The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-10-02
TEACHERS AFTER
RAISE; BOARD IS
IN A DILEMMA
Schools Face Deficit Already.
Prof. Jones Suggests Plan
City Relieve Payment on In.
tefeSt and Sinking Fund.

Whether or not members OF the Mem.
phis Teachers association, comprising
the white teachers in the city schools
Of Memphis, will vote for q strike on
Oct. Z, Is a question that is Occupying
the attention OF members Of the school
hoard and interested citizens. Repre-
| sentstves Of the teachers assoeiat ion
recently pettonsd the board Of Sduca.
ton for salary increases With a mini.
mum Of Sio0 per month for Efanninar
| school teachers and $50 per month fef
high school teachers. The board refused
% grant the increase accompanying the
| refusal With the statement that no
ilnas were available sna that a deficit
q si5o, 900 already is faeing the sehoeis
There is only one feasible plan for
! increasing the revenue Of the heard OF
education and this suggestion was made
| TO The board BY Prof Wharton s, Jones'
supsrintendent Of schools at the last
meeting Of the beard, Under this plan
no change in present law Is necessary
| and the adoption OF the suggestion
teachers
The board Of education il now pay
| ing for interest and a sinking flnd
the sum OF $4,000 per annuY1. This
suit between the beard 81 education and
the city Of Memphis. without change
IN any existing law the city can assume
| the payment on this interest and sink.
| ing fund thereby making available for
| the use of the beard OF education this
money that Is now going into the in.
Shift Load to City.
Prof Jones suggested that the teach.
! ers,. board members and citizens gen.
| orally use their Influence TO secure
pledges from. candidates for mayor and
ty e9 9Eg nsSs S e aaye thS city AZ
Jones Believes that II sufficient pres
sure Is brought to Bear that the cahdi.
! dates viii MAKE such pledges and III
this event the incoming city commits
| sionAfs ana, mayor could Immediately
MAKE good thelf pledges and thereby A..
teachers. the board Of education 81.
| Ing on record as fAvorihg salary in
creases for the teachers II funds are
made available.
Board members and some OF the
teachers have taken up this Suggestion
and are working on the matter with
candidates for public office that the
city VIII assume this debt,
On the other hand many members
| Of the teachers association believe and
express the opinion that such action
should be taken by the board. Many
Of the teachers are openly IN taver Of
bers OF tho association are inclined to
give the board further time and await
developments whether the more radj-
cal OF the teachers will be able to swing
a majority vote for a. strike or not re-
mains to be seen, Meanwhile, cooler
heads. are exertins their efforts 10 avoid
Members Of the school beard. or at
least some Of them, are EMPHATIC In
their statements that II a. strike Is
called the position OF every striking
teacher win be Immediately vacated w
the board, the schools closed ana every
effort made to secure other teachers,
even II waving Of some Of the rules OF
the board is fpade necessary.
Board Favbrs Increase.
The superintendent and members OF
the board realize that there is d short
age OF school teachers throughout the
country and that u will be a difficult
matter to secure competent teachers To
fill the vacancies that would he, caused
BY the strike, but they are determined
in their, stand and are firmly convinced
that In view OF the fact that the board
Is without funds and the further fact
that all Of the present teachers in the
city schools have signed legal contracts
carrying with 1t certain agreements that
a strike at this time would place the
teachers in the attitude OF violating
their contracts and give the board the
opportunity Of declaring the positions
vacant.
That the teachers sre not receiving
a salary commensurate with their ser.
vice is not denied by any board mem
Der or right-thinklpg citizen and the
board has expressed itself as favoring
an increase as soon as funds are avail
able, but in all fairness they believe