Evening star., 1920-03-04
TAXF0RPAY RAISE +,
SCHOOL PROPOSAL
Board of Trade Committee
Offers Remedy in Case
Legislation Fails.

A declaration that II Congress finds
il impossible to increase the salaries
of the public school teachers of this
city the people of washingto are
willing to have an additional tax
levied to meet this need. was made in
resolution unanimously adopted by
he school committee of the Board Of
Trade at meeting last night.
The resolution was offered by DR..
c. i. Neill. a member of the commit
tee and also of the board of educA-
tion.
w. l.. Peet offered a resolution put
ting the matter of higher salaries for
teachers before Congress above
everything else. This resolution also
was unanimously adopted by the COM
mittee.
First Step I'm Betterment.
DIR. Neill strongly urged action on
the increased salaries for teachers.
He declared that if the present rate
Of pay We're not increased. the school
system. in a short time. would be COM
pletely demoralized. He said that the
pay now being given to teachers drew
only the less competent ones: that
the good teachers felt as If the pro-
fesSion was being belttled. and that
immediate action on this question was
terment of school conditions.
I'VE should increase the salaries of
the teachers" said DIR. Neill as in
some cases. teachers are hardly able
| to subsist. Let the question of new
! buildings drop for while, and con-
centrate on the salary question. 1t
! certainly comes first. The school sys-
TEN can't be run on new buildings. IL
the salaries are not raised the schools
| will be filled with teachers who can
not get other employment at the same
rate of pay on the outside. Do yoa
want that kind of admittedly incom-
potent person to teach your children?
Criticising recent actions of the
school board as rotten clear through
and urging thorough ''houseclcan-
ing" DIR. Z. y. Chipman asked that
the entire board be dropped and a
new one appointed in it's place. He
said that the mere dropping of one or
two members of the board would not
clear up the situation. because con-
ditions would soon work back to their
present state.
"No city with voting power could
stand for this sort of thing" said DR..
Chipman. The people here have been
whipped for SO long that they feel as
if they had to stand for IT. The best
thing ould be to let. the whole school
board GO M
Charges dummy" Diplomas.
DR.. Chapman also said that fourth
grade pupils were being taught only
third grade work: that ''dur,my" d.
plomas have been given. and that
children do not have an adequate edux
cation by the time they leave the pub.
| lie schools to enter college.
DIR. Neill answered DIR. Chipman and
said thSt his statements were based
| largely on hearsay He said that the
Senate investigation would bring out
| all the facts and urged that the COM
| mittee wait until both sides of the
controversy had been heard before
, taking action.
"If in the investigation" said Or.
Neill 1.-The blame for any act of mis-
management can be put on any par
/ ticular person. let it be a heavy pun
; iShment.'
| Charging that in not calling meet
| ing of the executive committee OF the
| School Betterment Council. c. I. Corby.
president. had failed in his duty "
the city. Mr.. Peet offered resolction
asking action on the part OF the COM
mittee. Roy C. Claflin. chairman Of
! the committee, was authorized to TAX o
up the matter with Mr.. Corby and
urge an early meeting of the council.