THE SCHOOL TEACHERS' SALARIES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1822, 7 August 1913, Page 8

THE SCHOOL TEACHERS' SALARIES.

A PRIVATE BILL. THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTIONS. Mr. J. V. BROWN introduced the Education Amendment Bill, and in doing so spoke of the low salaries paid to teachers. as compared with tlioso paid to officers of other branches of the Public Service. Only 14 per cent, of the teachers of this country received ,6200 n year. In the clerical brandh of\ the Public Works Department 43 per cent, of the employees received it, in the clerical branches of the Railway Department 41 per cent., and in the Post Olllce 2-4 per 'cent. There was no inducement for teachers to remain in tho service in view of the poor prospects before them. He hoped the Government would make the teaching profession a more attractive one for young men and women. Salaries must ba increased, otherwise it would be impossible to attract into the service meii, and women who would keep the standard of eflicicncy reasonably high. The deterioration must not bo allowed to go on, and whatever it cost the country, teachers must be paid considerably higher salaries. Mr. J. C. THOMSON (Wallace) said the Government had been failing in their duty by neglecting to give effect, to the recommendations of tlio Education Commission. The whole report had been shelved. Mr. Massey: It is not shelved. Mr. Thomson; It.is going to be dealt with next year. Mr. Massey: No; it will be dealt with this year. Mr. Thomson said that this did ntft mean that there would be legislation introduced to remedy the evil this year. Tho salaries of teachers were inadequate, and tho basis of payment was radically wrong. Teachers could not receive more than £400 a year, and there was no inducement under these circumstances for teachers to qualify themselves by a university course. Mr. D. BUDDO (Kaiapoi) _ dealt at length with the subject of the treatment of teachers. He contended that teachers were not being remunerated as thev deserved, and that there were not enough prizes in the pro^-ssion. Mr. T. It. WILFORD (Hutt) said that before this session was over something had got. to be done for the teachers. They wanted consideration this year aiid did not want to wait until election year. The Liberal Record. Dr., A. K. NEWMAN (Wellington East) said that the last t\so speakers were most amusing. For yeais j»st tho education system had been going steadily downhill bccause for 21 vears it had been starved by tho Liberal (government. What had .Mr. Buddo ever done for education during his'term of office? The fact was that Opposition members had (got a "tip" that an announcement on tho subject of teachers' salaries would appear in tho Financial Statement t.hat evening and they had .started this discussion'with a view to forestalling tho Government and taking credit for what would be. proposed. Tho -teaching profession was tho worst-paid in tho country, thank 3 to tho misdeeds during 21 years of the party to which the gentlemen who had been prating that afternoon belonged. Mr. J. HANAN (Invercargill; contended that his party had.done more than any other to advance the cause of education. Ho objected to Dr. Newman taunting the Liberal party and contended that education should not bo made a, party question. THE MINISTER REPLIES. FRIENDS FALSE AND TRUE. The Hon. 0 . ALLEN -said ho was intensely amused at the new-born zoal of the member for Invercargill—tho ex-Min-ister for Education who hod lost his opportunity. It lmd 'been. said that tho question was being made a' party one. But, who was making it a partv question? Ho would like, to warn the teachers against their falsa friends, now on tho Opposition benches. In actual fact they were tho teachers' worst enemies. They had had thoir opportunities, had had them for tho last 20 years, but what had they made of. them? Tt. had been said that he hod been opposed' to teachers' superannuation. This statement he would give a positive ! denial. Ho had always been a friend of the tenchers, and in favour of superannuation ' In Committee on :the Superannuation Bill lie was one member who tried his best to induce the Government to make the financial basis of the scheme sound. Tho Actuarv reported that something like ,£IB.OOO a year should be set aside from the Consolidated Fund to make the scheme sound. Was tliii money set aside by the socalled Liberal Government, "the friends" of the teachers? Not at all. Thev let the teachers rip, and paid only £7000 a year into the fund. What happened last year? Although it was the present Government's first year in office thev had paid an extra. £10.000 a year into the fund and they would continue to do eo. So that what wished to done at first had been done at this late hour in order that teachers could rely on receiving in their old age the benefits nroniised to them under the Superannuation Act. For the other funds, as well as for tlie teachers fund, the Government lied had to find large sums of money to put them on a sound basis.

A Party Move. What was the reason for this move on the part of the Opposition? Every.member of the House knew it was only a party move. The Opposition were trying to estrango teachers from the Government for political ends. The Opposition did not care for the teachers excopt for electioneering purposes. They had had so many opportunities of doing a great deal for the -teachers, but what had they done? The present Government had been in office only twelve months, and already had given an assurance that the question of teachers' salaries would be dealt with this session. Mr. Hanan: Why did you delay so lot"" until you were forced to <lo it? Mr. Allen said the Government had not been forced to do it. The justice of tho tiling was sufficient to compel them to take notice of it. Soon it would be plain who were the true friends of tho teachers, when the Opposition would have to follow the Government into the lobby when this matter of teachers' salaries was being dealt with. If he could not do more for the teachers than the late Government had done in twenty years, he would hide his head in shame. Notwithstanding this party cry, that had been raised, the -,teachers knew where their true friends were. At last election the teachers supported the present Government politiC! J[V Forbes said something which could not b? heard exactly about Mr. Royd G J[r. Ct Allen: This Royd Garlick matter is being used for the very same purposeto rouse tho teachers against the present Government. He repeated that he knew the value of the teachers' work, and he ■was going to do all he could for them. Why had not the member for Napier introduced a Bill about teachers' salaries years ago? Of course the reason was because ho was under tho party whip. He (Mr Allen) would advise tho teachers to stick to the party who had stuck to them nil the way through, and that party was the Government now m office. I lie Uov- ' crnment would certainly stick to the teachers and do them justice. He was not going to be a false friend and make promises lis c-ould not fulfil; H? would ask teachers to wait untiLthe l'lnancin Statement came down, until they could see tho legislation of this year, and the furthor .legislation of next year. Talked Out. Mr R. M'CALLUM (Wairau) asserted that the Minister had come to a verysudden decision on tha subject of teachers' salaries. A fortnight, previously the attitude of the Minister had been that it was doubtful whether anything could bo dono for teachers this session, lie (Mr M'Calluiu) belonged to the parry that had assisted the teachers by a process of evolution. Tho Bill was talked out at 5.30 p.m.