New-York tribune., 1920-02-25
Teachers Issue
SO. S. to Avert
School Collapse
Tell Legislature >City's Sys-
tenn Is in Danger Unless
They Are Allowed Entire
Increase iii Pay at Once
Plead for Lockwood Bill
Resent DR.. Berg's Assertion
That Their money Grasp
ing Hurts Social Status
Ero,n o stor Correspo,dcnt

ALBANY. Feb. 24.-~With teachers
.s.ving the New York City schools at
the rate of 1000 year to take up other
work, ii was declared at hearinn here
to-day that immediate relief must be
provided to save the school system
from collapse.
The hearing was before the Senate
and Assembly Education committees
on the Lockwood bill to give the New
York City teachers the increase in sal
sries granted them last year now in
stead Of spreading it over three years
Miss Maud V. Whitney, a member of
The greater New York delegation of
teachers. which was headed by Miss Is
abel A. Ennis, said tnat the situation
had become so serious that it was time
FOR s o s signal, which she translated
as save our schools"
"The teachers must have relief now
through this bill" said Miss Whitney
III you wait to have it amended or
combined with some other plan there
will be few teachers left to take ad-
vantage of it.
Dr.. Berg Calls Them Money Grabbers''
Dr. Henry r. Berg, who, with Stew
art Browne, of the United Real Estate
Owners Association. opposed the bill,
insisted that the teachers of New York
were getting more pay than >~se of
any other city in the country. DR..
Berg declared that their money grasp
ing lowered their dignity and social
,os;fiOD n tho cOr,1 r1,y,jt -
Miss Whitney, who announced that
fer salary is s1,100 a year, in reply
said that she regretted her landlord
wouldn't accept dignity and social po-
sition' in lieu of rent.
MY pay increase" she added, "was
s. week, and the landlord raised my
rent Sill He insists that my social
standing won't help him pay his taxes"
Others who spoke in reply to DR..
Berg declared that his figures about
pay were two years behind. the time.
They presented data which showed that
teachers In small towns all over the
West get more pay than in New York
Edward Nandell, the principal of an
Fast Side school. said that while the
New York superintendent of Schools
got $4,000 a year, the same position
in Pittsburgh paid $4,000 and in Chi
cago $4,000 He showed that plumb
ers, carpenters and window cleaners
get more paw than teachers.
You pay carpenter $75 a week to
drive nails into a board,' Mr.. Mandell
SAID, "and give teachers S75 a month to
drive ideas into the minds of your chill
dren. <ifty per cent of the teachers
resign because of insufficient pay with
in the first twelve years of service. and
The others are dissatisfied. This shift
ing around is dangerous, and the only
way to stop IT is to increase salaries
How do YOU expect TO drive all of this
socialism and Bolshevism out of the
schools when the teachers themselves
are discontented? Nearly all the teach
erS are now doubling up and we can
not get substitutes. AS result of the
lach of teachers 10000 children are
cut In the streets Of New York every
day"
Mr.. Mandell said that the Lockwood
OH would give temporary relief: He
thought that permanent relief would
pared by the State Department of Edu-
cation, and which. he declared, is the
only one he ever heard of that all the
.Iachers of New York are agreed on
MIS- bill will increase the salaries Of
teacher who get under S2,160 a year
70 per cent; under $4,000, so per cent,
aHd more than $4,000, 20 per cent.
Cost to City Sl2,0o0,Ooo
The enactment of the Lockwood bill
would cost New York City imm edately
$4,000 600 Comptroller Craig, who
came 10 Albany to appear al a hearing
on the school budget bill, said that he
Is nor opposed to the measure, but
NOllN liLc 70
the Increase could be split up, half to
ne paid in July and the remainder next
January
Others who appeared for the bill were
leonard Wallstein, counsel for the Cit
izens Union; Abraham Lifkowitz, rep
iesenting the teachers committee of
The State Federation of Labor; Charles
tosell, Miss Agnes NJ. Craig and Rufus
A Vance, teachers.