Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1922-05-12

Inc salary OF the Snerl11, assessor,
clerk of the court and registrar Of
voters, and possibly other officials,
is fixed by State Jaw.
The Police Jury ays its secretary
$175.0O per month, Its treasurer
100000 per month and its road Sd
perintendent $20O.o) per month.
These are three permanent officers
elected by the Police Jury.
: For the support of the pubic
schools the School Board receive
2h mills from the State, 3 nails
from the parish-wiie maintenance
tax and here in Alexandria 5 mills
from the district tax. The School,
Board members are paid for their
services $500 per day and &c mile-
age when actually attending meet
ings. The only other overhead ex-
penses Of the School Board is for its
superintendent, assistant, bookkeeper
and stenographer, all of whom are
necessary and who are paid salaries
paid by other School Boards of tie
parishes of the State os equal size.
We pay our teachers is accordance
with the schedule adopted by the par
ish superintendents about two years
ago. Our grammar school teachers
begin with an annual salary of $81o-
90, and the highest salary of $780,
90 per annum. The salaries paid to
our high school teachers, range from
81, 10000 to beginners, up to $780,
90. We, Of course, pay our principal
and our first assistant in our high
school, and the principals in our
grammar schools, higher salary, and
these are based not only on qualifi-
cations, but length Of service Our
grammar school teachers must have
had at least two years training be-
yond . high school course in our State
Normal College, or its. equivalent,
and our High School teachers must be
A. B. or B. 8. graduates of stand
ard college, which means four years
training beyond the high school
course. These teachers are required
to spend eight weeks in school every
third or fourth summer. l am re-
ferring to the salaries of our white
l submit that these expenditures
Of our Leves Board, City of Alex
andria, Parish Of Rapides and our
School Board ere not out of line with
compensation paid to people of equal
ability in other lines Of endeavor.
There has been some discussion as
to the consolidation of boards. Our
Levee Bosrd is composed of three
members one from each Of the three
parishes included in our Levee Dis
trict, and our City Commissioners are
elected by the voters in the corporate
limits Of our municipality. Our Police
Jury and School Board have entirely
different duties to perform, and are
'nly paid by the day when attending
meetings, and it would not be practi-
al to consolidate these two boards.
Assuming that l am correct in my
'tatement that the compensation paid
s net out Of line with compensation
,aid to people of equal ability in other
lvocations, and if it takes the various
quoted on q 100 per cent as
'sssment Of the cash value of our
property to pay the expenditures Of
hese various boards, which I maintain
ire not out Of line, will you tell me,
,lease, just what particular tax rate it
. proposed to reduce?
Have / made myself clear? May I
low call your attention to the fact
hat our public school teachers are
,aid rather meager salaries for serv-
ces rendered? Six years ago when we
Daid grade teachers in our grammar
'chool $4,000 per month they could
ret board in Alexandria at $500
Der month. They are now paying $40
10 to $45.00 per month for the same
BOARD. ] am advised by leading mer-
liant that all clothing costs at least
30 per cent more now than it did
'ix years ago, and other expenses are
n proportion.
High school teachers are scarce and
'alaries paid them are somewhat larg-
II, and besides they must have two
7ears' additional training in college
,eyond that Of the grammar school
'eachers. / submit, therefore, that
We are not paying any higher salaries
n proportion to living costs to our
than we paid them six years
,go. The salaries are not a. much as
Ire paid to people Of equal capacity
md training in other lines Of endeav-
n.
do not believe that the facts that
have outlined in this article can be
'uccessfully cenroverted. takes the
present nillage on 100 per cent as
'e.sment to take care Of the expendi-
;ures Of the four boards just men,
;ioned. How are we to reduce the
nillage? It can only be done by re-
lucing the efficiency that the public is
low receiving at the hands Of these
,oards through the various employees.
Let us analyze again. Do we want