Evening star., 1922-03-22
CITY HEADS URGE
HIGHER SALARIES
Some Unchanged in Forty
Years, Says Report on Bill
to Increase Teachers Pay.

The District Commissioners, report
Ing to the Senate District committee
on the Capper bill to increase the sal
aries of school teachers, have urged
that adequate salaries be paid to
other employees of the District gov
ernment. Attention was called to the
fact that the salaries attached to
some of the District positions have
not been increased for forty years.
1T is the opinion Of the Commits
sioners;'' said the letter. that the
he second to none in it's efficiency, and
that adequate compensation should
be paid its officers, teachers and other
employees.
"The same principle. however.
should govern in the other branches
of municipal activities. There are
approximately 23G0 statutory em-
pIoyes in the school system. ard
1,37S statutory employees in other
branches of the municipal service. eX-
elusive of the police aid fire depart
mentS.
Some increases Made.
"These latter employees have had
practically no increase in forty years
while increases have been maue i'll
and policemen.
."rhe Commissioners feel that other
branches of the municipal service
should receive recognition in IN
creased salaries before further III
craases are given the teachers, nre-
men and policemen.
The Commissioners sent Wilh their
letter a detailed report drawn by
Daniel j. Donovan, District auditor
showing the increased cost under the
salary increases for the school teach-
ers provided in the Capper bill
This report shows that the increase
for the fiscal year 1928 would be
S93s,O25, and that this amount would
continue to increase year by year uh :
til the peak was reached IN !9o2 at
approximately s1.Ge0.0gO. The total
amount paid to school teachers in the
last ten years amounts to S56,669, ,243.
or 25131 per cent of the total ex-
penses of the District, the report as
serts.
Distribution of Expenses.
During the same decade there was
paid out for the protection OF me
and property 16.903 per cent OF the
total expenses: for health and sanl-
tation, 99S7 per cent; for highways,
1892 per cent; for charities and cor
rections. 12.253 per cent; for recrea-
ton. 5.176 per cent: for general gov
ernment expenses. 6.61S per cent; lor
public service enterprises, l.409 per
cent: for interest and sinking fund
on public debt, 6921 per cent: for
miscellaneous expenses. 1850 per cent.
The District Commi ssioners in their
letter, refused to commit themselves
as to what is an adequate and proper
salary for a school teacher. They
leave to Congress the decision as to
whether it would be advisable to in
cur the increased charge on the Dis
trict revenues involved in the Capper
bill.
Purely Temporary Legislation.
Discussing the wage situation as it
affects statutory employees in the
District service not in the school
system, Auditor Donovan said, in
part:
"It is true these employees have
been paid the bonus. but this is pure
ly temporary legislation and is apt
to be taken away at any time. Under
the Lehlbach- Sterling bill the large
ma ajority of the statutory employees of
the District will receive no greater
increase in their basic salary than
the amount represented by the bonus,
as the bill. SO / understand. contem-
, plates merely the absorbing of the
bonus, thus making it permanent in
stead of temporary legislation.
Compare this with. what already
has been done and what is proposed
to be done for the schools, police and
fire departments, and 1t is at once
apparent that a much shorter yard
stick has been used in measuring
the increases proposed for the statu-
tory employees of the District.
Distinct Services Here.
II believe it would be much bet
ter" Auditor Donovan continued. eff
the District employees were eliminat-
ed entirely from the Lehlbach- -Ster-
ling bill. which was done with the
teachers and other employees of the
schools, and all employees of the
municipal government considered in
a separate reclassifcation measure.
''The employees of the federal and
District governments each belong to