New-York tribune., 1920-03-06
Citizens Offer
Teachers Help
In Pay Fight
Committee of 100 to Tell
Legislature There Is No
Oppositiont to Tax Increase
to Obtain Better Salaries
Living Wage Demanded
Figures Show Instructors
Cannot Exist on Pit
tances They Receive Now

A committee Of 100 citizens alert to
the educational problems confronting
the city by reason Of the teacher short
age will be formed next week, it was
learned yesterday, for the purpose Of
presenting 10 the Legislature the facts
in the situation and Of convincing the
city administration that the people Of
New York are not opposed to addi-
tional taxation to maintain the school
system properly.
A preliminary meeting Of taxpaying
citizens viii be held, pfobably at the
Hall Of Education, next Tuesday, at
which plans for organizing the COM
mittee will be made. 1t is understood
the committee will have the support
and cooperation Of majority of the
school officials who are concerned with
the seriousness of the economic diff
culties affecting the instruction forces.
No Complaint at Expense
A high school official said yesterday
that the problem of taxation to meet
the teachers salary needs was not SO
much Of problem as it was matter
Of demonstrating to the city and state
administrations that the people of New
York City, whose children must be eff
ciently educated and who must help
pay the bill, are not, in his conviction,
objecting to the latter On the con-
trary, he said, sentiment thus far evil
denced by these taxpaying parents was
such as to discount the political cries
OF governing officers that the commu-
nifty would not stand for any increased
assessments for the support of the
schools.
"The Legislature should be made to
realize" this official said, "what the
people of the city have thought for q
long time-that without proper fnan-
cial support there can be no progress
in the education of the city's youth
and that with further delays in seek
ing out remedies the system must
gradually deteriorate until the public
awakes with start to the need of more
drastic steps,"
Some figures regarding the financial
status Of teachers in several of the
city's schools, which are of interest in
the light of the repeated solicitations
for Increased pay, were recited yester-
day by DR.. John L. Tildsley, associate
superintendent in charge of high
schools.
In the Brooklyn High School of Com
merce it was revealed that of 127 regu-
larly appointed teachers Of an average
service Of fifteen years ninety-four
took outside employment last year
to maintain themselves and dependents
under the scale of prices existing in
that period. They earned an average
of XkOH rs t.
week for the year.
Teachers Pay Inadequate
The average saving Of each of the
ninety-four for the year was $3.50
not enough to buy a cloak or suit of
clothes Of even fair quality. Sixty
eight of the totaI> number saved moth
ing. The figures further show that the
average rental paid by the teachers has
increased more than AS per cent since
1914. Sixteen teachers in this school
quit the service between October I,
1919, and March 1. 1920
table prepared by DR.. Tildsley on
the salaries of high school teachers,
principals and superintendents discloses
that for first assistant who receives
the minimum pay at the present time
Of $3.50 a minimum salary of 1924
is necessary and justified to meet the
advances IN living costs. The Super
intendent Of Schools receives salary
of $4,000; according to the table based
on living costs to-day he is entitled
to minimum pay Of s1S,6o0. In all
cases the figures are derived from
comparison of the dollars true value
in 1912 and in 1920.
"To cover the increases shown to be
needed in the table an advance in the
teachers salaries of not less than
1918 per cent would be required" DR..
Tildsley stated.