The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-10-04
Professors and Their Pay.

President Harper, Of the Chicago Uni
yersity has been suggesting in a con-
temporary magazine that college pro-
fessors should have more pay. None Of
them, he says. are paid as well as the
head men in the business world. Only
professors Of the highest grade get as
much as the lower grades Of responsible
officers Of railroads and Insurance COM
panies. while the salaries OF the lower
class Of professors compare with the wages
OF skilled workmen IN the mechanical in
dustries. Or. Harper thinks such COM
persation painfully inadequate. He says
that the professors cannot keep up on
what they are getting, 10 say nothing
OF buying the books they need and spend
ing their vacations IN improving travel.
His preaching on the subject twins abb
sOlutely with his practice, since. as will
be remembered. ne is the indentical Presi-
dent Harper who was lately implicated
I'm a successful conspiracy 10 bull the
brains market by offering all the best
professors IN the world .arse pecuniary
inducements to come 70 Chicago. His tx
perence with professors has doubtless
pers faded him that ne knows what they
most need. and he is probably right when
ne suggests that 1t is m2re money.
But 1t is that way with almost all otus.
We al need larger salaries. II there was
any immedlat prospect that the profess
sors would get the increase that Or. Har-
per recommends, not a word should be ut
tered here 10 hinder It, Inasmuch. how
ever, as no such prospects threatens, or
can be blighted by argument there Is no
Ia he.
ter Of pay the professor has one Of the
delightfulest Of all the jobs. He has the
long summer vacation that makes him
the envied OF oil men except the preach
err. He does not have 20 neglect his mind
as other men DO IN order 10 focus his
faculties on his work, but his very bust
ness IN life is understood 20 be the culti-
walton and enlargement CT his intellectuals.
Every one IS expected 10 sacrifice some
thing 70 success IN his calling. what
wuold the professor sacrifice IL not money?
II be were adequately paid, what dams
or barriers would suffice 70 keep the multi
tude from swooping down on the pedagog-
ical calling and swapping IL with com
potion?
But there are better grounds than these
on which we who are not professors may
comfort ourselves about the professors
pay. for IL may be sincerely argued mat
comparatiyly poor professors are more
truly and usefully instructive to US IMAM
rich ones would be- In a world that Is
full Of rich people who confuse ana MUSTER
us by their elaborate scale OF living We
have reason TO be grateful for the per-
petuatinn OF a few orders Of men whose
circumstances encourage them 10 set the
example OF a comparatively frugal exist
ance The professors. by continuing poor
and at the same time highly respectable
and agreeable make IL easier Tor MS 10
keep our hold on plain living, and 10 re-
member that a mans highest happiness
does not necessarily lie IN the elaboration
OF his domestic aparatuses. Moreover.
the professors and their wives being cley-
or people and fertile Of recourse, the rest
OF US get much pracital benefit from OBJ
serving the methods and eSpedients 70
which they have recourse 70 make small
salaries YIELD the greatest amount OF sim
pie comfort. We notice where they spend
their summers. and whether or not their
children 20 barefoot In the country, ana
what their amusements are, ana how
much regard they ma IL advisable 70
pay 10 shifting fashions in raiment- BY
living as they do on such incomes as they
have they help 20 keep the scale OF civil
llzed living within feasible bounds, ana
though il may not be especially exhiia-
rating to them to do Il, II is vastly use
ful 10 us 10 have II done. In olden times
we used 10 hear about the New England
preachers who reared and educated large
families ON a salary Of five hundred dol
lars year. II was an announcement 10
persons of limited means 10 know that
such exploites were actually possible.
SO now IL is a solace and help TO be
aware how intelligent and enviable an
existence can be maintained In college
towns on such salaries as professors re-
eeive-Harper's Weekly.