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IEDBUBY BOARD OF GUARDIANS.…

LEDBURY RURAL DISTRICT COUNCIL.

II-TEACHERS' STRIKE OYER.

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II TEACHERS' STRIKE OYER. I Herefordshire Authority Grant Scale. I Y,4,000 More to be Paid In Salaries. An agreement arrived at between the Hereford- shire Bducation Committee and the National Union of Teachers brings the strike of head teachers to an immediate close. Our Hereford correspondent, says the Birmingham Daily Post," states that the special sub-committee of the local education authority appointed to deal with teachero' salaries have resolved by a major- ity of the members present to adopt a scale of salaries, and it is understood this scale has been accepted by the National Union of Teachers. Of course, there ars one or two minor matters to be settled, such as the reinstatement of the displaced teachers by new appointments, but for all practical purposes it may bu said that the strike is now at an end. It is understood that the new scale is higfter than the figures paid during the present dispute to the new teachers and much lower than the scale put forward a month ago by the National Union. The scale now adopted contains a provision for annual increments of £ 5, and' when the maxima are reached ail addition of a bout £ 4,<320 per annum to the teachers' salaries will have been made. This is in addition to the £1,300 already granted. It is understood that the above settlement was arrived at after pressure had beeD'1 brought to bear from the Board oif Education. Colonel Decie (chairman of the County Couacit) was at the Board of Education Offices last week, and subsequently had an interview with Mr A A Thomas (standing counsel of the N.U.T.) It is stated that Alderman Janes Corner, a prominent member of the committee, strongly, protested against giving way, 'and on the committee adopting the course they did he at onee sent in his resignation. The adoption of the scale was favoured by seven members to three. The resignations of five more head teachers took effect on Wednesday -S bob,lon, Broekhampton, Avenbury, Eardisley, and Holme- L..cy-and two more on Saturday-Sutton and Orcop. Longtown and Kington reopened this week. I HISTORY OF THE DISPUTE. I The strike of over 200 Herefordshire teachers came at the end of an agitation for better remuneration spread over many years. The individual salaries of teachers have been Almost uniformly low, and for a long time the agitation of the teachers was mainly to secure advances in individual cases. More recently, however. the demand crystalised into one for a system of payment by scale, annual increments to be given automatically within certain minima and maxima, unless misconduct or inaripacity were proved. This principle the Education Authority have resolutely resisted until the present week. Herefordshire is a county of many small schools, the great majority of them having less than eighty scholars in average attendance. The Education Committee declared a scale unwork- able because of the great differences between the schools, and further objected to the principle as subversive of enthusiasm and initiative among the head teachers. After the notices had been, tendered the committee met and sought to. placate the teachers by the oflfer of immediate increases equal to £ 1,300; They also promised- an annual revision of salaries. The teacheM declined the offer as a settlement of the dispute* and to meet the objections of the committee as to the variety of schools submitted "asa basis of negotiation" a scale graduated according-to the size of the schools. In the smallest schools the head master was to have a minimma of j3120 and a maximum of £160, head mistresses, £100 to 2140. The largest schools carried salaries of 2160 to S220 for hed masters, and j3140 to Rt80 for head mistres- 's. The eounty authority, through the Special Salaries Com- mittee, to which it had delegated its powers, persisted in regarding the scale as an ultimatum, and refused to negotiate. The strike started about a fortnight ago, some eighty schools being directly affected. Many of them were closed altogether; and the most enterprising efforts of the Education Committee during the past three and a half months to obtain teachers to take the strikers' places were of small avail. The National Union of Teachers of course placed its ban on the committee's service, and though some of the few Council Schools were restaffed with more. or less success the committee were quite unable to get teachers to re-open the Church schools. Few of the strikers have obtained or even sought for positions outside the county, and under any settlement to which the National Union are party those who remain will have to retain their service under the Herefordshire authority. One of the points still to be adjusted is that of reinstatement. The head teachers all retain their tenancies of the schoolhouses, though recently the committee instructed a solicitor to take steps to evict them. These proceedings will not now be necessary. In the absence of a detailed statement as to the scale granted some idea of the terms can be inferred from the fact that whereas the approved scale will yield the teachers of the county an additional £ 4,000 a year when it has come to maturity (which it may be assumed will be in eight years), the National Union scale was estimated by Mr Wiltshire, the county education secretary, to effect increases totalling £8.000 in the same period. Iistobe presumed the Education Committee will have to ratify the Special Salaries Committee's recom- mendations as to payment by pcale before it can have legal effect.

t BROMESBERROW.i

I NATIONAL SERVICE LEAGUE.

I-INQUEST AT LEDBURY.

BOSBURY.I

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HUNTING.

I'RECORD DAY WITH LEDBURY…

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I LEDBIJRY AND DISTRICT AIR-RIFLE…

I WELLINGTON HEATH.

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