Willmar tribune., 1904-11-09
SALARIES OF TEACHERS.
This Country Leads in Liberality Of
Expenditures for Educational
Purposes.

If the salaries paid public school,
teachers is to be accepted as the stand
ard of civilization and enlightenment,
the United States holds an enviable po-
sltlon among the nations, says the
Philadelphia Public Ledger. There are
many school districts in the country
where the wages received by teachers
are too low, but the average monthly
salary is large relatively to salaries in
certain European countries where the
standard of literacy among the masses
is nigh and where educational facilities
are supposed to be of the best
1t appears from the report of the fed
eral commissioner of education for 1904
that the average monthly salary in the
United States is S47.55 for male and
$39.lO for female teachers. In the North
Atlantic division, which includes the
New England and middle states, the
average salary for males is $57.75; fe-
males, $41.60. These figures are ex-
ceeded by the western division, where
the averages are 5000 and $51.94. In
1901 the average monthly wages in
Pennsylvania were $44.14 and s38.26.
In forthcoming reports the Pennsylva-
mia average will be higher, as the result
OF the law passed in 1903 fixing the
minimum salary of school-teachers at
$35. Districts failing to comply with the
statute will lose the state appropriation
for the common schools. Massachu-
setts pays the most generous monthly
salary to male teachers, $140.94: Cali
fcrnia to female teachers, $65.91. The
figures for New York did not appear in
the federation report from which the
quotations are taken.
Comparisons with European con-
ditions are favorable to the United
States From the report of an investiga-
tion of school salaries in various Euro
rean countries published in the Boston
Transcript, it appears that the male
class teachers in the United Kingdom
get an average yearly salary of $3.50.
Women in the same grade receive less
than $780, In Copenhagen the highest
yearly salary paid male teachers is $780,
and this after eight years service.
Women receive a third less. The edu-
cational standard Of Prussia is high,
but the average income of school,
teacher in the small towns is only $218
a year. In the large cities he receives
on an average only $341. In Berlin a
school superintendent receives from $3.50
to 1926 and free lodgings The lowest
salary paid other teachers in Berlin is
$315; the largest, $3.50. The teachers
there are pensioned to the extent of Is
per cent. of the last salary they received
Saxony requires her young teachers to
serve two years without pay, and the
highest salary paid is $3.50 year. First
class teachers in Baden, in towns hav-
ing more than 10000 inhabitants, receive
. $3.50. In Alsace-LOrraine female teach
ers cannot expect more than $l6O. The
minimum salary in France is s22O.
Spain is backward country IL educa-
tional matters. About 65 per cent. OF the
population can neither read nor write.
though compulsory education was in
, troduced many years ago. Madrid
grants teachers $400, but in villages the
salary is only $780, It is declared that
at least 60 per cent. of the Italians are
without the rudiments of education. In
a country making such an exhibit one
may look for poorly paid teachers. Even
In the city schools of Italy the average
yearly salary is $3.50. Sweden and Nor
way pay a minimum wage of $50 a year
to female and double that sum to male
teachers. The highest salary received
by males is $500.