Evening star., 1948-06-12
House Vote Due
on $500
Teacher Raise
Would Be Effective
Next Fiscal Yeur If
Others Get Increase

Legislation to give all teachers
and school officials here q 5000 pay
increase for next fiscal year only
was sent to the House calendar
today and will come up for action
lon the floor Monday.
Approved late yesterday by the
House District Committee, the
measure is intended to help teach
ers meet the cost of living increase
since the 1947 pay act set up .
new scale. of salaries.
The District Committee also ap-
proved three other bills and sent
them to the calendar. One would
correct certain inequities in the 1947
teacher salary law. It was recon-
|mended by the Board Of Education
and discussed at length yesterday
morning at a hearing Of the joint
fiscal subcommittee Of the House
and Senate.
Bills Duplicated in Senate.
Two bills Identical to these teach
ers' measures have been introduced
| in the Senate by Senator Cain, Re-
publican, OF Washington, chairman
Of the Fiscal Subcommittee of the
Senate District Committee.
The two other measures approved
by the House District Committee
would authorize the Commissioner
to lease city property up to so years.
with the understanding that struc-
lures for parking automobiles would
be erected, and would direct the
Commissioners to investigate the
charges made by auto parking lots
here.
Representative Beall, Republican,
of Maryland said many complaints
have been received at his Office and
by other members of Congress
against high prices charged in park
ing lots here.
Bates Pilots Bills Though.
The bills to benefit school teach
ers were piloted through the Dis
trict Committee by Representative
Bates, Republican, Of Massachu-
sets as chairman of the District
Fiscal subcommittee. ....
Reporting that teachers organi-
cations yesterday had asked for
more than 5000, Mr.. Bates empha.
sized that the $500 pay raise, al
ready approved by the House for
policemen and firemen, Is intended
to take care of two-year period
increased cost of living.
The 5000 increase would become
effective only if the general pay
raise for Federal and other District
workers is granted by Congress.
| The major change made by the
Bates bill in the present teachers
pay law would correct situation
that allowed teachers with masters
degrees, entering the public school
system here for the first time, to
receive more money than a teacher
with the same experience and also
holding masters degrees, who al
ready were teaching in the schools
here.
System Revised.
When the 1947 pay bill was en-
acted, teachers holding masters de-
grees were allowed 500 stepup
and placed in the new scale accord
ing to the salary they were receive
ing. In many instances, their SAL
ary was below the $500 minimum
allowed by the 1947 act for teachers
with masters degrees.
Consequently new teachers enter
| ing the system started with $500,
causing dissatisfaction among the
others who were receiving less.
The Bates bill would allow teach
ers in the school system who pos
sessed the masters degree on June
30, 1947, or received one during the
fiscal year ending this June 80, and
whose salary during the past fiscal
year was less than $500, to receive
a salary of $1,000 per year, plus
500 for each year of service In the
public schools, up to five years.
This change in the law would cost
about 1000 a year, school officials
testified, but they said funds would
| he available To cover it.