Milford chronicle., 1919-10-10
REPORT OF DOUBLING SALARY UNDER
new SCHOOL CODE PROVED FALSE.
GETS $3.50 FOR ASSISTANCE.
THE INCREASE NOT ENOUGH
SO SAYS WILLIAM C. ABBOTT, CLERK
OF THE MILFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS,
in FOLLOWING STATEMENT.

s do the work which William Abbott
clerk of the school board, did for $10C
year under the old law. That's 9
sample of the useless high-salarieC
jobs created for a few people by the
new law, and the farmers and pooI
men foot the bills" is the mora
drawn by enemies of the law, afteI
making the above assertions.
According to the books of William
Abbott, clerk of the Milford school
board, under the old law. the white
school of Milford spent $1S,31S.41 last
year. OF this amount S11,631.73 was
teachers salaries. The salary of the
superintendent was 81 800. Interest on
the schools bonded Indebtedness.
S1,035; other debt service, $500. The
fuel bill was S756.60; other incidentals
(such as insurance, salary of Mr.. Alb
bott, supplies, etc. S1,5S6.01.
The books of the colored school of
Milford were kept by Joseph Shockley,
clerk of the colored school board un-
der the old law. The colored school
spent 81 ,050 for teachers; S150.92 for
fuel; $62.47 for text books; money due
clerk for expenses advanced the year
previous, $174.1O; incidentals, S51.51.
Total for colored school, $1,4S9.
"Under the old law, whatever local
taxes were raised to support colored
schools were raised wholly on prop
erty owned by colored people and local
taxes for support of white schools
we're raised wholly on property own
ed by white people. Under the new
law, a fiat tax is levied on all prop
erty for the support of all schools.
Under the new law the budget of Mil
ford district must show the proposed
expenditures the coming year for both
white and colored schools.
The Milford schools (white and col
ored) will cost $S1, 1871 for the school
year just beginning, according to the
budget just prepared by the Milford
school board and Superintendent Shil-
ling. The budget is divided as fol-
ows: Teachers salaries, $20,500; debt
service, $2,500.91; improvements, re-
pairs and rent, $2,350; text books, sup
plies, ETC., $1,000; superintendent
salary $1,S00; clerk hire for supt., /
office, S50;\ other office expenses for /
superintendent, $780,; printing, ex-
press and other incidentals, 5000; jan [
tors service, $1,045; fuel, $3.50; water,
light, etc., $3.50; telephone, SAC; cost
Of collection of taxes, $50.
With the total expenditures of last
year and the total proposed expendi-
.ures of the year just beginning be-
ore us, we may now compare the costs
If the Milford schools under the old
aw and the new law, and also see just
where the increase in cost is and
where the money goes.
Just how much truth is in the charge
hat the teachers are getting no more
money under the new law than they
lid last var under the old law? Last
ear the Milford teachers were paid
total of S12,681.78. The coming year
hey will be paid a total of $2O5OO. In
ther words, under the new law in the
1ilfOrd district the teachers will get
z ,S18.27 more than they got last year
nder the old law This carries a new
lanual Training teacher and two adj
itional teachers in the grammar
chOol, and one new teacher in the ,
olored school.
Just how much truth is there i'm the +
barge that the superintendent is get !
ing his salary doubled. Last year he
OF $1,000. This year he is to get 1,SOO,
II increase of only 5000!
just how much truth is there i'm the
barge that the superintendent is to be [
iVen a S75O-a-year clerk to do the y
-Ork which William Abbott has been
DING for S1OO year! Not a word of /
nth in it! The superintendent is al I
WED only $50 for clerk hire. |
How much truth in the charge that t
n 0nn aan foil ruhar.o any of fba Il
Oney is going under the new law! a
Not word!
The Milford school budget fGr this D
,ar is public document. 1t may be Z
ID of Superintendent Shilling, whose h
me is in the center of Milford, within 8
o yards of the postoffice and 100 feet "
the Milford Trust Company. It may it
had of any member of the Milford s;
hool board, all of whom are known al
all people of Milford di
This budget shows to the last penny h,
cry cent the Milford schools are go in
g to cost this year. 1t shows in de- al
il exactly where every cent is to go, m
r under the new school law, the w
1ney must be spent for exactly the in
ms the budget shows they are to be &c
ent for. There can be no switching
accounts under the new law! ge
So far as we are able to learn, not eli
lgle enemy of the new school law in to-
lford has ever asked to see the bud to
/, has ever tried to find out where wi
money is going, has ever attempted or
assure himself if the tales he heard en-
the tales he repeated had any truth mi
them.
Figured on percentage basis, the Sh
lget shows that of all the money to tic
spent this year on Milford schools, col
teachers are to get 500, 500. or 64.05 is
cent of it. The superintendent's of
ary will be only S1,S00. Yet in the me
: of all these facts, easily within the col
ch of all, the enemies of the school res
are telling that the new school law tal
es the people in order to pay fancy tea
aries to a few people while the dis
ehers-are not benefited in the least. boz
n speaking of the increase of the Ior
salary from $1,000 to zen
100, William Abbott, clerk of the PIC
ford school board under the old dlV
;, said: I'VE increased his salary Wo
D. but the increase in salary doesn't OF
in to correspond with the increase doe
his work. Last year the superin- as
lent was not responsible for any ane
the business details of the white use
Dol, and he had nothing at all to do lar
4 the colored school, AS clerk OF ten
school board it was my business day
ttend toythe business details of the allC