The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-09-17
SCHOOL BUDGETS
DOUBLE PRE-W4R
FIGURE
Because Teachers Salaries Should Be
Double Pre-War, Says Russell
Sage Foundation.

New York, Sept. l1.-School budgets
in American cities should be twice as
large as beofre the war, according ia
an analysis of public school statistics
just given out by the Russell Sage
foundation The report maintains that
teachers salaries should now be double
the same quality of educational serv-
ice. The cost of school buildings is de-
clared TO have trebled in the last five
years.
These figures are made public in a
volume entitled Trends of School
Costs" The author is DIR. w. Randolph
Burgess, assistant director of the de-
partment of education of the Russell
Sage foundation. The study is an APP
plication to the field OF educat ton of
the method Of the index number 1he
volume is a companion to THE Index
Number for State School Systems" by
DIR. Leonard p. Ayres, which made a
comparison of the efficiency of the
school systems of different states.
DIR. Burgess compares the salaries
paid TO teachers with those paid to la.
borers and artisans for so years and
finds that the wages paid to young
women teachers in country schools
have increased from 81 80 a week in
1871 to $3.50 now, an increase of 800
per cent. Salaries of women teachers
in cities show a SIMILAR increase from
about $3.50 TO $3.50 a week. Men
teachers received much smaller. rela-
tive increases.
Up to 1915 teachers received per-
ccntage increases in salary nearly twice
as great as artisans and laborers. Dir.
Burgess finds; but in spite OF the in.
creases the average pay of teachers has
never risen "a high a. wages paid TO
such artisans as blsoksmiths, csrpen.
tiers and painters.
During the five years, since 1918,
the salaries of teachers have increased
on the average of As per cent, As com
pared with a 100 per cent increase in
the wages Of laborers' and artisans,
SAYS 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 wears makes il clear that in the
past two years the purchasing power
of the teachers salary has been less
than al any Sher time since the Civil
war The report maintains that the
only way TO retain efficient teachers in
service and at the same time attract
able men and women to teaching is to
bring salaries to a level corresponding
to the level Of the wages in other occu- |
pations. and the level Of the cost of !
living This is taken to mean bringing /
salaries to point just double the pre-
war figures"
Estimating the probable levels of
school expenditures during the coming I
few wears. the conclusion is drawn by /
DR. Burgess that to buy the same |
amount of educational service in 1920 /
and 1927 as in 1915 it will he neces-
sary TO double the school budget. In
the light of price and wage huctus
tions in the past and particularly at
he time of the Civil war II is predict
I'd that no large decreases in prices or
wages are TO be anticipated immedi-
ately, but that expenditures on the en-
arged scale will be necessary for a
number Of years
Considering ways 10 meet the desired
Increase in school expenses. DIR. Burgess
avs he believes the tax rate on prop
,rty and particularly on land can be
iurther Increased without disaster. The
vide range of tax rates in different
srge cities is cited 10 indicate that
here Is no economic limit which has
been reached in many cities.