The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-10-22

The matter OF salary was most con-
spicuous at the session and was touched
upon at every opportunity. The teachers
OF the state are in dead earnest. and
whether they win or lose in the contest
the question OF moro and adequate COM
pensation is TO be persistently agitated to
a finish
Walter II. Small. superintendent OF
schools in this city. was elected TO sue
ceed Valentine Amy OF Cranston as presi-
dent OF the institute
The session was called 20 order by
President Almy at 10 o'clock. about 200
members of the institute being present
The minutes of last years business ses-
sion were read by Secretary Isaac o.
winslow. and were approved by the meet
Ing.
ANNUAL REPORT
For the committee on legislation. Allen
=. Keith. superintendent of schools i'm
East Providence. presented the annual re-
port. While not advocating any new
educational legislation, the committee
commended the attitude OF the manufac-
turers of the state and the legislative
bodies on their attitude towards the rails
Ing OF the age limit of compulsory educa-
ton
The committee reported favorably upon
the conditions now existing i'm the state
and commented upon the evident awaken
Ing OF the public conscience as regards
child labor and the necessity OF educa-
tion for all classes. The report was re-
ceived and ordered printed i'm the records
Mr.. Isaac o. Winslow then read a rather
bulky report, the results OF the investiga-
tions OF special committee into the prac-
tice In various cities OF providing some
form OF civil service examination for
teachers. There was little In the long
report of interest 10 those outside the
Teaching profession.
The report of the committee on teachers
salaries In Rhode Island was awaited
with considerable interest as the results
OF Investigations contained therein were
expected TO shed much light on the sub
Ject The agitation OF the question Is
uppermost In the minds OF Rhode Island
educators and the ring leaders In the
movement are the local teachers. II would
seem.
In the absence OF Charles g. Chapin.
chairman OF the special committee the
statistical report was read by Supt. Small
The committee had corresponded with
oil the schools In the state relative TO oh
tanning definite figures as 10 the Increase
or decrease In teachers salaries during
the last decade
The following passage from the bulky
report or the committee sets forth con-
ciseiy the result o. the investigations:
REPORT ON SALARIES.
We report that from the best inforna-
,ioh accessible TO us the proposition is
concIusively established that I'm only one
municipality In the state have teachers,
salaries been Increased I'm proportion to
the cost OF living. and that. on the con
trary' some have been reduced, many left |
uui,e uncnanged and that i'm almost all
cases the percentage OF Increase has heen
far less than the increase In the COS, 80 |
living for the same time.
schools depend for their erricierc,, |
not on the magnficence OF the buildings |
in winch they are housed. not on the |
ao,iity with which they are organized |
and supervised. not on the quality of |
.ext.oooks and supplies. but on the |
teacher. And. In the long run. the onsI- |
ity OF the teacher depends on the sai
airy which she may reasonably exnec,
service s'" VI
Teachers are paid for ten months NJ
service; they must live for SO weeks
Iwenty-one Rhode Island towns pay nm |
average salary Of less than $500 per year.
thst is from s399 down 10 $50, n an nj. |
Iowance OF from $40 per week down 10
G.S6 per week
OF these q towns, one pays an aver
age annual salary OF $2S770. or S53
per week for one year. another 1852 IS. or
sS.6O per week. another $254si. or AeO
per week; another S2l6 %. or A1s per
week; another s2Os q. or s4O2 per week,
another f2o5.4s, or 1926 per week: another
sl6.N. or $3.50 per week.
When a teacher in any one OF seven
towns earns less and must live on less
fhan domestic servant can earn I'm
many parts ~ the state. than children
can earn in mill, than some ncNsboys
can pick up I'm the streets. what induce
ment has any woman 10 become a teach
or?
In towns, the average annual sal.
aries for men are as follows. Five towns
pay salaries from 1900 down 10 s765 40.
nve more, from s652.57 down 10 $3.50 o5.
,ne other y pay less than 800. in the FOL.
,oMing descending scale s4Ss 20; Sg71.
sty''e1' sfoe 1860. ts9252 1888 -, SB41l.
sSe.'s. sSooso s252. 500 81 In other words
male teacher In any one OF u towns
IN the state must live on a salary Of
rom s.S 10 BS per week for the vear
IN any one OF ~ towns he must live on
from tl25s 20 H3 per week
In the light OF these figures. vour
committee finds abundant reason for tho
Increasing difficulty OF persuadins voune
men OF promise 20 teach. and expresses |
the conviction that. however poor some
public schools may be, the public Is