The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-01-21
Although School Commits
sioners Were Questioned
as to Where Increased
School Income e Voted
Last Year Went To -
More Than a Half Went
into Teachers Salaries,
Said Supt. White.

Barre public school teachers are to
receive a fiat increase of $500 each for
the present school year, dating from
last September and ending next June,
according to the action taken by the
citizens in special meeting at the opera
house last evening. A special tax of
so cents on the dollar of the grand list
was voted to cover the added expense,
and the city council was instructed to
issue the city's notes not to exceed
S2i 900 in anticipation Of taxes in order
to make the augmented payments at
the usual periods. The meeting was
fairly well attended, considerable
number of women being present but
not participating in the discussions.
H. Z. Langley presided as moderator.
Sentiment of the meeting was en-
tirely favorable to increasing the sal
aries Of the teachers although there
was some tendency to question the
had done with the increased school tax
up to 81, which was authorized by the
voters a year ago.
Speaking for the school commissions
ers, Supt G. II. White answered the
question concerning the increased in
come last year by stating that every
teacher in the city was raised during
the year, the largest increases going to
those who were receiving the least sal
ary, the minimum being brought up
from S475 per year to $3.50. OF the
Ss,l6462 raised by the increased tax
voted by the citizens last year, 81
740lS went into teachers salaries,
1868 II into fuel. S56l so into janitors'
salaries, S765 into repairs, S5l5.07 into
insurance, S790.97 into a domestic sci
ence course and $4,000 into miscella
neous channels. Supt. White made this
statement, on request OF school Com
missioner James T. Marion, in re-
sponse to query by Frank G. How
land, who said he was not opposed TO
raising the teachers salaries but want
ed TO know where the increase went
last year.
This debate had taken place on a
motion made by Henry II. jackson,
after a carefully worded statement on
behalf of the teachers, that the salaries
be increased $50 to each teacher for
each of the 10 payments of the year
dating from Jan. |, 1920. Mr.. jackson
had understood the teachers request
was for the increase TO begin Septem-
Der. 1919, and he personally would not
object to such a retroactive action but
some business men had favored the
date of increase as Jan. |, 1920. So he
made the motion.
The trend of sentiment in the meet
ing toward making the increase retro
active began TO develop when William
Barclay. in seconding the Jackson mo-
zion. expressed the desire that the in
crease might have been started last
September Mr. Barclay supported his
by telling of the good work
the teachers are doing, actually taking
the matter of bringing up children off
the hands of the parents 10 great
extent
Principal O. X. Hollister of Goddard
seminary. in seconding the motion too,
paid a glowing tribute to the public
school teachers of Barre who had been
working for Sl3, Sl4, SIS. sic and Sl1 a
week and doing splendid work in de
veloping the right kind of American
bows and girls. He told how the. work
of amaigamation and Americanizing is
going on in the public schools under the
direction of the teachers and the boys
and girls sie coming out with the real
American spirit.
When Pril ipal Hollister concluded,
Alderman y A Hesly moved TO amend
the Jackson mAtion by making the IN
crease salary retroactive to September,
1919. and thean ndment was accepted by
Mr.. Jackson Al, seconded by L. Il.
There ensued considerable
confusion I'm the minds of the voters
whether the amended motion was To
grant the increase from September,
1919. to Dec. 81. 1920. or simply for the
present school year: but the motion as
read bv Clerk James Mscksy was that
he increase should be for the present
school wear, and rs no one demurrcd.
The motion was put and unanimously
,arried
ON declaration by Clerk Maekay that
, special tax Of 50 cents on the dollar
would be necessary TO raise the money
"a meet the raise. Alderman Hcsly
moved that = special tax Of % cents be
evied. which motion was also unan-
mousiv carried.
clerk Mackav then moved that the
.ifv council b. authorized to issue the
.itv's notes pot 20 exceed S2l 600 IN
,niicipstion 81 taxes. the amount 10 be
,xpenaed on teachers salaries Like
ne two previous motions a this was
ldopted unanimously.
IL eH HfaaHa Irf