Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-05-14
Bismarck, Wednesday, May IA, 1913
TEACHERS AND THE COST OF
LIVING.

Most of the teachers in the United
aries 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
teaching position which paid $500 sal.
AIRY in 1897 is paying in purchasing
power the equivalent Of about $ilh
today, if measured by 1897 prices;
the teacher on the 81 900 salary gets
no more for his money today than he
would have procured fifteen years ago
for $G93. This is what the high cost
OF living has done to teachers and 9th
ers on a fixed salary schedule, accord
ing to a report on teachers salaries
and cost of living distributed by the
United States Bureau of Education.
DR.. Robert c. Brooks, executive sec
rotary for the N. T.. A. committee,
which prepared the report, shows by
bureau 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 were Gi.1 per cent
higher than in 1896. With these fig
ures as a basis he analyses teachers
salaries in five cities in different
parts Of the United States and demon
strates the plight of the teachers in
the problem of increased cost Of liv-
ing.
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 1000 teachers
investigated, only IS were found who
possessed property Over $1,000, and
practically every II of these T. owed
their good fortune to sources other
than their salaries of teachers. Near
ly all of the men teachers carried
life insurance, but few Of them to a
sufficient amount. Only 4 out Of l3S
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.
ia How the high cost OF living affects
particularly the teacher who seeks to
rnarry and have a home is strikinely
demonstrated. In Denver, a city OF
relatively high salaries. IA married
women with no others dependent up
on hem, had an average salary of
$l,212 to meet their W needs rXcli.
81 ely; 16 unmarried women, with
oilers dependent upon them, had an
average from salary Of $SOl to spend
OF each adult person in the family,
including themselves: but the mar
ried men teachers had an average
p, from salary of only $+l3 for the equiv
alent 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 laborer's, indicating
more eXacting demands. Teachers
also spend relatively more than work
ingmen for life insurance, religious
purposes, charity, amusement, vaca-
tons, and care of health. They
spend less for children's clothing
having fewer children. 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, but my salary necessi.
tates a choice between these things
and raising a family. We chose the
latter"