New-York tribune., 1918-05-26
$4,000 in New York's Ele-
nentary Schools Expected
to influence Legislature
Present Law a arce"
With Right to Vote 1t Is Be-
lieved Determination Will
Be Ended

With the advent OF equal suffrage IN
New York many of those who believe
in the principle of equal rights for
women settled down to the conclusion
that the disparity of the sexes had
been removed and that all was well for
the weaker sex.
Just ask any woman school teacher
about it. She will tell you that a
woman is merely a woman in the New
York City schools, and because of that
defect receives about $500 year less
than the man beside her doing the
same work.
And if she realizes the power that
has come to her with the right Of suf-
frage she will tell you that the $4,000
women teaching in the elementary
schools are going to bring pressure to
bear on the next Legislature, so that
the much-amended so-called "equal
pay" law may be accurately described
without employing the prefex $50
called"
The "equal pay" law, enacted as
Chapter 9o2 of the Laws of 1911 to
amend the greater New York charter
in relation to salaries Of the members
of the supervising and teaching staffs
of the Board of Education, provides
that while the salary. including the
annual increment, to which present
member of the Board of Education is
entitled under specific salary sched-
ule now existing, shall not be reduced, :"
nevertheless "in the schedules of sala-
ries hereafter adopted there shall be
no dscrim ination based on the sex OF
the member"
Provision Is Repeated
The Colne law, enacted as Chapter
459 of the Laws of 1912, repeats the
provision:
an the schedules of salaries here
after adopted there shall be no dis
elimination based on the sex Of the
member"
But this first amendment to the
equal pay" law provides that Ga pres
ent male member" shall, when promot-
ed, be placed on the schedules effective
in 1911, which discriminate against
women.
The Silverstein law, enacted as Chap
ter 534 of the Laws of 1918, adds "ex-
cept as hereinbefore provided" to the
declaration that ''there shall be no dis
elimination based on the sex Of the
member"
Then this second amendment ex-
empts male teachers in the seventh
and eighth grades from the operation
of the "eoual pay" enactment.
Then the Velte law, as Chapter 83S
of the Laws of 1918, was passed as a
third amendment providing that 1.-The
salary and annual increment of any
male person who was on December 81,
1911, on an eligible list for license No.
| or who was on that date serving as
a pupil teacher in the fourth term work
of any training school for teachers in
said city and who was appointed after
said date" should also profit by the
discriminatory 1911 schedule.
Most of the men in the system hav-
ing been provided for thus, the Velte
Schaap law, enacted as Chapter 264 of
the Laws of 1914; further exempted
from the provisions of the equal pay"
law any "regularly matriculated stu
dent in any college located in the city
of New York and recognized by the
Regents of the University of the State
of New York" who had enrolled in any
department of education with the ex-
pectation of teaching.
% Men Get on Old Schedule
Finally. in fifth amendment, which
became effective May 23, 1917, twenty
nine men were enabled to get on the
old schedule with maximum of S2,400,
while women doing the same work un-
der so-called equal pay" legislation
cannot exceed 81 800 annually.
Before women became power in
politics the shrewd men who represent
ed them at Albany provided for their
teaching salaries in these six enact
ments.
The result is so plain that even a.
woman can see it.
Except for the fact that practically
all the 1,600 men in the public school
system to-day are on salary schedules
$500 higher than the women of the
system the principle of equal pay for
equal service" prevails
And having discovered that feminine
dollars shrink as fast as masculine dol
lars, the women of the schools are out
to fight discrimination.
The high cost Of living has left their
salary checks far behind. They want
justice before fiat increase in salary.
They prefer "equal pay" to Is per
cent increase in salary
And perhaps the reason for this pref
erence is that even woman school
teacher can see that 25 per cent added
to her maximum salary of 1900 brings
her only $450 more, or $3.50 less than
the S2,400 provided for men now, which,
by the same increase, would become
$4,000.
Can any one blame women for want
ing. suffrage and for making use of
their votes?