New Britain herald., 1922-02-16
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OPEN FORUM
 BACKS CITY FUND FOR HEALTH WORK

I | Where Costs Come In,
 Some approximate figures of special
 classes were given by Mir. Holmes to
 show the Increased costs of education, The local school district spends. abomt
 H.20O year teaching the mentally handicapped; about sto o,oo0 Il year, in. clnding the feeding every day of the undernourished. for the physically handicapped; $o,0O0 re-educating backward children; $o.oOo for immi. grant children who must be taught to speak English,
 Al Of this could be cut out if the voters didn't want it, said Mir. Holmes, but it wouldn't be good for those children and would be sad misfortune for the others"
 Amcricanizatio,, Work.
 The fact that only 11,000 people in the city, out of a possible 5000 are American born, was cited as a need for America nization work. "The need for America nization work Is great and the school board shall not be reereant in It's duty" he said. The state pays S,50o for this work and the city $2,- J,
 The physical education in schools IS made compulsory by the state and costs $l5,o0o a year. The attendance department, enforcing truant laws. cost $4.500 year more than it did some years ago with one truant or- tlcer.
 Medical Inspection.
 Medical inspection he reported, is limited and unsatisfactory. "It is ridiculous to expect ono nurse to take care of 10000 children" he said s2,3hO is allowed for this work. In vacation schools, helping pupils who through misfortune or other causes have faited to make their grades s1,50o a year is spent. For a work shop in one Junior High school such as now operated in another, an appro priation of s5,o00 has been asked.
 Whether we arc successful in get ting it or not" he said, "the need exists and always will exist. Vocational training costs, sl5,ooo year A di- rector of tests and surveys costs s2,4oO a year and saves the school district considerably more than that in his work. !
 Dancing. music, cooking and sew ing cost about s10o,O0o a year. All these can be dispensed with, if the voters wish to lower the standard of the schools, but it would be mis- fortune to do so."
 Illustrating the rise in costs he showed where supplies in general. in- cluding butter and eggs, brooms, pails, paper, pencils, ink. etc. cost SIPS per child in 1913, s1.91 in 1916 and s3.59 in 1920.
 Teachers Salaries.
 The average salary for men in the elementary grades in 1913 was s9O0 a year, for women in the same grade s536; for men in High school s1,35O md for women High school teachers b7OS. In 1916 elementary men were earning $1,060 a year md women $69o. Men in the High school were being paid s1,29o and women $s2o. In 1920 and o1 men in he elementary grade had jumped rom 5000 to $2.o5s; women from '5S6 to $1,543; men in High school rom $1.35Q to s2,512 and women rom s7oS to s1,7ss.
 In 1914 the school district paid l19,4s0 in salaries. In 1920 and 21 it 'aid s457,oo9. In 1914 the cost per pupil was $3S,69, in 1921 it was s1.39 If there had been no advance n costs whatever the budget would ave increased -$1oo,ooo to take are of the increased number of up,ls Due to salary increases the udget has risen s277.ooo; to extra , ctivities $37,0o0. to school growth 100000; and to increased costs of 1ition. including the Camp and Bart 'tt schools $25,ooo; the expenses of eneral control have risen s7,2oo; nd miscellaneous items $74.0Oo.
 Dr. Zwick Speaks.
 Without healthy body a child is ot equipped for a good mental ed , cation. If you want the best brand ou must pay for it." said Dr. Frank WICK, chairman of the health board F Health is purchasable." he contin- 3 ed. He showed how New Britain ( bends but 2s cents a year per child F 'r health instruction. while Bridge = ort spends $3.22 per child. This he \ nphasized, was not the fault of the \ 'hoo department nor the superin- 'ndent. He told how 9e per cent of t le children in the first five grades ad defective teeth. k Eight out of 10 diseases 20 trough the mouth." he said. No k onder we have so many commun- able diseases in our city" V
 The Legal Side.
 The legal side of the health tn ruction in schools was told by r rank G. Vibberts, chairman of the l. on health and sanitation. h r. Nibberts said the granting of the k ,5oO asked by the school depart = ent for physical education and the ,Oo0 asked by the health board for ntal instruction, would bring the st per child up to $1.25 in this city
 compared to Bridgeports $3.22; 'eenwich's $1.7o. St
 Cannot Comply With Law. According to Mir. Vibberts, the hool board pays $45o year each
 three part time physicians and 200 a year to a school nurse This, said, would not buy the careful ex- m lination of every child, required by v. The same force was busy when s1 ere were only 6.70o pupils in the pr lools. Now there are 10000 de
 Mir. Slade's Figures. CT Principal l.. P. Slade, of the High on 1ool, announced that three phy- fans, working eight hours a day, no owing 10 minutes per child, would tr; ve to work about 6s days to ex- re inc the children, and would be get sc|