Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1918-04-02
TUESDAY, AP RIL ?, 1915
Our Public School Teachers.

our RubiiC school ltdCHSfS-
Our publ ic school teachers are asllin,
for more pay, and this they have a right
to do, for the cost of living has advanced
beyond all reasonable proportions, as
gauged by the standards at the time tho
compensation of these teachers was set
by the Board Of Education, and II is
right their request should be granted
Everybody who has the slightest interest
in them or in the educational system
Of the city agrees with them and wants
them To have more pay. and VIC believe
tho governing authorities will do what
il can, as soon MS il can, TO bring this about.
& The public school is the bulwark of our
government. and the teachers arc the
governments agents IN shaping Young
america to bear the burdens that now
fall ON mature shoulders. Therefore, the
teachers have tremendous responsibility.
They should be considered as part of our
great national defence establishment.
and they no doubt realize this is what
they really are. Therefore. they are
worthy compensation that is Just. As
TO Wilmington, the teaching force IS
now. and always has been loyal making
sacrifices many times more now than
ever before-to carry out this very i'm
portant feature Of the national pro-
gram Many OF the teachers could
obtain other positions AT better pay,
and. while some are doing this and they
cannot be blamed-many are not, feel
ing they will be rewarded in due time. and
that there will be full appreciation Of the
sacrifice they are making now. They have
devoted their lives 10 training themselves
for the very important duty that devolves
upon them. which makes them better
fitted for this particular calling than any
other. and better fitted, also, than any
force of substitutes we might have TO
bring in if we were denied their services.
Therefore, Wilmington has an obliga-
ton TO take care Of its loyal teachers and
pay them fair salaries and we believe
every effort will be made to do this rs
>OD4 IL II Ld1 Bt Lb4It- I An04 AAA&s%AfiN
this condition appears not to have been
foreseen at the time financial provision
was made for the current year, While
the Board Of Education, taking 8 glimpse
into the future sought more money,
which would have enabled il 10 have
COPIED with this contingency in a measure,
CITY Council could not see It's way clear
TO grant the increase and the year allow
ance was fixed accordingly. Council Il
not TO be blamed for some of its clashes
in past years with tho Board OF Education,
he methods of which, at times, were
open TO criticism. and il may have felt
justified IN requiring the board TO make
good before il would allow any more
money than it Council considered abso-
luteiy necessary 1t is also true that
Council has similar demands from other
branches OF the city government. The
police were underpaid and other depart
ments needed more money for running
expenses, and, as II IS always the ann Of
Council 10 keep the tax rate down to the
lowest limit. because real estate-largely
our homes has TO bear the bulk OF the
burden, an effort was made to hold the |
expenses down to necessities 1t is also |
true that if there was an error IN this |
behalf 1t was not an error of the present /
propriations-was fixed by its predeces- |
sor. and the remedy docs not lie with the |
present Council. 50 far as the current {
fiscal year is concerned Hence its ina |
Dility to extend relief up to the present |
time.
But the present Council is thoroughly |
cognizant of the facts and next month, |
when it fixes the tax rate and appro- /
prlations for next fiscal year, it will do |
70 with its eyes open; therefore, there will |
De no reason for naming budget that
will not meet the legitimate demands Of
he city or that will not provide fair com
for those who work for the city.
II higher tax rate is necessary TO ac-
,omplish this, it will have to come
~ A@i I'D tiC pay vi TIC StdClleIS IL !
it might be well to bear in
mind that the State is not treating VIII
nington fairly in the matter Of appor-
ioning the school fund. In fact, there is
! very serious discrimination against the
;lty, for, under the present law while
he State fund is apportioned equtably
imong the school districts Of all three
counties in proportion to the number Of
eachers in each, there is one exception,
md that is Wilmington, which is allowed
dividends for only 200 teachers, whereas
here are 800 here This means that VIII
nlngton has TO make up the difference in
hat behalf, standing the full amount for
90 teachers, while only 200 can be paid
ut Of the State apportionment. An effort
fas made at the recent special session Of
he Legislature to remedy this situation,
ut without result. However, it ought