The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-05-23
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: TEACHERS AND THE COST I:
OF LIVING. {:
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Most of the teachers in the United
States have in effect had their sala.
ries reduced since 1897. Despite the
apparent increase in money received
the high cost of living has cut into
their salaries just as definitely as
if school board had sliced them
A teaching position which paid $6O0
salary in 1897 is paying in PURCHASING
power the equivalent of about SAG
today, il measured by 1897 prices;
the teacher on the $1,000 salary gets
no more for his money today than
he would have procured fifteen years
ago for S693. This is what the high
cost of living has done to teachers
and others on fixed schedule ac-
cordinG to report on teachers sal
aries and cost of living distributed
by the United States Board of Edu-
cation
DR.. Robert C. Brooks, executive
secretary for the n. H. A. committee,
which prepared the report, shows by
liureau of Labor figures that whole
sale prices IN 1911 were AL per cent
higher than in 1907; that retail prices
had increased 500 per cent in the
same period, while In June, 1912, re-
| tail food prices We're Gil per cent
higher than in 1896. With these fig
ures as a basis he analyzes teach
ers' salaries in five cities in different
parts OF the United States and dem
onstrates the plight of the teachers
in the problem of increased cost of
living.
According TO the Brooks report
teachers do not receive enough sal
airy, even in the cities, to save
money TO carry adequate life insur-
ance or to proceed with further pro
fessional training Out of the 1000
teachers Investigated, only 10 were
found who possessed property over
$4,000, ana practically every one oEI
these thirteen owed their good for
tune to sources other than their sal
aries of teachers. Nearly all of the
men teachers carried life insurance,
but few of them to sufficient
amount Only four out of 13S mar
ried teachers would, if they were to
die now, leave in insurance or any
other property as much as ten times |
their annual salary-the lowest sum
that might be expected to provide for
the family.
How the high cost of living affects |
particularly the teacher who seeks to
marry and have a home is strikingly |
demonstrated. In Denver, a city of |
relatively high salaries, II married |
women with no others dependent up
on them had an average salary Of
$1,2l2 to meet their own needs eX-
clusiyely: 16 unmarried women with |
others dependent upon them had an
average from salary of $SO1 to spend
on each adult person in the family
including themselves: but the mar
ried men teachers had an average
from salary of only $413 for the
equivalent of each adult person in
Guiding themselves.
Teachers spend more than working
men for some things, though their
pay is about the same Rent and
are bigger items in the
teachers budget than in the laborer's
indicating more eXacting community
demands. Teachers also spend rela-
lively more than working men for
life insurance. religious purposes,
charity, amusement, vacations, and
care of health. They spend less for
lhildrens clothing-having fewer
children. Not all of them economize
in this way, however. 81 believe
writes a Denver principal, that
eachers should attend concerts a1I
good plays and take trips. So does
ny wife. but my salary necessitates "A
choice between these things and
'aisng a family. We chose the lat
er."
Many other significant side lights
N the high cost of living, Lart Gu
arly as it affects teachers are
Drought out in the report on "Teach-
rs Salaries and Cost of Living
The Commissioner of Education at
has a limited number of |
opies of the report for free distribu !
ion }