Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-09
MOREPAYFOR TEACHERS
LOCAL PETITION PRESENTED TO
THE SENATE.
Argument Why Salaries in the District
Should Be Increased-Higher Cost
of Living-Pay Elsewhere.

Senator Gallinger. chairman of the SEN
ate committee on the District of Columbia,
today presented to the Senate a petition
from the teachers of the District asking
that the salaries of all teachers be in
creased according to the estimates of the
board of education and the Commissioners
Of the District of Columbia
Whenever the country at large felici-
tates itself upon good times the govern
ment employe SUFFERS the petition states.
General prosperity is to him adversely.
In all other employments wages rise as
values rise, but the government employee,
while he feels the full force of increased
prices, does not have the same percentage
of increase in salary.
Increased Cost of Living.
I'm 1868 scale of salaries for graded
schools was adopted which was somewhat
adequate to the increased cost of living
after the civil war, the average salary be-
Ing S110.41. per cent above the average
salary of today. This schedule continued
in force ten years when, owing to the re-
duced cost of living and the financial de-
preston following the large expenditure
of the Shepherd administration Il cut of II
per cent was made. That cut remained in
force until last year, when the three lowest
salaries were increased. Those who have
been residents of the old and the
Washington realize wildly that living is
1878.
From the standpoint of the actual buy
Ing price of a dollar the teachers salaries
in Washington are at least 20 per cent less
than they Were eight years ago. The bu-
reau of labor, in pamphlet No. 40, issued
November, 1903, on Cost of Living. makes
the statement that the cost of living as a
whole in 1902 compared with 1896. has in
creased 16.1 per cent. The average salary
of the Washington teacher was increased
during that period less than per cent
"A comparison of the requirements of
the teacher of today and the teacher of
twenty-five years ago as to manner of liv-
ing, professional Improvement and culture
will convince the most skeptical that a
much create expenditure is required by
the teacher of today and that In conjunc-
ton with the increased cost of living. -yill
require very decided increase to put the
teachers salary of today on parity with
the salary of twenty-five years ago
Financial Responsibilities.
1.-THE young teacher just graduated from
the normal school lives annual sal
airy of $40, which resolves itself into
al IS per month. How does the amount
left after deducting $50 for board. COM
pare with the wages of capable maid
servant in Washington. who receives not
less than $50 with board included?
1T is not true that most of these young
teachers live at home and use their incomes
simply for Injuries. In the last three
NAL classes more than one-half of the
graduates were daughters of widows, sew
eral were orphans, and many others were
supported by parents with limited incomes
who had made innumerable sacrifices to
enable their children TO prepare themselves
for their chosen careers.
MANY of the most jealous and successful
of our experienced teachers get only 5000
or S1.GOo year, even after twenty years
OF service. The average length of service
nineteen years. That salary means less
than $40 month. And most of these sup
port upon this income not only themselves,
but dependent parents or families.
1T is true that sentimental reasons
should not govern the scale of salaries; but
It is also true that a wise employer pays
living wage, and that the standard of the
living wage is governed by the standards
OF life influencing the wage Garner.
Standards of Life.
These standards in Washington are high.
America is justly proud that her citizens
born to humble walks of life prove able, if
their efforts win them TO grace the
highest positions. This is largely due to the
fact that here, as nowhere else in the world,
ladies and gentlemen of culture teach the
children of all classes gathered in the pub
lie schools. In the English board school the
children of the poor are taught by board
school graduates, drawn from their
class. In America the poor immigrant s son
learns arithmetic. nut aDSOrDS culture. from
the daughter of the author. lawyer. physi-
clan or statesman. And, because of its pc
culiar citizenship. Washington demands
teachers of high average culture is
demanded in any other American city, even
of the highest ideals.
Demand for Teachers.
''As early as November "A of this year
Q90D. the last graduate of the normal class
of 1904 was appointed to a school, and there
Mill ha f,ll,.
needed before the end of the school year.
I'm 1895 the high school course had been
extended one year; in 1895 the normal
course was increased one year. the double
increase making the young people about to
choose self-supporting careers feel that with
only the meager returns of the public
schools in view, the thought of school teach
ing. with its expensive preparation. must be
abandoned and more lucrative business
with quicker returns. entered upon
Although il is desirable to have fifty
new pupils year In Normal School No 1,
only forty-eight candidates presented them
selves for examination in 1898. and of these
eight were rejected as ineligible.
Attracted Elsewhere.
Seventy teachers have left the Washing
ton schools within the last fifteen years TO
accept positions elsewhere. The average
salary vacated was s1,076; the average sal
airy received in their new positions 81 $50:
an increase of SIS per cent
THE low salaries In Washington subject
the school system to another danger-the
Ina bility to secure men. There are in the
United States too few men teachers From
1880 TO 1901 in the entire country the per
centage OF men teachers had fallen from 40
per cent TO Y per cent. In Washington the
percentage Is 1913 Members of the Nose
ley commission, which recently examined
American schools. have commented on this
weakness in the American school system
and one member of the commission. writing
TOT the Sclentlnc American. instanced WASH
Hg'on as conspicuous example"
Ia placing before the Senate the netition
Senator Gallinger asked that the naner he
printed and referred to the COMMITTEES on
APPROXIMATIONS apr The petition will be care
1uily considered by the COMMITTEE on %
preparations as soon as the District hin }s
before them. p4i 10