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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (March 6, 1911)
THE MORNING OREGOXIAX. MONDAY, 3IAIICH 6, 1911. SCHOOL BOARD REPLIES TO CRITICISMS Reasons Why Per Capita Cost of Education Is Higher Are Told RECENT attacks made upan the Portland Board of Education br Joha H. Hak and others of tha CI la Council, have, called forth from tha members of Uia Board a statement aa to their management of Portland schools. In ttua thcr give tta ntHot war ,ho rest par pupil of maintaining tha schools of trio city Is now higher than It was rrs aro. The Board eVnfces emphatically that It has mismanaged tha taxpayers' furds. Tha members of tha Board ar Mrs. L. W. Sit ton. chalman; I. N. Fleisrhner. J. V. Beach. H. C. Campbell and K. L. t?abln. Tha state ment of the Board la aa follows: "Portlacdw Oregon. March 4. 1911. To the taxpayers of school district No. 1: Within tha past few months attempts have beaa nade In certain quarters la the dry of Portland to create the Im pression that tha school director of this d.strict hare bees derelict In their iut!9v and that In consequence the rue of education bas ' suffered. W hare no fault to llnd wl:h fair criticism, from whatever source. It may emanate, of our acta aa put!lc officials: In fact, we tnrlta such criticism as betnf bene ficial to ourselves as officers, and to the department of city government un lrr our control. Instead of Just crttl- -ci-m. however, there bas been mlarep rentatln. most of It. we believe, un- Irtcot oral. It bas aot served to remedy r.y faulty s!tua.tlon that may be sup Ted to exist, but rather to confuse the minds of tha taxr-OMs In regard to ral co adit ton a. Iiirrease to Bo Expected. Th.it you may Jmhte whether or not the affairs of th district are belnc Ju-cl.-louilr and economically manacrd. we puhmlt be following statement for your eonsMeratinn: "One statement which has been made acd upon which particular trs has "teen Uld. Is that the cost of education In Portland has b.-n greatly Increased In the past 14 year. K-ren admitting tMs to be true. It does not prove any tMrc that Is not alrady known to every resident of Portland. Thero Is not a line of bnetriaea In the city that Is aot ya)lrg h f her prl -es for everything that It ues than it d d M years ago. Every Vustnesa house is not coly paying a Usher gross rent, but a sweater rent per fiare- foot of r.et rental area oceup'ed. The aame Is true of atvertlslar. labor and material of a!l kin. is. without a ! nsr!e Important exception. As to con struction, relative wholesale prices of lui:d!n; matt-rial are substantially jT rent higher now than they were In i:tik In Ihe ireneral advance of prices In the pat W years. It la only natural tj;at education should be affected, and that It should cost more. Not only are the Items which entered Into expanse 10 years sen more eoetly now than they were In 1. but people have demanded, and the taxpayers have authorised, new departments of education which have contributed their si-.are toward the in cra?ed eoet. Amors; them departments which bave either been ini-talted or ex tended durlr.g the past 10 years, ars manual arts, commercial courses, sew Irc. cooking-, night s. hools. circulating libraries, additional High schools and trade schools. Salary Increases Demanded. "Other Items of expense are Increases In the salaries of teachers and Janitors, In response to public demand: oil burn ing plants: vacuum cleaning- In the new schools: additional help for the school clerk and the school superintendent: xire escapes, hose and staadplpes: In stallation of electric lights la all build ings: new bulld'ngs; drinking fountains; playground. Mary new school buildings have been erected, all paid for princi pally with money raised by taxation. In many cities the sise of Portland, bonds re Issued for the cost of new buildings; and the tax la levied for maintenance which Includes Interest on bonds. In Portland the only building bonds lamed have been for two new High schools. "A considerable source of expense Is the old style buildings, some of which rare teen standing for many years. These are now showing the effects of ace. and the cost of repairing- and mod ernising them Is very great. It Is abso lutely essential that they should be modernised, for otherwise the children attending- them would be In danger of epidemic arising- from ancient plumbing. In a word, the entire school stera of Portland, both as pertains to equipment and course of study, has been revolu tionised in the pa-1 W years. The pupil who graduated from a Portland school In lx and who would today, for the first time, re-vlslt that same school, would be bewildered by the changes which bave taken place. These changes "have been for the bet. They bave all leen authortied by the taxpayers, and In many Instances were recommended fcy the Board. They are coating money. great deal of it. but we do not think for a moment that the taxpayers would save that money If the saving would en tall return to the primitive educational conditions of 1A Ten years ago Port land's public schools were behind the times; they are Dow the equal of any public schools in the country. Comparison Is t'nfalr. "As mlcht b Inf-rred from what has already been saM. any comparison be tween the Portland of 1" and the Portland of 1?1 Is manifestly unfair In rard to the cost of education, or of anything el.-as. In 1H Portland was a elow-erowlr-a- city, so slow that many regarded it to be at a standstill. Now It 1 developing faster than any other city tf Its clae la the United States. Ira the five-year period ending with De cember XI. 11 O. building permits issued In Portland were under tLo.')uu or less t"-an one-seventh what they were In the single year of 131. In the Are years ending with June 1. 1J0. Portland In creased Its population slightly over 'O. or at the rate of V per month. In the nve-yar period ending with June L 131 the Increase la population was over ss.030. or at the rate of 1a per month. At the present time Portland Is believed to be Increasing Its population at the rate of about & per month, or 13 times the monthly Increase of 1 years ago. In January. 1X the School Foard Oeclared Its policy to be to build one additional grade school per year. In 1910 we awarded 12 contracts for new S'-h-wls and for the enlargement of old schools. Nearly all the complex prob lems of city life which Portland now confronts bave developed In the past fHe years, and our educational system has had to bear t shar of them. A frv of our own citizens bave been free t find fault with our schools, while all visitors have bees unstinted In their praise. Dr. P. L. Campbell, president of th University of Oregon, says our High, schools are the equal of any la the country. Dr. James Robertson, chairman of the Royal Commission of ' Kducatlon of Canada, who recently vis ited with us. says our High and trade schools are the equal of any similar In stitutions which he bas Investigated. Cost oC Construction Analysed. Exact comparison of cost of construc tion of school buildings In Portland with cost In any other cities Is Im practicable, for the reason that no two cities have the same system of keeping accounts. Similarly, many c'tles bave tvpes of school buildings to which they adhere very closely, and architects bave different methods of computing cubic cor.tents of buildings. So. too. there la a difference of opinion as to what con stitute.) a room, when the room is the ur.lt of cost, and for bow many ordi nary class rooms an assembly hall and ;s accessories In our Portland schools should be counted. All these variations In methods make differences In cost, per unit, which can be detected, only by close' Investigation. For example. U baa been snught in recent discussions to compare the cost ef Portland H'gh schools with that of the William Penn High school In Philadelphia. It was an nounced that Philadelphia was getting a fine, fireproof High school for U cents a cubic foot. "When the matter was examined It was found that the Portland Investigators bad Included In the cubic contents of the Philadelphia school some very large In side and outside light courts, and an un excavated portion of the sub-basement. The more the cuhio contents of the struc ture Increased the more the cost per cubic foot decreased. The rule followed In arriving at the low cost of the Phila delphia school Is precisely the same thing as figuring the cubic contents of the Hotel Portland by Including the front and rear light courts. Comparison la Inequitable when a school with an as sembly hall and accessory rooms Is placed side by s'de with a school de voted solely to olaas rooms. The grade schools built within the past few years In Portland Include the assembly hall and accessory reoms. which are equal In cost to three and perhaps three and -one-naif completed claas rooma. Flrrprooflnc More Expenalre. A careful Inquiry Into the coat of fireproof grade buildings, containing class rooms, assembly halls and accessory rooms, fixes It at 75 per cent more than Sin. L- W. Slttoa. Chalncaaw. tbe wooden buildings la use In Portland and u per cent more than the cost of buildings devoted to class rooms only. It la doubtful If fireproof conatruct'on can be done as cheaply by 10 to IS per cent In Portland as In tha Eastern cities. This observation applies only to bulldln-rs of two stories and basement In build ings of three stories and basement, the cost per cubic foot Increases, aa has been shown in the case of a school built at rilsabeth, N. J. This building Is 74 by 4 feet, three stories and basement. 20 class rooms, assembly ball and manual train ing room. It contains 1Z&.2U2 cubic feet and cost 190.000, or over U cents per cubic foot. "A committee of the Portland Archi tectural Club which recently examined costs, reported that the Jefferson High School cost 9.4 cents per cubic foot, or at the rate of 1197.M per puplL In re spect to both these units of coat, tbe record of the Jefferson High was lower than the unit cost of hlxh schools In 8t. Louis. Kansas City. Cincinnati. New York, Boston. Seattle. Grand Rapids, Washington. New Haven.. Philadelphia. Spokane and Newark. The same was truo of the grade schools of Portland as compared with the grade schools of the cities above named. Building Details Given. "In this connection, details of cost will be found Interesting. Jefferson High cost, as already stated. 9.4 cents per cubic foot. There bave lately been circu lated reports to the effect that the cost was 1? cents per cubic foot. Had the building been built fireproof, as was orig inally planned, the coat would have been 17 cents per cubic foot, as shown by the bids received at the time. However, the original plans were not carried out. The cost of the Jefferson High includes heat, ventilation, plumbing, electric wir ing and fixed furniture. . Year's Contract Reviewed. "School contracts awarded by the board In 1910 show the following details of segregate and unit cost: BVhool Alblna Homestead In rook I yn Clinton Kelly .... Crvoo la.) ..... Hudson ... I.eeta . l,tvwetlvn New Ml. Tsbor t'ntnaula a ... Vortsmouth b - Vmo ... ... TVood'awn (c V ooOito- . - W f. ' af ' VV- '.. . ,v - '' .. f e V'. W.' a Have assembly halls and accessory rooms ee.ua to three additional classrooms in b Rh office snd hall eqna to one al1IMonal elassroenv c Ha assembly hall equal to two additional classrooms Cost. "Lincoln High School, now under con struction, will cost. Including general construction, beating, ventilating, plumb ing, linoleum flooring, electric wiling, hardware and electric fixtures, 1-CJ.Wo, or at the rate of JO 1-1 cents per cublo foot. This Is a fireproof building. "Washington High School contains l.M?.r cublo feet and cost taSTX or at the rate of 14.1 cents per cublo foot. Had It been built fireproof throughout. In ac cordance with the requirements of pres ent ordJnancee. It would bave cost a little less than l.OOO, or at tbe rate of 1M cents per cubic foot. Washington High la somewhat similar In plan to a new. entirely fireproof high school at Burling ton, la- which contains Wtg.OOO cubic feet. This building cost or nearly tt cents per cublo toot. "In measuring cubical contents, every thing excavated under Is oounted, and tbe root Is figured at one-half Ha height. "The Brooklyn and Clinton Kelly Im provements are four-room additions to old buildings. At tho Brooklyn School a large portion of the money expended was used to modernise the old building. At Clinton Kelly, the plumbing In stalled was nearly equal to that re quired for a complete school of IS rooms ' and assembly halL Modern plumbing Increased the aggregate and unit cost. also, at the Vernon. Lents, Woodstock, new Mount Tabor and Hud son schools. "At the Peninsula School, the con tract Included a concrete wall all around the block at a cost of 11048. At the Brooklyn School the old toilets were discarded and new ones Installed at a cost of 13414. At the new Mount Tabor School the contract Included a cesspool, for which an excavation of 50 feet was made, partly through quick sand. The costs shown In detail above are aa near as can be calculated until all accounts are closed up. Cost of ex tras was practically nominal. Architects' Opinions Cited. "On the subject of cost and method of construction the following letter ad dressed to the Civic Council by J. Ja cobberger, Ellis F. Lawrence, John WU- son and J. Andre Fouilhoux will prove Interesting? "Portland. Or.. Nov. 1$. 1910. Mr. John H. Hank. President CIvio Council. Dear Sir: The committee appointed by the Portland Architectural Club to make Investigations of the cost of fchoolhouses throughout the country, as per your request, hand you herewith a tabulated schedula showing the re sults of its investigations. The great variety in the cost per cublo foot Is no doubt caused by the different Interpre tations of fireproof structures and the different methods used In computing tho cubical contents. At best it seems unwise to place too much weight on these cubical coats. While several cit ies have claimed to have complete fire proof schoolhouses. there have been but four cities which have given much time to this form of construction. These four cities are New York, Boston. Chlcapa and St. Louis. St. Louis has Increased Its cost from 11 and IX cents a cuhio foot up to 18 cents a cublo foot In the last ten yean, steadily giving more at tention to sanitation and ventilation. The very strong building ordinance which will be In effect after the first Of the rear In this city means that the schools erected should be on a par with thoee In these four cities. It is the opinion of the committee that no at tempt should be made to construct grnmmar schoolhouses In this city for MEMBERS Or PORTLAND BOARD OF EDUCATION WHO ANSWER IN DETAIL - f.-v I. N. Flelsehaer. less than If cents a cubic foot, or a cost of tlM) per pupil, a method of computing the cost which In the Judg ment of the committee Is much more fair than the cubical method. It Is the consensus of opinion, also, of the com mittee that no high school, even of the simplest character, should be erectea for less than 18 cents per cublo foot, if the auxiliary requirements ara to be carried out strictly to date. - These onlnlona have been backed bv conversations with several of the leading architects In the city. The com mlttee feels that If more time were given It for Investigating, some of the so-called fireproof buildings reported would be found to have either no lire proof roofs or floors In classrooms; for Instance, the Seattle school listed was found on Investigation to have only fireproof corridors and stairs. This was classified as a fireproof building wnen their renort first reached us. "The committee .hopes that this In formation will be of service to your Council In Us work to secure fireproof construction In all schoolhouses at an economical figure.' Frame Building Protected. "As to whether or not the frame school buildings in use In Portland are safe. It can be said for them that every one has doors opening outward, numer ous stairways and exits, wide and well- lighted corridors, a principal and a Jan itor in each schooL and a teacher In each room. Fire-escapes, slandpipes and hose are additional means of pro tection. Each school Is required to hold a fire drill once a week, and a fine of IS Is visited upon the principal for fail ure to comply with the rule of the Board In this respect. The efflcency of the drill was amply attested by the alarm at the Sellwood School on Octo ber 17th last, when the building was emptied of every child within Its walls in less than one minute. With the chil dren In the building only a portion of the day, and then continually under Cost. Cubic foot. 8.2a 11. lc li. no 7.0c 9 Jo s.oo .Jic S.20 O.So S.e 9.8e 7.2c Class Total Cfuhle rraa rroa. feet. .... S S 9-.'J.5'J4 Total cost. no.2n t 21.0.1B.1S 31. (- IS -'0.412. 12 l "na.10 S3 .'H 9 18 na7 29 1.t2 ! iS.13i).7 1 724 3 S2.M1.V ae.i'Kv.'m Cost rooms. S. 70.10 8.2SS 7s .4i r3 .f2.fi 4.9112.02 4 loMl 4.721.9-1 4 i!2 24 4 u.15 4.1X1.15 4.O0M.V!) l-.5"4 257.070 217.003 41J.'.' 17.15 217 OOfl 211 s .. 10 214 9JB..-1 1 12 .2 .S 3 4.112 40 9 418.2l 12. CSS 24 7.e tbe eye of principal and teachers, and trained to respond to the fire drill, it can safely be said that the danger to life from fire Is very remote. What ever opinions may be entertained In re gard to the architectural appearance of the exterior of the buildings, we can submit In confidence that our school buildings. In respect to light, heat, ven tilation, sanitation and convenience of arrangement, bave no superiors in cit ies of the class of Portland anywhere la the country. Architects Fees Reduced. "Reference hag been made o ourcus- SALIENT POINTS MADE Cost of constructioii and maintenance of schools has increased heavily in the last ten years. Ilence, a comparison in the cost of education of Portland in 1910 and Portland in 1900, without due consideration of the increase in the price of materials, is unfair. Portland schools were behind the times ten years ago. They are now the equal of any in the country. Thirteen contracts for new school buildings, or for the enlargement of old ones, were awarded last year. The cost of buildings per cubic foot, and cost of instruction per pupil, is less than in several Eastern schools. The danger to the life of the pupils on account of fire is very remote in Portland public schools, i Ten years ago no school in Portland was properly ventilated. Now it is impossible to find one which is not properly ventilated. - . The system of employing a board of architects and paying them 3 per cent, instead of 5 per cent, the customary charge, saved the district $8000 last year. All contracts were awarded to the lowest bidder, after bids had been regularly advertised for. , The chief cost of school maintenance is the salaries of principals and teachers. The minimum salary of the youngest teacher is now $725 a year; ten years ago the maximum salary of the teacher in the elemen tary schools was $700. .The cost of instruction, based on the average number belonging, has increased in the last ten years, from $34.68 pupil a year to $41.49 a pupil a year. The increase is largely due to increases in salaries and to improvements. The bookkeeping is now so arranged that the per capita cost of instruction in the district as a whole or in any school in the district, or the cost of any particular item of expense, can be given at onee. torn of compensating architects for building work, and we will therefore state the policy of the Board In regard to architecture and quote from our records on the subject of payments. In the case of the Jefferson High School, architects fees were tU.438.30. being t per cent of the contracts, which were 12S8.76.87. Architects' fees added to the contracts make the total cost of the school IJ0I.201.J7. During the year 1910 the Board architect received from the district f 1118.65 on account of 1910 contracts, and 11770.45 on account of 1909 contracts, a total of 111.000. This was 1 per cent of the aggregate cost of 1400,000, and was for architecture and supervision, as against a possible cost of 120,000 If the work had been handled on a I per cent basis, the ragu. lar charge for architecture. The sav ing to the school district by the method employed by the Board wss 18000 In 1910. The Board architect furnishes his own office for carrying on his work, and pays his own draughtsmen, office help and inspectors, with the exception of the concrete Inspectors, whose sale arles are paid by the Board. "For all building work required by the district, plans and specifications are prepared and bids Invited by ad vertisements duly published In the newspapers. It Is the desire of the Board that there shall be full and free competition between bidders for all -"A h .'a i V X V. Beac. work. Each bidder must submit his bid in writing and accompany It with a certified check: otherwise he merits no consideration and receives none. Con tracts are always awarded to the low est and most responsible bidders who comply with the conditions of the pro posal. There never has been any com plaint of the period of advertising and there has never been any discrimina tion in favor of or against any bidder. As an example, we will refer to the bids received for the Woodlawn school last year. In each Instance the con tract was awarded to the lowest bidder who met the requirements of the Board In regard to responsibility. The bids follow, the successful ones being marked with a star. Building flncludlng maple floor) W. R. Griffith J. F. Hand J. H. Sprague Heating W. G. McPherson J. C. Bayer Burkhart A Weavarson .... Glass and glazing Central Door at Lumber Co.. W. P. Fuller & Co Plumbing Fix Co William Mulrhead - Ruedy Brothers Wllllama A Beggs ..8 S8.S57.O0 OI,lO.UU 84.250.O0 1.672.00 8.8(15.00 4,314.00 1.050.00 1,048.00 8.055.00 6.114.00 6,440.00 '6,341.00 Jefferson Contracts Explained. Bids for fhe Jefferson High School were taken In the manner provided by the district for all building work. In each Instance here, also, the lowest bidder was a responsible bidder and the contracts awarded were the best that could be made for the district. The bidders were as follows, tha successful ones being marked with a star: General Bids Mclnnls tt Reed, frame work, painting, etc. 8152,000.00 Portland A Seattle Construction Company, frame work 318,710.00 Phil E. Dunnavant A Co.. car penter work, ornamental iron 71.800.00 J. it. Wallace, carpenter work. ornamental Iron 78.808.00 Lundstrom A Jefferson, founda tion and brick work.., 58.157.80 I.ltherland ft Abry, masonry... 08,889.77 Relmers ft McBrkle, foundation, brlok and atone work 110.750.00 O. Zanello ft Co.. masonry 87.OO0.OO E. E. Aogell. part of the work.. 318,000.00 Heating and ventilating W. G. McPherson ft Co. 82.000.00 J.C.Bayer ft Co. 4O.14S.00 Plumbing and gas fitting T. K. Hulme ft Co. 12.300.00 Jsconsen ft DcTempie- it.K'.o.iiu Whltehouie ft Honey man 18.4O0.00 Robert lilllan 14.0O0.o0 Haalo Kngineorlng Company.. 23.ii0.oo Mulrhead A Murhard ......... 18.732.00 Ruedy Brothers 2.1,8.10.00 W. Mulrhead 17.Mrt.00 Wllllama ft Baggs 22.000.00 J. F. oliea lo.812.00 Sheet metal work and roofing J. C. Hayer 11.074.00 Portland Sheet Metal Works... .11,850.00 -Lathing and plastering and exte- -rlor work John O'Hare K.SOO.OO M. Harris 3d. 809.00 0.Mathiesen 23.773.00 J. D. Tresharn 94.850.00 Glass W. P. Fuller ft Co. 1.880.00 Central Door ft Lumber Co 4.008.00 Painting P. A. Doane 6.501 00 J. A. Graff 8. ICS 00 Fheehy Brothers 7.584.00 W. Hnrrechou 7.340.00 R. Wllllsmson 8.K5S.O0 Frnest Miller ft Co. 8.400.00 Sntrllffe ft Riled 7. .100.00 Blaesing ft Co 7. 5OO.00 I'oyle ft Knoll 7.000.00 X. C. Tochle 6.412.00 The contract for painting waa included In i t - x, 773 BY BOARD OF EDUCATION IN ITS ANSWER TO CRITICISMS. the bid of Mclnnls Reed for the general work. Fire Insurance Satisfactory. "The Board nearly two years ago adopted the blanket form of Insur ance under. which. In case of fire, each company Is liable for such proportion of the loss as the amount of Insur ance allotted to It bears to the whole amount carried by the district. Each building Is appraised, and when a loss oocurs the adjustment is prompt' and satisfactory. It la the aim of the Board to divide the insurance as nearly as can be among the Insurance agencies of the city; provided always, that the companies patronised by us are well rated by tbe Insurance authorities. Un der this plan every company Is be hind any loss, however, large or small. The district has been enabled to ob tain a rate which has effected a sav ing of about 12000 per year in prem iums. This Is not a large sum. but it Illustrates tha policy of the board In avoiding any unnecessary expenses. "Ten years ago there was hardly a sehool In Portland that was properly ventilated. Now it Is Impossible to And a school In the city that Is not properly ventilated. Then years ago it was seriously proposed to put the toi lets of the schools In buildings" sep arated from the main schools, simply because it was believed that they could ATTACKS MADE ON THEIR POLICIES. N . " , 7 j f ' - . V- . ' '" 1 '' I -se s . ' : Vx ? 9 - Yxl - r ' 1 H. C Campbell.- not be installed in the basements of the schools without Jeopardizing the health of the pupils. Our Board took the view that there was no mora to be feared from a toilet withfn a school building than from one within a dwell ing or a hotel. The plan was made practicable by the great Improvement In the character of the plumbing. Ac cordingly, the toilets were installed In the basements. It has cost much money, but the results bave Justified the expenditure. In respect to modern plumbing, Portland Is far ahead of most American cities. In a visit to a Pacific Coast city some time since, our city superintendent found the school authorities installing plumbing of the type discarded - from the Portland schools long ago. "Purchasing Agent Employed. "For nearly two years a purchasing agent has been employed by the dls tnet ana it is nis special outy to nu purchases authorized by the Board of such materials and supplies as are re quired; to receive and Inspect the same and to account to the Board regularly for the conduct of his office. His duties Include inspection of fuel and supplies. He makes a dally report of stock re ceived and distributed. He may not purchase any article except upon re quisition signed by a member of the Board. Most of the commodities used are purchased under yearly contracts, and in respect to these the duties of the purchasing agent pertain merely to receipt, inspection and distribution. 'X'pon tbe recommendation of the Board and the approval of tbe tax payers, the grounds surrounding our school building are being enlarged and Improved and brought up to good grade for drainage. Ample concrete walks are being provided, thus Insuring dry footing for the children when the weather Is inclement. We hope that in time every school In the city will be made to present the neat, well-kept appearance that should be character istic of all public property. At the two most recent annual meetings the taxpayers authorized an expenditure of 120,000 annually for tho Improvement of school grounds. "For 1910 and 1911. the sum of 120, 000 or 110.000 for each year has been appropriated by tho taxpayers for cir culating libraries. Under the system In vogue the School Board pays for the books, while the free public library takes care of them, distributes them and pays a librarian. By the operation of this system the pupils enjoy the ad vantages of a library In each school. Teachers' Salaries Increased. "Upon the recommendation of the Board In 1910, the taxpayers at ahetr annual meeting In that year authorized an Increase In the salaries of teachers amounting to about 10 per cent, thus placing salaries In Portland about on a par with those in other Pacific Coast and Rocky Mountain cities. In the same class with Portland In respect to pop ulation. Salaries of teachers consti tute the largest - item of expense in school maintenance. They have In creased very largely In aggregate in the past ten years, the disbursement for the fiscal year 1910 being 1701, 631.25 as compared with 1208.743.10 In 1900. In 1900 the maximum salary of a teacher In the elementary schools was 1700 per year, and In the high schools I960 per year- Now the max imums are 11100 per year in the ele mentary schools and 11600 In the high schools. A yeung teacher entering the Portland schools now after the required two years' experience in other schools. Is paid the minimum rate of 1723 per year for the first five months of her service. This is 125 more per year than the maximum salary of the best grade teachers ten years ago. After the pro bationary period of five months, teach ers are paid such additional sum as their certificates and experience war rant under the sohedule In force. Fol lowing is the schedule of salaries for grade and high school teachers, as adopted by the taxpayers: FIRST, FOURTH, FIFTH ANT SIXTH GRADES. After two years' experience 1 T75.0O After three years' experience....... S2S.00 After four years' experience 800.00 After five yesrs' experience lOoO.OO After six years' experience 1050.00 SECOND AND THIRD GRADES. After two years' experience 725.00 After three years experience T75.00 After four years experience. ...... 850.00 After five years' experience O2.".00 After six years' experience 1000.00 SEVENTH, EIGHTH AND NINTH GRADES After two years' experience 1 25.00 After three years' experience 875.00 After four years' experience 850.00 T i iP i 7 iisms il ' aii R. I Sablau After five years' experience After six years' experience HIGH SCHOOL. Iss than three years' experience. . After three years' experience After four years experience After five yeara' experience After six years' experience Heads of departments , 1050.00 . IIOO.OO .111SO.O0 , 1200.00 . 1250.00 , 1300.00 , 13.10.00 . 1600.00 Cost Per Pupil Is $38.19. "In figuring the cost of Instruction per pupil the Items which enter into the computation are salaries of teachers, Janitors, superintendents and supervi sors, fuel, light, water and supplies and materials of ail kinds which perish with their use. "On this basis the cost of maintenance of our schools for the entire year 1910 was 1886.691.72. The total enrollment -of pupils for the calendar year was 27.796; average number belonging 21,341.6; max imum average number belonging 23,190.8. The latter figure Is the fairest and most equitable divisor to be used In arriving .0-t Df in-tru-Hon r dudII as Is I It the number of pupils to be provided for. Whether they attend school or not. teachers and all other necessary accom modations must be provided for them, and If not so provided, there Is instant complaint from the public. An epidemic or a spell of unfavorable weather will cut down the attendance for a period long or short, but the maximum average number belonging must always be taken cars of. On this basis, the cost of In struction per pupil in 1910 was 138.19. In 1900 the total cost of maintenance was 1253.17S.S6. Following are compari sons of oost between 1900 and 1910, based upon whole number registered and aver age number belonging: inoo Cost of maintenance. 1233.175.55 1910 8583.501.72 37.796 hole number regis tered Average number be longing Cost per pupil, bssed upon whole number registered 1 Cost par pupil, based upon average num- . ber belonging 1 12,674 10,258.8 21,341.6 19.8T $ 81.86 24.68 1 41.49 The computation for 1900 is based upon a fiscal year ending In June, com If ; XX-.X : tV " ' I ; I V'.-' , I V f ; t P i.' . .-iW L EX-POSTMASTER AWAITS UNWINDING OF RED TAPE Complaint of Lewisville Official, Whose Office Has Been Abolished, Still Goes Rounds People Who Spit on Government Furniture Cause Woe. ORE than eight years ago the postmaster at Lewisville, Or., ap pealed to the Government for aid in assisting him to break up a custom patrons of the office had of spitting on the floor, counters and everywhere else except in the boxes filled with sawdust which the postmaster provided for that purpose. Patiently tho postmaster waited for official action, until his post office was abolished. Now that the of fice has been- out of existence for some time, the complaint and correspondence again appears in the local office of post office inspectors, and, after proper in dorsements and marginal notations, will be hurried on through official channels until a ruling Is obtained on the com plaint and the ex-postmaster may be told what he should have done eight years ago. Under date of December 22. 1902, tho postmaster addressed the United States Marshal In Portland as follows: ' "Dear Sir: Allow me to ask you for information as we are running a small store,, and keeping the postofflce in same building,, has anyone any right to come in and spit around on the floor and counters,, then if I ask him to please spit in the boxes for that pur pose,, he goes to cursing me and says he will spit where he pleases,, will you please advise me as I am going to bave It stopped." To make the case' doubly strong and let Government officials know Jv.st who they were dealing with besides a posit master, the complainant inclosed a note, written on the flashing letter-head of one of those old. world-wide detective agencies, with the name of the post master, In big letters, as local repre sentative. The note reads: "This Is my letter head I passed 97 1-S in corresponding through the mail,, and have my graduation papers." A circle is drawn In the upper right hand corner of each manuscript to make it official. The United States Marshal denied Jurisdiction and, under date of Decem ber 26, 1902, turned the papers over to the postofflce inspector with the follow ing notation: "Tho letter is referred to you for the nece&rary information. As this - Is a very important -natter, your early at tention is earnestly solicited. The gen tleman has certainly passed a very cred itable examination as a detective and I pared with a fiscal year ending In De cember for 1910. "It is not proper accounting to charge against the cost of instruction, money invested for the purchase of land, erec tion of buildings, installation of furni ture, improvements to grounds and street and sewer assessments. These are permanent investments and are so re garded in every city in the country which keeps detailed account of its school expenditures. The city owns them and they become more valuable each year, subject only to a percentage for depreciation. Manual Arts Courses Added. '"In manual arts In elementary schools 11 instructors are employed whose sal aries aggregate 11120 per month. In tho high schools five Instructors are em ployed whose salaries amount to 1625 per month. . In the school of trades there are 11 Instructors and their salaries amount to 11411 per month. Public school instruction in the manual arts is a development of the past five or sir years. Evening schools, when first in stalled, consisted of two or three rooms in which the principal elementary branches were taught. Now elementary evening schools are taught in five build ings and an evening sehool for high school students Is held in the Lincoln High School building. Besides there are evening sessions for males and females in the echool of trades. The attendance is very large and the cost correspond ingly Increased compared with ten years ago. "In the high school the course has been strengthened In other directions than manual arts. It Includes, in addition to the course in cooking, dressmaking, de partments for girls and a practical high school manual training department for boys, strong, commercial departments in bookkeeping, shorthand and typewriting and kindred commercial studies. The trade school offers systematic course for girls in cooking, dressmaking and millinery; and for boys courses In machine shop, patternmaking. mould ing, electrical construction, plumbing and gas fitting, brick laying and plas tering and carpentry and cablnetmaking and mechanical and architectural draft ing. , Bookkeeping Methods Systematic. "Our books are well kept and our sys tem of cost distribution is up to date. Tables which are compiled by the clerk, show not only the cost of Instruction per pupil in the whole district, but the per capita cost In any school In the dis trict. These tables can be reduced to show the per capita cost for any item of expense. For two years past our books have been experted not only an nually, as the state law requires, but monthly. In accordance with the re quirements of our Board. No private business in Portland is guarded more closely in this matter of expert account ing than is tho business of the school district. The auditors for 1910 were: S. Grutze, deputy city auditor: John M. Lewis, County Treasurer, and Mrs. L. D. Fleming, accountant. For J9U they are: Mrs. L. D. Fleming, Charles tVie gand, Peputy City Auditor, and J. B. Tanner, accountant. The reports of the auditors are on file In the office of the Board in the Tilford building and are open to the Inspection of any person. As illustrating the thorough manner of checking the books of the district, we quote aa follows from the report of the auditors: Messrs. Grutze and Lewis end Mrs. Fleming, dated December 17, 1910: " 'We, the undersigned, appointed by your honorable body as an auditing committee to examine the financial books, vouchers and papers in relation thereto and Journal of Board meetings, in custody of B- II. Thomas, school clerk, beg to report that we have carefully checked, each month, the receipts and disbursements and find that all moneys received have been properly accounted for and that all disbursements made were In pursuance of authority granted by the Board. The balances In tho var ious banks as reported by the clerk were ' also verified each month and in every instance found to be correct. Tlfe sys tem of accounting employed Is modern and so arranged as to give all necessary Information.' "The report of the clerk, which was audited as stated above, showed total receipts from December 14, 1909. to De cember 16, 1910, of 11,926,019.58; dis bursements during the same period, 11,838,090.83; balance, 156,928.70. "We take pleasure In saying that we will be glad to meet at any time with any one interested in the schools and discuss with him any subject relating to educational work. Likewise, we will be pleased to show any interested per son through any school building in the district and supply him any information that may be desired in regard to build ings or the method of instruction." the information no douut Is wanted, that he may act accordingly." The postofflce inspector started off the year 190S by sending the correspondence to Boston, with this additional note: "I understand this man was a witness in green goods case In Boston some time ago, and is possibly . a friend of yours. Happy New Year." The Boston office took a month to di gest the contents of the complaint and correspondence and then returned the Dackase to the local office with this Information: "I have the honor to return herewith papers relating to complaint of the post master at Lewisville, Or., that some one spits on the furniture In the office. "I have given the matter careful per sonal attention' and find it is absolutely forbidden by the Board of Health of the City of Boston, Who claim Jurisdiction over the universe outside of New. Jer sey. The penalty Is U00 If it Is plain spit, wtih 10 per cent discount if the offender uses Boot Jack tobacco, but 20 per cent additional if Battle Ax is used. The complaint has been duly entered here and will be immediately taken up by the Society for for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Including, of course. Jackasses, like this fellow at Lewisville. "The Ossified Old Maids Club of New England has voted that the offender Is 'very naughty" and should be labored with but not injured. "We of New England very much regret- that the West should have a per son so made as to be charged with spit ting around on the counters and floor of the PjOstoffice. It Is not only unsani tary but has a tendency to mar the woodwork. We have societies here for the protection of almost everything ex cept Oregon postmasters, but you will please teU this gentleman to be a little patient, and Just as soon a3 we get through with Lynch's trouble in Eng land and the Venezuela question, this case will receive additional attention." Where the correspuondence has been during the last eight years and to whom it has been "refferred" is not known, as indorsements are lost. The case has Just been passed up to the local office again and the correspond ence startea on another quest or au thority, with the notation: 'Postofflce at Lewisville abolished. Don't know why. Advise what steps should be taken next, at your earliest convenience."