Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-05-13


caused the murders named by the
Sentinel. but such newspapers as
the Sentinel itself. and other follow
ers of the doctrine of rum anarchy.
Teachers and the Cost of Living.
Most of the teachers in the United
States have in effect had their salaries
reduced since 1897. Despite an ap-
parent increase in money received the
high cost of living has cut into theif
salaries just as definitely as if
school board had sliced them.
teaching position which paid 5000 sal
airy in 1897 is paying in purchasing
power the equivalent of about si16 to-
day, il measured by 1897 prices. the
teacher on the $1,000 saiary gets nc
more for his money today than he
would have procured fifteen years age
for $685. This is what the high cost
of living has done to teachers and 9TH
ers on a fixed salary schedule. accord
ing to report ON teachers salaries
and cost of living distributed by the
United States Bureau of Education.
Dr. Robert e. Brooks, executive
which prepared the report. shows by
Bureau Of Labor figures that whole
CA n r.ricpc in 4 rent
higher than in 1907; that retail prices
had increased 5e.2 per cent. in the
same period; while in June. 1872, re-
tail food prices were Gil per cent.
higher than in 1896. With these fig
ures as Il basis he analyses teachers
salaries in five cities in different parts
OF the United States and demonstrates
the plight Of the teachers in the prob
lem of increased cost Of living.
According to the Brooks report,
teachers do not receive enough salary,
even in the cities, to save money to
carry adequate life insurance or to
proceed with further professional
training Out of the 1900 teachers in-
vestign ted. only Is were found who
possessed property over $4,000, and
practically every one of these 13 owed
their good fortune to sources othei
than their salaries of teachers. Near
ly all of the men teachers carried life
f,Nas
iicient amount. only four out of 13s
married 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 strikingiv
demonstrated. In Denver, Il city OF
relatively high salaries II married wo-
men with no others dependent upon
them had an average salary of $1212
to meet their own needs exclusively;
16 unmarried women with others de-
pendent upon them had an average
from salary of $S0l to spend ON each
adult person in the family including
themselves but the married men
teachers had an average from salary
of only $413 for the equivalent of each
adult person including Themselves.
Teachers spend more than working
men for some things, though their pay
is about the same. Rent and clothing
are bigger items in the teachers bud
get than in the laberer,s, indicating
Teachers also spend relatively more
than workingmcn for life insurance,
religious purposes, charity, amuse.
ment, vacations, and care of health
They spend less for chldrcn's cloth
ing-having fewer children. Not all
of them economize in this way, how
| ever. Il believe" writes a Denver
| principal, that teachers should attend
4
| concerts and good plays and take
trips. So does my wife. but my sal
airy necessitates a choice between these
things and raising family. We
chose the latter"
Many other significant side lights
on the high cost of living, particular
iy as it affects teachers. are brought
out in the report on Teachers Sal
aries and Cost of Living The Com
missioner Of Education at Washington
has limited number of copies of the
report for free distribution.
! The record for storage battery cleo
tric cars WAS stbroken when an expert
: mental IN ,a