The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-11

CoIumbIa's President Flans to Increase
the PrOfess0rs' Salaries.

In his annual report to the trustees
Of Columbia University. issued yesterday,
President Nicholas Murray kutler makes
a plea for the Advancement of the wag
scale among the university faculty. He
declares that the cost of living has increased
70 such an extent as to make a salary which
was adequate for a college professor thirty
years q utterly inadequate.
Says President Butler:
The important facts then. are: First. that
the present average salary paid to a Columbia
University professor is but one-half OF the
sum fixed as necessa ry thirty years ago: and
second. that the cost of living has meanwhile
increased between 10 and 70 per cent. The
purchasing power OF the average salary OF
1909 is. therefore,. hardly more than 20 per
cent. Of the purchasing power OF the salary
established In 1870. In other words. the great
and note worthy expansion of the university.
which has been brought about by the labors
Of tho unive rsity teachers. has also been
brought about at theirexpenso. The most i'm
portant need of this university ut the present
time IL m addition to the endowment fund
sufficient to enable the establishment and
maintenance OF q proper standar OF COM
pensation to members of the teaching staff.
When the action OF 1874 was taken there were
but seven professors to be affected by It,. A
very small sum Of none sufaced then to
make a very substantial addition to the sal
airy OF each.
Nowhere are 40 professors and ~ adjunct
professors. 1853 in all. To increase the salary
Of each by only 81 400 on an average-not at
oil an adequate amount-would absorb the
interest at S per cent. on q capital sum
OF more than 81. 600, 900. Nevertheless this
great sum must be obtained and these
comp nsations must be fixed and paid or we
cannot hope to attract and keep the best men
T. ehA AAaks-. - l.
those already in 1t to represent the intellectual
and moral interests Of the community as
those interests should be represented.
President Butler on the value
OF the Roosevelt professorship, now held
by Prof. John William P1rgess of Columbia
in Berlin University, and of the reciprocal
Kaiser Wilhelm professorship ut Columbia.
Tn University Of London. SAYS President
Butler, Is DESTROYS OF making arrangements
with Columbia for a similar interchange of
professorships.
On the subject OF football President
Butler discoairses most seriously. He be-
lieves that Columbia has acted rightly in
forbidding the game on its campus. He
is certain that the football spirit had so
far outgrown its bounds as to be opposed
to the better interests OF the university.
In his belief that football il degrading to
the liner instincts President Butler finds
an authority in Seneca, whom he quotes.
Seneca had this to say about gladiatOrial
combats:
Man, who ought to be sacred TO his
fellow man, is now killed by sport. .
Kill himl Hammer himl Roast him! What
makes him so shy Of jumping on the grid
iron? Why doesn't he knock them out?
Does he want to live forever? " " Tell
me-, do you not understand even this much:
That d~isgraceful exhibitions react on those
who permit them?"
Concu rring with Seneca, President Butler
says: THE most serious effects of inter-
collegiate football were not worked upon
h participants, but upon the spectators
and upon the general public. The par
Elephants were very often entirely uncon-
scious Of the criticism to which they exposed
themselves. but there is not wanting evil
dence that the spectators, particularly the
student spectators, were often swept into
a vortex of hysteria and emotionalism
which left its permanent mark upon their
characters"