Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-24
SALARIES OF TEACHERS.
United States Leads in Liberality Of
Expenditures for Education.

From the Philadelphia Public Ledger.
If the salaries paid public school teachers
is to be accepted as the standard of civil
ization and enlightenment, the United
States holds enviable position among
the nations. There are many school dis
tricts in the country where the wages re-
ceived 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 high and where educational facil-
tiles are supposed to be of the best.
1t appears from the report of the federal
commissioner of education for 1904 that the
average monthly salary in the United States
is 1865 for male and 80. 10 for female teach
ers. In the North Atlantic division, which
includes the New England and middle
states, the average salary for males is
S5775 females, s41.60. These figures are
exceeded by the western division, where
the averages are S62 and $51.94 In 1901
the average monthly wages in Pennsylvania
were $44.1 and S3S26. In forthcoming re-
ports the Pennsylvania average will be
higher, as the result of the law passed in
1903 fixing the minimum salary of school
teachers at $50. Districts failing to COM
ply with the statute will lose the state ap-
sachusetts pays the most generous month
ly salary to male teachers, $140.94; Califor-
MIA to female teachers. s65.S1. The figures
for New York did not appear in the feder-
alton report from which the quotations are
taken.
Comparisons with European conditions
are favorable to the United States. From
the report of an investigation of school
salaries In various European countries pub
lished 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 $500. In Copenhagen the highest
yearly salary paid male teachers is
$3.50, and this after eight years service.
Women receive a third less. The educa-
tional standard of Prussia is high, but t :,
average income of school teacher in the
small towns is only $21S a year In the
large cities he receives on an average only
$341. In Berlin school superintendent re-
ceives from $7S9 to 3925 and free lodgings.
The lowest salary paid other teachers in
Berlin is 1915; the largest, $3.50. The teach
ers 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 $50 year. First
class teachers in Baden, in towns having
more than 10000 inhabitants, receive $780,
In Alsace-Eorraine female teachers can
not expect more that $500 The minimum
salary In France is 500. Spain Is a back
About 65 per cent of the population can
neither read nor write, though compul-
sorry education was introduced many years
ago Madrid grants teachers $780, but in
villages the salary is only 500. It is de-
clared that at least 60 per cent of the Ital-
ians are without the rudiments of edu-
cation. In country making such an ex-
hibit one may look for poorly paid teach
ers Even in the city schools of Italy the
average yearly salary is $3.50. Sweden and
Norway pay minimum wage of $50 a
male teachers. The highest salary received
by males Is $500.