The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-10-06
TEACHERS STRIKE
BELIEVED UNLIKELY
Vote Even Not Believed Prob.
able at Meeting To Be
Held Tuesday.

Probabilities of strike of school
teachers of the public schools of Menu
phis are very slight, according to in
dications Monday. The Memphis Teach
ers association will hold a meeting on
Tuesday afternoon at which time re-
ports of the committee appointed to re-
quest increase of pay for the teachers
viii be heard, Present indications are
that the conservative element will DOM
mate the meeting and that drastic ac-
ton Will be shelved, at least for the
time being.
Following a meeting of the Teachers
association several weeks ago commit
tees were appointed to present to the
board of education facts and figures
tending to show that Memphis teachers
are inadequately paid, These figures
were presented along with request for
a minimum of 500 per month for gram
mar grade teachers and minimum Of
$lb0 per month for high school teachers.
The board of education denied the re-
quest, but qualified the refusal with
the statement that the board was fac
ing deficit Of $150,000 for the year
and that being without funds 1t could
not grant the salary increases request
ed. A suggestion was made at the time
by Prof. Wharton s. Jones, superintend-
ent of schools, whereby the teachers,
board members and the public gener-
ally were urged to take up with candi-
dates for mayor and city commissioner
the matter Of having the city take over
payment of interest and sinking fund on
certain bonds which the board is now
paying,
This action on the part of the city
could be done without change in present
laws or ordinances and would be per-
fectly legal and would increase the
amount of money available for the use
of the board Of education by $3.50, 900
annually. This, 1t was pointed out,
would be ample to permit the board to
meet the demands of the teachers.
This suggestion seems to have taken
root and work was Immediately begun
with a view to having present candi-
dates for city offices pledge themselves
to have the city assume the payment of
this money Already, 1t is stated, that
one of the candidates for mayor and
members of his ticket have made this
pledge and it Is reasonably certain that
other candidates will take similar ac-
ton.
The adoption of this plan, together
with statements of certain members of
the board OF education that strike
would be met by an immediate closing
OF the schools and no striking teacher
would be taken into the service without
q rigid examination and the further fact
that the position of the board of educa-
tion has been made plain to the teach
| ers and the conservative members have
realized that nothing could be gained
| by calling a strike at this time, has
all tended to reduce the probabilities OF
a strike TO a minimum,
In fact, II Is unlikely that the ques-
! tion of a strike will lie brought to a
| vote when the teachers assemble Tues
| day afternoon for their meeting. Num-
/ hers Of the older and more conservative
| members OF the association very frank
! " express the opinion that no gio
! will be called while the members Wthe
| board OF education intimate that they
! believe all danger OF this action has
passed and that tlse matter will be ad-
| iusted In some other way.