The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1920-03-26
s1.OO A YEAR
Going!
BY Scott Nearing.


is seeking $25.OOO.OOO.OOO; Pittsburgh
is asking for $16O00.O00; Harvard FOR
SIS 100000; Princeton for $14.000.00),
and Cornell for $1O.OOO.OOO. Boston
university, New York university, Ober-
lin college, Bryan Mawr college, Mas
sachusetts Institute of Technology, and
some 60 other institutions Of learning
are busy with campaign; to raise Gu
dowment funds, funds ior buildings,
and above ALL funds that will make
possible IN increase in salaries suf'
ficient to offset the recent increasrs
ia the cost Of living.
A common denominator appears in
all Of the campaigns that have made
their appearance in the daily press
that is IN appeal to keep the higher
educational institutions of the country
on a sane basis Of law, order and
100 per cent Americanism.
One estimate placed the number of
"Bolshevil" professors in American
colleges and universities at C.000. Using
This as text, an appeal, circulated
among the graduates of certain west
ern colleges centering about Chicago
called attention to the fact that the
professors we're turning radical, ami
had actually formed unions in num-
ber Of the colleges because their pay
was lower, on the average, than that
of first class mechanics. If this 81
tuation is to be met, the argument con-
tinued, if the American institutions Of
learning are to be kept true to their
traditions and saved from the rad
icalism that was so noticeable factor
in tho student life Of Europe, the
professors must be paid at least 4
living wage.
Thus, the ideas of the American
teaching profession are to be subsi'
died. eased, assuaged and rectified
with plenty Of the yellow metal which
has recently found so comfortable =
Judgement among manufacturers of
steel and producers of coal. If the
teachers have money enough, argue the
saviors of Americas higher learning,
they will cease to think; or, at any
rate, cease to express their ideas,
which amounts to the same thing in
the long run.
Suppose, for the sake of argument,
that there are 5000 "reds" among
the professors 5000 who hold tLat
the present economic system is cap
able Of decided improvement within
the present generation. Further, fer
the sake of argument, suppose that the
5000 100000 for which the higher "a
stitutions are asking would charge
these reds into various shades from
pink to pure white. Who will give this
money!
The trades unions will not give it.
Some of them have large reserve
funds, but there is no record of any
ono of them having been approached
by any Of the colleges in question.
The organized farmers will not give
it. The rank and file of their organ.
cations is convinced that, in n demo.
cracy the funds for education should
come out of the public treasury.
Who, then, will give the money!
Those who have it, of course the
manufacturers. merchants, brokers,
financiers, and some of the better paid
lawyers and doctors. These persons
have big funds of surplus at their dis.
possl, and it is from them alone that
substantial results can be obtained.
Northwestern university is after
S25.000,000. 1t would require 2.500.0OO
contributions of $40 each to raise this
amount, and the overhead cost of rails
ing IL would eat out the heart Of tho
principal. Obviously, the vast sums
that are required by tn, institutions Of
higher learning can be raised only in
comparatively large amounts con.
tribu.ions of thousands and tens OF
! tboucooIs 90 Jo11ar,
. At the time that the last published
income figures were compiled. there
wero 439 66o persons in the United
, States who reported incomes of more
, than $4,000 per year II each Of these
persons gave $462, the institutions of
, higher learning would have their 5000.
, 000.0O0. There were, at the same time,
! 10,l0S persons with incomes Of $50.
| 600 per year (millionaries).
, If each Of these persons gave a
8 little more than 10000, the sums
/. asked for would be raised. II every
7 person who received more than $4,000
per year should contribute to this fund
| less than y of pcr cent of the
4 population Of the United States woulJ
. he contributors; If every person whit
9 received more than $4,000 per yeal
0 contributed to the fund, less than two
n tentbs of J per cent Of the population
o Of the United States would he on tn,
n list Even II every person who reporte,
r on income Of more than $4,000 a yea