The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-12-07
OPINIONS DIFFER
AS TO SOLUTION
Of SCHOOL TAX
Promise That Teachers De-
mandS Would Be Met
Causes passing Of Buck"
As to Who Will Make Good.
LEGISLATIVE DELEGATES
NOT YET APPROACHED
0ffhand, However, They Ex-
press Themselves as Ad-
mitting Something Must
2e Done"-But How?

1t developed Saturday that while
nearly everyone is favorable to the
proposition for better pay for the. teach
ers in the city schools, there is con-
siderable divergence of opinion as 10
how it is to be accomplished.
The teachers have been working
since September on the theory that
the matter was definitely settled. They
accepted the assurance OF the boaru OF
education and the city commission that
their demands would be met by legls-
lative enactment increasing the budget
from ii to so cents.
A REPORTER for The News Scimitar
approached as many of the members
Of the delegation as he could reach
and found some of them agreeanie 70
the increase in taxes, others favored
curtailment of what they described
as nonessentials and the distribution OF
the revenue saved in that way among
the remaining teachers, and stu others
were noncommittal.
City in Earnest.
Mayor Monteverde said the city com
mission was in earnest when II told
the teachers that it would use It's IN
fmence with the legislative delegation
TO have the schools proportion OF the
tax rate raised from Al to 90 Genus IN
order that the teachers might get the
advantage Of the increased pay.
There is no doubt of the support OF
the city administration for the meas
ure, but the question arises: When
does the city commission propose 70
begin to use it's influence in this di-
rection? The legislature convenes the
first Monday in January. or within
three weeks, and so far as The News
Scimitar has been able to ascertain,
no effort has been made to pledge the
members of the delegation to a given
policy
1t can not be concealed that some
of the members of the delegation feel
that there is an attempt to shift the
responsibility to them without warm
ing The city board of education and
the city commission reached an agree
ment which could not be carried out
except with the support of the mem
bers of the legislature, and yet the
matter has never been presented to
the delegation,
The teachers properly did not feel
that 1t was incumbent upon them to
pursue the matter through the legls-
board OF edhcatfon the WORD of the
city commission and other influential
citizens that the legislation needed
would be passed., and the legislative
delegation being friendly to the city
administration, the matter was sAleft' in
the hands of the mayor and the com
lnissioners.
Urges Raise.
Frank Rice, senator elect, said he Is
willing to raise the school boards pro-
portion of the tax from Al to 90 cents
if the board of education and the city
commission will eequest the delegation
in writing to support such measure.
He added that he thought Senator F.
d. Fuller would join him in this atti-
tude.
and secretary of the delegation, said
he would have to think the matter
over" before speaking finally. II am
in favor of the teachers getting more
pay, but | do not want to get the CITY
in debt However, whatever agreement
the city commissioners. the school
board and the teachers may make Will
George A. Canale, another member
of the delegation, said he believed the
teachers salaries could be raised, with
the present taxation, provided certain
nonessentals were disposed of in the
schools while l do not feel bound
to subscribe to everything the delega-
ton may decide on" ne added, Il be-
leve the delegation will do what is
right One thing is sure, the teachers
should get more pay We can not now
get women to work in our canning fac
tory for the wages the teachers are
now receiving"
Carl Larsen, one of the veteran mem
bers of the Legislature, says he faVors
good wage for the teachers. His
opinion was somewhat the same as that
Of Canale He says no one has ever
spoken to him on the subject until
he was interviewed by reporter from
The News Scimitar.
Senator Fuller and Representatives
G. e. McCalman and John Morgan
could not be reached. other members
of the delegation who were interviewed
made the following statements:
Favors Increase.
John Galella-"I favor the increase
from Al to 50 cents if 1t becomes neces-
sary in order to assure Il raise in sal
aries for the city teachers. But favor
the cutting out of nonessentials in the
school system first TO procure this
money before increasing the tax pro-
portion for the schools. Our teachers
are underpaid, no doubt ] can not see
how we can expect teachers to work
for S55 a month when the janitors OF
the buildings are drawing 500 a
month"
Hunt Phelan-"I have not thought the
matter over sufficiently TO express ar
Cpinion of how | stand now and would
not like to be quoted until l have made
further Investigations. However, vii
say that l favor raise in teachers
salaries
Joe Hanover-"I most certainly favor
the proposed increase In teachers sal
aries. However, l will do whatever the
delegation decides to do after the mat
ter has been threshed out between tht
city commissioners, the school board
and the committee for the teachers.
1t is obvious from these expressions
that there is a pressing need for the
delegation, the city commission and the
board of education to get together or
some acceptable plan. 1t is not be.
lieved that the board or education viii
accept the suggestion of curtailing the
faculty or dropping from the course
the branches some Of the Legislators de-