Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-05-13
TEACHERS AND THE COST OF
LIVING.

Most of the teachers in the United
States have in effect had their salar-
les reduced since 1897. Despite an
apparent increase in money received,
the high cost of living has cut into
their salaries just as definitely as if a
school board had sliced them. A teach
ing position which paid $500 salary
in 1897 is paying in purchasing power
the equivalent OF about S416 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 10 years ago for $693. This
is what the high cost Of living has
done 70 teachers and others on a fixed
salary schedule, according TO a report
on teachers salaries and cost Of liv-
ing distributed by the United States
| bureau of education.
DR.. Robert c. Brooks, executive
! secretary for the y. Z. A. committee,
which prepared the report, shows by
bureau of labor figures that wholesale
prices in 1911 were AL per cent high
er than in 1901; that retail prices had
increased 500 per cent in the same
l
prices were Gil per cent higher than
in 1896. With these figures as basis
! he Analyses teachers salaries IN five
cities in different parts OF the United
/ States and demonstrates the plight
| OF the teachers IN the problem Of in
| creased 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
yestigated, only IS were found who
/ possessed property over $4,000, and
/ practically every one OF these Is owed
! their good fortune TO sources other
than their salaries Of teachers. Near
II all Of the men teachers carried life
insurance, but few OF them to q suf1-
Client amount. Only four out os 1888
married teachers wculd, Il they we're
TO die now, Ieave IL insurance or any
other property rs much as 10 times
their annual salary-the lowest sum
that might be expected 20 provide for
tie family.
How the high cost Of living affects
particularly The teacher who seeks to
marry and have z home Is strikingly
demonstrated. IN Denver, 9 city OF
relatively high salaries, Il married
women with no others dependent up
on them had en- average salary Of
slap to meet their own needs exclu-
sivcly. 16 unmarried women with 9TH
ers dependent upon them had 81 aver
age from salary of seo1 TO spend on
each adult person in the family In
Guiding themselves; but the married
men teachers had an average from sal
airy Of only Sab for the equivalent OF
each adult person including them
selves.
! Teachers spend more than working.
men for some things, though their
pay is about the same. Rsnt and
clothing ere bigger items In the teach.
er's budget than IN the laborsTs. In.
dic2ting more exacting community de-
mands. Teachers also spend rela-
lively more than worlingmsn for life
insurance, religious purposes, charity,
amusement, vacations, and care OF
health. They spend less for chill
dren's clothing-havilg fewer Chill.
dren. Not all Of them economic IN
this way, however II believe" writes
a Denver principal, that teachers
should attend concerts and good plays
and take trips. So does my wife, bu!
my salary uecessitates q choice be
tween these things and raising fam
lily. We chose the latter"
Many other Insignificant sidelights
on the high cost of living, particular.
Iy as it affects teachers, are brought
out in the report on Teachers Sslar-
les and Cost Of Living" The Commits
sioner of Education at Washington
has g limited number of copies of the
report for free distribution.