Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-03-13
TEACHERS BACK
WOODRUFF BILL
The Measure For, Salaries
Will Take About $5,-
100000

Representatives of the school
teachers of the State, who are here
working for higher salaries. have de-
cided to abandon the Weaver bill,
providing for a 60 per cent increase
and requiring an annual appropria-
ton of $10,000,0oO from the State.
Their energies will be placed behind
the Woodruff measure, which it is
estimated would cost the Common
wealth between $4,000, 600, and s5,-
100000 year.
This decision became known after
a conference participated in by Miss
Lucy w. Glass, of Jeannette; Miss
Elizabeth S. Baker, of Harrisburg,
and Miss Grace Swan and John H.
Adams, of Pittsburgh. They are
looking after the interests of the va
rious teachers organizations of the
State. 1t has been apparent to most
people since the Legislature conven-
ed that the Weaver bill, appropriat-
ing s20,o00,000 for the two years,
could not hope for the approval of
the Governor. even if the votes
could be found to pass it. Governor
William C. Sproul made it plain in
his inaugural address that he did
not favor this legislation, principally
because it would take too large Il
portion of the revenue. He said that
while he favored relief all along the
line, he thought the first duty of
the State is to the underpaid pri-
mary and rural teacher.
A number of bills have been in
troduced to provide an increase in
minimum salaries, but the most ac-
Woodruff measure. Plans are being
made to have it reported from the
House Education Committee next
week and get majority of the mem
bers of the House behind it. Statis-
ticians are now at work to determine
just how much the proposed act
would cost the State annually. 1t
is estimated to be between $4,000
900 and s5,000,000 a year. Effort
will be made to get the support OF
the Sproul administration. 1t is at
least practically certain that this bill
will be taken as the basis for what
ever is to be done by the Legislature.
The members are all anxious to help
the teachers in some way and Will
rally to whatever bill it will be pos
sible for the State to finance.
The Woodruff bill is an amend
ment to section 1910 of the School
Code which now fixes the minimum
salary of every public school teacher
as follows: Provisional certificate
holders, S45 a month; professional
or normal school certificate holders,
s55 month and holders of perma-
nent certificates or final normal
school diplomas, $50 a month.
The following are the amendments
proposed by the Woodruff bill fix
ing the minimum salaries of all
teachers, and is designated Clause
l of the bill:
Holders of provisional certificates,
$50 a school month; holders of pro-
fessional or normal school certif1-
Gates. SIS a month; holders of State
normal school diplomas, county or
State permanet certificates or col
lege provisional certificates, SS5 a
month.
The State would pay 40 per cent
of the salaries OF all teachers, prin-
cipals and supervisors. whose sala-
ries would be increased over the sal
alries for the school years of 1918
and 1919 by the provisions OF
Clause /.
Each teacher, principal and super
visor, who heretofore received a sal
ary of less than 500 a month, but
whose salaries are not increased by
Clause !, would receive an increase
of 25 per cent to be paid by the
State.
In addition to the minimum salary
provided in Clause l and in addi-
ton to the 40 per cent to be paid by
"a Ht-hn rio Y
ceed the minimum of Clause I, the
State would pay to each teacher OF
rural school, holding a certificate
higher than a provision certificate,
$40 a month. The teachers, princi-
pals and supervisors receiving the 20
per cent increase would not share in
the $40 monthly increase. The term
rural school is defined to mean
one, two or three-room school, none
of which being a high school sit
uated in the open country, or any
one, two or threeroom school, not
being a high school situated in the
small centers of population" The
decision of the Superintendent of
Public Instruction as to whether a
school is rural is final.
The following increases in the
salaries of teachers, principals and
supervisors, based on salaries paid
during the school years of 1918 and
1919. are proposed: Those receiv-
ing 500 and not more than $3.50 a
month, 2 per cent; more than $50
and not more than 5000 a month, Is
per cent, and those receiving more
than 5000 a month, 10 per cent. 1t
is understood the bill is to be amend
ed in committee to fix the increase
of all teachers, principals and super
visors receiving more than $50 a
month at 5 per cent In all in
creases provided for, for teachers,
principals and supervisors receiving
800 a month or more, the State
would pay one-half of the increase
and the balance would be paid
by the school district. In case
the school district reduces sal
aries in 1919 and 1920 below that
paid for 1918 and 1919, the State
would not pay its share of the in
crease proposed by this bill. Moth
ing in the legislation is to be con-
strued to interfere with or discon-
tinue any salary schedule now in
force in any school district, so long
as such schedule would meet the re-
quirements of the Woodruff bill, nor
to prevent the adoption of any salary