The Daily Alaska empire., 1947-03-07
TEACHER PAY B005T5 PASS
 UPPER HOUSE
Amendment 10 Halve $500 Minimum Increase
 Is Defeated

House Bill l8 which would add another S480,OO0 to the al ready record estimate of the Terri torys educational costs for the coming biennium, was passed and sent on to the Governor by a l3-3 Senate vote yesterday after noon. That was the Senate's principal action of the day, as the upper chambers calendar was cleaned off again for the first time in several days.
 H. B. Is, authored by Rep Mau- rice Johnson, provides substantial pay increases for teachers and school administrators. At it came ever to the Senate, it conformed exactly with a Senate Education Committee measure which has yet to reach the floor,
 Under the terms of H B. IS minimum salary ranges for teach CTS in all divisions are upped $60C per year-at least that part of their salaries on which the Terri tory bases refunds to cities. The bill also goes further than any previous enactment by great ly widening the range of teach CTS pay. It is now possible fol a teacher holding a Masters de- gree and with 12 years of teach ing in the Territorial school sys- tenn to attain a salary S1 400 pei year higher than ever allowed be- fore.
 Correspondingly, minimum brack- cts for school superintendent arc increased $670 per year and max imuns' SITS The widening of salary ranges, Commissioner ot Education James c. Ryan stated is designed to give incentive tc teachers to improve their teach ing qualifications and to remain in the Territorial system.
 Henry Harmon. Principal of the Juneau Public High School, was also heard by the Senators. Tn his view, the S600 increase means merely recognition of the teaching profession, which has long beer neglected. He said he was con cerned for the quality of teaching in Alaska schools unless a raise of Se00 or more were forthcoming this year
 Harmon described his own. case as typical of that of male teach CT with family to support. He has been forced to take part times jobs. to work every summer in order to get by. At that, he has been unable to save for the education of his children and has been unable to advance his own education. He had come to the conclusion that he would have to get out of teaching If something was not done to improve salaries declaring:
 "Truthfully if I don't get at least $500 raise, I'm going out One amendment to H. B. l8 was proposed, by Finance Committee man John Butrovich, Jr. It would have cut the $500 teacher raise in half. That amendment failed by a 7-9 vote.
 Passage of the bill followed a round of discussion in which most speakers attempted apology for their intended votes. Senator Vic tor c. Rivers. the first speak CT, was cut short when he at tempted to link passages of the school measure as requiring also that the income tax, property tax, and license tax bills he and Sena- tor Walker have introduced, also pass.
 He declared the school measure would smoke out those who shout for appropriations but oppose tax es to cover them Senator Edward D. Coffey irately responded. "Riv- CTS is not going to beat me over the head for his tax bills
 On vote. passage of H. B. IS was opposed by only Senators Munz, Rogge and Scott.
 
 Ara EuUCIIT