The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-09-16
|NCRE ASE. v A CT.
OF TEA { he RS IS
NOT COMMENSURATE
Statistics Show Instructors
Salaries Raised As Per
Cent; Laborers In
crease 100 Per Cent

New York, Sept. 16.-School budgets
in American cities should be twice as
large as before the war according to
an analysis of public school statistics
just given out ,by the Russell Sage
Foundation. The report maintains that
teachers salaries should now be doub-
le the pre-war figures in order TO OBJ
tain the same quality of educational
service The cost of school buildings
Is declared to have trebled in the last
five years.
These findings are made public in
volume entitled Trends Of School
Costs" The author is Dr. W. Ran.
dolph Burgess. assistant director OF
the department Of education OF the
Russell! Sage Foundation. The study
is an application to the field Of edu-
cation Of the method Of the index
number. The volume is a companion
to The Index Number for state
School Systems" by DR.. Leonard j.
Ayrcs, which made a comparison OF
the efficiency OF the school system
OF different states.
Comparison of Salaries.
DR.. Burgess compares the salaries
paid to teachers with those paid to
young women teachers in country
schools have increased from $3.50 a
week in 1S4l to $3.50 now an in
crease OF 900 per cent. Salaries OF
women teachers In cities show a SINH
lar increase. from about $3.50 to $3.50
week. Men teachers received much
smaller relative increases.
Up to 1916 teachers received per-
centage increases in salary nearly
twice as great as artisans and labor
ers, DIR. Burgess finds; but in spite OF
the increases the average pay OF
teachers has never risen as high as
wages paid to such artisans as black
miths, carpenters and painters.
Less Than Half Paid LabOrers.
During the flvG years since 1915
the salaries of teachers have increas-
ed on the average of A. per cent, as
compared with 100 per cent increase
in the wages of laborers and artisans"
says q summary of the report. This
lag in teachers salaries behind the
general rise in prices has wiped out
all the gain that was made since the
time OF the civil war A comparison
of teachers salaries and the cost of
the necessities of life each year for
the past so years makes 1t clear that
in the past two years the purchasing
power OF the teachers salary has been
'ess than at any other time since the
nj itfl Tho fnufpfafpc thnt
the only way to retain efficient teach
crs in service and at the same time
attract able men and women to teach
ing is 10 bring salaries to n level
corresponding to the level of the wages
in other occupations, and the level OF
the cost of living. This is taken to
mean bringing salaries 10 a point just
double the pre-war figures"
Must Double Pay.
Estimating the probable levels OF
school expenditures during the COM
ing few years, the conclusion is drawn
by Or. Burgess that to buy the same
amount OF educational service in 1920
and 1921 as in 1915 1t will be neces.
sary to double the school budget. In
the light of price and wage fluctua-
tons In the past and particularly at
the time OF the civil war II is pre-
dcted that no large decreases in
prices or wages are to be anticipated
Immediately. but that expenditures on
the enlarged scale will be necessary
FOR a number of years.
Increase Land Tax.
Considering ways to meet the desir-
cd increase in school expenses. DR..
Burgess says he believes the tax rate
on property and particularly on land
can be further increased without dis
aster. The wide range Of tax rates in
| different large cities is cited to ndi-
cate that there Is no economic limit
which has been reache in many cit-
les.