The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1944-02-03
COMMISSIONERS
WANT STATE TO
CONTINUE BONUS
Declare Amount Paid TO School
Teachers Should Be Continued
and ask Probe of Welfare Law

Representatives of 81 Maryland
boards of county commissioners ap-
proved unanimously at a meeting in
Baltimore yesterday, resolution urg-
ing Governor O'Conor to provide for
continuation by the state of the bonus
being paid to public school teachers.
About seventy persons, members of
commissioners associations of both
Eastern and Western Shores, passed
the resolution asking the governor to
seek continuance of the bonus either
by action of the board of public
works or by summoning special
session of the legislature.
Governor O'Conor had indicated
Sunday he favored action by the state
to continue bonus payments but he
did not indicate what course might be
pursued. Ernest w. Miller, Washing
ton county, urged the adoption of the
resolution. DR.. Thomas G. Pullen, Jr.,
state school superintendent, had previ-
ouSIy ouViIllcu lilc IeldtlOIISIilp De-
tween the states and counties share
of school costs.
Will PROBE Weifare Law
j. Milton Patterson, state welfare
director, also appeared before the
joint meeting to discuss welfare needs
and the group voted to appoint COM
mittee to investigate one phase of the
present welfare law. The committee
which will include one representative
from each county, will study the adj
visibility of asking the legislature to
repeal section which allows the state
welfare board to bring action against
any county in which the commission
ers refuse to provide funds for GER
tain types of welfare.
Brings Up Bonus Problem
The teacher bonus problem was
preached by L. C. Beauchamp, Somer-
set county, who declared that no one
would question the equity of adjust
ing the present basic salary of school
teachers at time when costs of liv-
ing have risen. The state bonus Of 500
month expires on Anril 80. "If it
was right when first provided for,
then it is right now, unless something
has changed conditions, and | don't
know of anything that has" he said.
By standing vote the commissioners
agreed that it was the states obliga-
ton to provide for continuance of the
bonus.
DR.. Pullen declared that the bonus
had enabled the state school system
to retain many teachers who other
wise would have resigned to accept
higher-paying jobs, but said the
teacher turnover had been high de-
spite the bonus.
The Garrett County Commissioners
in their levy provided for the payment
of the bonus to teachers for the bal
ance of 1914. Whether or not the
county would be relieved of this re-
sponsibility, should the state make
arrangements for payment, was not
known definitely, but it was felt that
the county would not have to pay
All three commissioners from this
county, Jonas W. Sines, John W. Her
man and W. G. Meyers, attended yes
terday's session, also E. Ray Jones,
attorney to the board. Walter L. Hull,
roads engineer, accompanied the group
to Baltimore, and all of them had an
appointment with the State Roads
Commission on business matters.
Welfare Figures
Patterson presented figures to show
that welfare loads had been declining
steadily and considerably since 1910
but he said the welfare boards had
been given many additional duties
which made it impossible to cut adj
ministrative budgets.
The commissioners indicated by a
standing vote that they felt the well
fare boards should take the RESPONSE
bility of notifying states attorneys of
cases in which children refused to sup
port their aged, needy parents.
Governor O'Conor had been invited
to attend the commissioners meeting,