The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-05-24
TEACHERS DECLARE
AGAINST Low WAGES
ST. Paul Federation Starts a
Movement to Have SaIa.
ries Raised.

more than 100000 school teachers
will this year quit an occupation
which does not yield them living
wage, was the depressing announce
ment made yesterday afternoon by
Prof. George F. James, dean of the
department of pedagogy at the state
university, in an address delivered at
the Commercial club before the ST.
Paul Federation of Grade Teachers,
upon the subject of Teachers Sala-
rieS.''
Prof. James maintained that school
teachers are not only underpaid but
that they earn much less proportion
ately than they received eight years
ago: He vigorously advocated an or
ganized movement on the part of the
teachers to secure higher salaries as
the price of better work. 4.
Scores and hundreds of schools are
this day closed in the most prosperous
sections of this country said the pro-
lessor, because the bare pittance Of
fered will not attract teachers OF any
kind. Why, over at the university we
often get applications for high school
teacher. He must teach several SCI
ences, we are informed, and Greek ser
Latin; he ought to have a good voice
and help in musical circles; and he
certainly should be able to take charge
of the boys athletics. His salary?
Wen, they'll seldom offer more than
$50 month for ten months in the year
Yet the rawest laborer, with no head
and only two hands, is assured daily
by the Minneapolis employment
agencies $50 a month for every month
in the year.
In prosperous town In Massa-
chusetts dressmakers are quoted at SO
a day and meals, but the best grade
teachers in that town get less than 81
a day. In Ohio $4,000 school teachers
are paid at the rate of 81 cents days
Conditions Little Better in West.
Conditions are but little better in
the West, and they are not improving.
In the wealthy state of Wisconsin
country teachers receive 16 per cent
more pay than they received eight
years ago, while the cost of living has
risen 26 per cent; in Wisconsin cities
the teachers salary is 8 per cent less
than it was eight years ago; that is,
he is 80 per cent worse off.
We are the worst paid workers IN
the world"
Prof. James admitted that a few
teachers are wholly untitled for their
pOS1llOHS anu lndt the teachers OF any
community never make a greater mis-
take than when they object to the in
competents being weeded out.
He urged united action for higher
wages. He also advocated ga fair
tenure of Office" promotion by merit,
and a pension system. He thought
that not only the city school boards
but the state government might be
persuaded to add to the salaries of the
city school teacher. The federal gov
eminent would do more each year for
education. Finally part of the many
millions given each year to institutions
Of learning might be devoted, he be-
heved, to the aid of teachers. He sug-
gested that the st. Paul teachers COM
tribute themselves part of a pension
fund for their own benefit, and that
they try to get the rest from the school
board and from public-s spirited citi-
ZenS. Fe@-
The Federation voted that commit
tees be appointed by its president,
Miss Jean MacMillan-one committee
to investigate the general subject sofs
raising salaries, and the other to pro-.
test before the school board against
the boards action in Withholding from
Undergraduates the advance Of pay
awarded to the grade teachers. %