunch of hot
heads. They are doing incalculable harT
10 the teachers of Philadelphia" she saiC
This action is absolutely repudated by tn
Teachers Association. We are at presen
carrying on negotiations with the finanC
committee of the board and have bee
shown every courtesy. They are all mos
favorably inclined to granting the increas
However, large sum OF money is involve
and the increase cannot be given overngh
The matter is being very seriously cor
sdered by the board. Such action as tn
IS calculated to counteract all the goo
fhat we have accomplished cannot adt
quately express my detestation for Il
course that these hotheads have pursued
DR., Sarah p. Miller, president OF ii
Teachers Club, and William ]. Caske
president of the Teachers Institute, bot
dlselaimed any knowledge of this lette
and denounced 1t as being contrary to II
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