Evening star., 1946-06-25
Senators 10 Decide
Method Of Raisinu
DC. Teachers Paw

A pay raise for District teacher.
this year hung in the balance today
as a Senate District Subcommittee
prepared to choose between the Nc.
Carran bill for a sliding scale o1
increases from 500 to $500 anc
the Hoey bill for a fiat annua
increase of $3.50 which many wit.
nesses at public hearing yesterday
declared should be increased tt
$500.
The hearing was an informal one
to the extent that neither the Com
missioners nor the Board of Educa-
ton were formally notified it was
to be held.
Senator McCarran, Democrat, OF
Nevada. presiding at the hearing
in the District committee room
packed by almost 200 representa-
tives of teachers and school officer
groups, took friendly issue with
Supt. of Schools Hobart M. Corn
ming and others who urged a
$500 annual increase for all CLASH
flcations of school employees with
the understanding that all iniustices
IN present schedules will be care
fully studied between now and the
next session of Congress"
Expressing doubt that Congress
would authorize a $500 increase in
the basic annual rate for all school
employees at this time. Senator Nc
Carran said he favors positive meas
ures now to correct inequalities in
the pay schedule.
Recalls Same Suggestion.
TT seems to me that two years
ago I heard the very same sugges-
ton heard today that we ought to
give fiat increase for every one
and then carefully study the salary
schedule improvement problem until
the next session." he said. "Natu-
rally there is very human tendency
to ask for something now But let S
assume We can get $500 now. I
doubt very much we can do it. But
that would only perpetuate the pres
ent system with its inequalities. I
believe the inequalities can be
worked out now
The problem of the subcommit-
tee in agreeing on some sort of pay
raise bill before adjournment of
Congress was reflected yesterday in
the differences of opinion between
teachers themselves. The McCar-
ran bill has the support of the
American Federation of Teachers
tAFL). Most of the other groups
at the hearing favored the approach
taken in the measure introduced
last Thursday by Senator Hoey
Democrat. of North Carolina.
This increases by $3.50 each basic
annual salary rate and each max
imurn annual rate in each classifi-
cation of school employe, except the
superintendent. The $3.50 figure
was put forward last week as a
compromise after the Joint Legis-
1atlve Council of As teacher and
school officer associations originally
urged $500 and the District Com
mlssioners countered with a IA per
cent raise proposed. Yesterday
however, practically all of those who
spoke in favor of the Hoey bill urged
that the amount be set at $500.
Superintendent Testifies.
Supt. Corning, who was present
with Mrs. Henry Grattan DOYLE
president of the Board of Educa
ton, testified that school and other
officials had hit on" the $500 sum
as fair means of meeting an emer-
gency situation and to avoid quick
and hurried action on the extreme
ly complicated job of revising
school salary schedules.
He and other witnesses praised
Senator McCarran for his long rec
ord in behalf of District teachers
and schools Conceding that GER
tain inequities exist in the present
salary schedules. Mr. Corning said
he did not believe the McCarran
sliding-scale plan would go to the
heart of the problem. but. on the
contrary, might cause considera BILE
confusion if not unfairness.
THE paramount problem at this
, time" the superintendent said. lis
an nadequacy of money for teach
ers In relation to the increased cost
of living
Shortage Is Acute.
The teacher shortage is particu-
larly acute in Washington and an
immediate pay raise of this kind is
necessary to attract and keep quail
!f1ed teachers. especially at the be-
glnner level. he said. Today there
are almost 500 vacancies which are
being filled on a temporary basis
and many of the temporary teach
ers are not qualified or available for
permanent tenure, he explained.
Even with the proposed uniform in
crease of 5000 Washington could not
begin to staff its schools with reg
ularly employed teachers at this
time because of the general teacher
shortage everywhere, but it would
be in better position to keep the
teachers it has and attract more
he declared.
For 212 hours Senator McCarran
listened to a dozen witnesses. Mrs
Mary S. Resh, chairman of the Joint
Legislative Council, said her group
approves the sliding scale in prin-
ciple but unanimously advocates the
$500 uniform increase Immediately
Mrs. Gosling Testifies.
Others who testified were Mrs.
Emily Gosling, president of the
Teachers Advisory Council, who de-
clared the McCarran bill would give
only 500 additional to teachers at
the bottom of the scale; Mrs. Bessie
w. Cramer, legislative chairman of
the Principals Association, who
asked that the Hoey bill be amended
to raise the sum from $3.50 to 5000;
Miss Agnes Motyka of the Teachers
Union, who urged the fiat uniform
increase and eventual adoption of
better standard of pay to recognize
specialized duties of elementary
school teachers; Mrs Catherine
Graves, president of the Elementary
Classroom Teachers Association, Di-
visions l to 8, and Miss Myrtle E..
Moore, president of the Elementary
Classroom Teachers Association, Di-
vision 129, who recommended the
$500 raise and further study of the