Evening star., 1953-07-09
House Unit
Backs Pay Rise
For Teachers
Two Bills Approved
For Early Action by
Full Committee
By Harold B. Rooers

sb0bOsO Ds NVSSsS
A House District subcommittee
today approved legislation giving
teachers here a pay raise.
Subcommittee Chairman Allen
announced that two different
bills had been approved and will
be reported favorably to the full
District Committee for action,
probably some time next week.
Mr.. Allen said he personally
will recommend that the full
committee report the Senate
passed measure for a graduated
pay raise for all teachers and
officers, except the school super
intendent, DR.. Hobart M. Corn
ing.
Also approved and sent to the
full committee was a House bill,
sponsored by Representative
Broyhill, Republican. of Virginia,
calling for a larger increase OF
a fiat 10 per cent for all.
Br0yhill Urges Action.
Representative Broyhill opened
the hearing with a statement
strongly recommending his bill.
1T is my honest opinion, he
said, that anything less than a
fiat 10 per cent salary increase
for District teachers will be far
from adequate"
No objection was voiced by any
Of several witnesses at the sub
committee meeting to either the
Senate or the House bill, al
though the committee heard that
there had been some disappoint-
ment that the Senate had not
given a larger increase.
The Senate bill would cost
$1,613,047 a year, the commit
tee heard; the Broyhill bill for
a 10 per cent raise would cost
$1,698,218; and the eight per
cent increase recommended by
the District Commissioners would
cost $1,355,000.
Both Call for Study.
Both the Senate and House
bills provide that an overall study
of school pay and reclassification
be made and recommended to
Congress for the opening of its
next session in January.
The subcommittee amended a
similar provision in both the
Senate and House bill for this
study, Mr.. Allen said. Instead
Of requiring the study and re-
port to Congress by the Board
of Education, the committee, on
recommendation of Commits
sioner Renah F. Camalier, then
provided that the study be made
by the District Commissioners
in cooperation with the Board
of Education.
The Senate measure, sponsored
by Senator Beall, Republican, of
Maryland passed the Senate
July 6 and went before the sub
committee today. It provides
a graduated pay scale raise. The
increase would be 10 per cent on
the first $4,000 a year, 8 per
cent on salaries between $4,000
and $4,000 and per cent on
salaries above $4,000.
Commissioners Bound.
Commissioner Camalier testi-
fled that the Commissioners
were bound by the Bureau of
the Budget to recommend only
the 8 per cent pay raise be-
cause of the financial situation
of the District Government. But
he said that the Commissioners
would not object to either the
Broyhill or the Senate bill.
DR.. Corning emphasized the
need for a teachers salary in
crease, pointing to the increased
cost Of living and the fact that
Washington teacher pay is lower
than that paid by comparable
cities.
Strong pleas for some kind
Of a raise as a temporary ex-
pedient were laid before the
committee by all witnesses. To
build the record of the subcom-
mittee, several witnesses merely
filed statements.
c. Melvin Sharpe, president of
the Board of Education, in the
interest of saving time, yielded
to DR.. Corning as a witness.
Other Witnesses.
Among the witnesses and
those who filed statements were }:
Miss Helen E. Samuels, presi-
dent of the Education Associa-
ton of the District, who said she
represented 1900 members; Ver-
non E. West, corporation coun-
sci; Mrs Frank S. Strope, presi-
dent of the District Congress OF
Parent Teacher Associations;
Joseph A. Kaufman, president
Of the Federation of Citizens AS
sociations; Don B. Goodlow, Lo-
cal q. American Federation OF
Teachers; Mrs. Eva Trusheim OF
the Elementary Principals Asso-
citation, Mrs. Marjorie Colson OF
the Capitol Hill Southeast Citi-
zenS' Association, Robert Baker
Joint Legislative Council of the
District; Grace Spiro. executive
secretary of the washington
chapter, Americans for Demo-
cratic Action; Thelma M. Ray
mond, Columbian Educational
Assn; William w. Rogers. Sec
ondary School Principals Asso-
citation; Prof. Ellis Haworth of
Wilson Teachers College, who
also filed a statement for the
teachers of Miner Teachers
College.