The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-01-08
MONTPELIER
Public School Teachers Present Strong
Case for More Wages.


Wednesday morning they were asked
to attend a meeting of the board OF
school commissioners to be held last
evening, for it is understood that II Is
the first time in 10 years that such an
Invitation had been given. However
they found upon arrival there that II
was q meeting for consideration OF the
teachers petition for an increase in sal
Ilary; and If the teachers of Montpelier
lare as efficient in their chosen vocation
as they were III their presentation OF
lreasons why they should have an m
crease in salary, having asked for 500
after March meeting and 500 bonus
next year, but not affecting the regu-
lar raises, they are certainly excellent
teachers. They commenced their dis
icussion for the, benefit of the board at
about S:I5 o'clock, and for little over
an hour they showed the school board
why they should be allowed to receive
reasonable increase in salary. Miss
Rose Lucia explained why the salaries
arc inadequate and that the facts gath
cred have been secured from reliable
sources. William Clossey of the pub
jlicity committee then laid out the pro-
gram Of the evening, showing that the
increases the teachers have asked are
below the so per cent minimum advised
| by the school directors at Burlington,
while the cost of living, according to
| the merchants, has increased 96 per
cent. The increase asked by the teach
ers is 4s per cent. Miss Clark explained
that the fiat rate plan was used be-
cause they wanted it to affect all teach
ers alike. without having any bearing
| on the duties of the school board in
what increases should occur next year
Miss Cudworth explained that ques-
tionnaires Were sent the teachers, and
these showed that board cost SIS at the
Lowest priced place; room 81, and not
heated very well. Both these were
higher in good locations. Some had
friends that helped them She then ex-
planned what the items of expense were
and accounted for all the money the
teachers received, leaving no savings In
many cases. She referred to the liabil-
Iity of disease, with nothing allowed in
their budget for PHYSICIANS attention.
She explained how many items are not
tiiAl ltdtiiFfE FfiOutu a'tA
rehearsal of the reports relative to
wearing apparel was interesting, show
ing economy in every case. Only one
teacher had saved anything from her
salary in the last year. Miss Griswold
gave interesting data on the attempts
al saving, showing~the amounts that
could be obtained by close economy.
She had comparison upon which the
teachers budget was made up meagrely
on a salary of 1915, and reasonably at
SLIPS, the first giving saving of
$s7 80 year, and the second of Sll2.50
year, with no Injuries in either case.
Mrs. MHtagh, as parent OF two chill
dren, taxpayer and a teacher, gave
sone very pertinent comparisons, show
ing that Vermont stands 37th down the
list in these salaries, there being SO
states in which the teachers salaries
are higher She showed the decrease In
teachers TO be because they are leaving
the profession. Vermont has from 30
to 80 vacancies for teachers and has $50
persons teaching without certificates,
by using permits of IL weeks each.
Mrs. Norton closed with remarks upon
what other towns are doing, showing
that Springfield has fixed a minimum
salary for elementary teachers OF ST.
coo and high school teachers of LOO.
She described movements in Barre, Bur
lington. ST. Adams. Bellows Falls and
other places in Vermont. Supt. Hutch
inson was asked to speak. and he
agreed that the teachers should have
more pay. The school board, after hear
ing the story Of the need of more mon
ey, adjourned the meeting and then
took mp the consideration of this with
other matters. 1t is very probable that
a list of the salaries paid the teachers
will be printed in day or so. The in
crease asked, it is expected, will mean
an increase OF % cents on the dollar in
taxation next year, but there seems to
be little doubt that the teachers are
entitled. TO the increase.
Henry c.. Robinson of Winchendon,
Mass, has settled his account as trus-
tee in the estate of Abraham Long. |
late of Montpelier, in probate court.
William Seeley, who was arrested
earlier in the week by Sheriff T. H.
Tracy, appeared in Washington county
court Wednesday. pleading guilty TO
the charge of tramping, and was given
a sentence OF two months in the county
Jail
The advisory board for the Young
Mems Christian association of the Uni
versity of Vermont, has filed articles
of corporation in the secretary OF
states office for the purpose Of conduct
ing its affairs al the state institution
in Burlington. The papers are signed
by +. b. jerks and some 10 other per-
sons connected with the University.
The regular meeting of the y. f. ..
p. will take place Friday evening, when
the installation Of officers will be pub
licly performed. To this meeting all
Barre members are invited. All mem
bers of the order have been invited to
attend and bring a friend. Entertain
ment following the meeting.
Franklin Dewart of Burlington, A. III. |
Bolles of Bellows Falls and Attorney /
General +. c. Archibald were in confer |
ence to-day relative to the work on the
boundary case between Vermont and |
New Hampshire.
Aulutdnl btneIhl II. l. JohhcOh ic-
turned this morning from an inspection
Of the machine gun company in st. Al
bans.
George A. Brown of Barre has report
ed to the secretary of state that an au-
tomobile accident took place in Barre
Dec. 30. in which the automobile he
was driving was concerned. l. appears
from the report that the man was driv-
ing along the street and that a team
was driven out of an alleyway, with
Tie result that the automobile hit the