The Washington herald., 1921-04-05
COLLEGES FACING
SERIOUS MENACE,
ARNETT CLAIMS
Study Shows Lack ol
Funds Endangers
Learning.

Our institutions Of higher learn
ing. mhich are supported by endow-
menu, are seriously menaced
through lack OF funds to pay ade-
quate salaries to teachers" is the
declaration in q study made by
Trevor Arnett. secretary OF the
General Education Board.
The study contains Information
concerning colleges Of arts, science
and literature, arranged under three
groups.-men's and co-educational
institutions, women's colleges and
colleges for negroes. State univer-
stiles. professional schools and one
or two large endowed institutions
are not included.
Salaries Paid.
salaries paid In 1si4-i5 to $50
teachers. ranging from Instructors
to full professors. in 25s institu-
tions in all parts Of the country.
arc compared with salaries paid In
1880. OF this number, 1853 or
53.4 per cent were paid in 1880
from 1901 to s2.1oo per year: 3.2s3
received salaries above. s2,loo. but
Of these only 5is received more
than "a. 200 a year. Only % received
over $4,000, and they were mainly
special instructors In law schools
and like institutions.
These salaries include an increase
Of about IS per cent between 1919
and 1919. Meanwhile, according to
the United States Commissioner OF
Labor, the cost OF living had In
creased not less than so to 20 per
cent. Sixty-one per cent OF the
teachers reporting were married
wa$ to Meet Neeas.
To meet their increased necessi-
ties, colleges have utilized three
methods: First, the raising OF tuition
and other fees; second, the procur-
ing of additional endowment; third
the acceptance OF annual gifts oy
which they may be tided over an
immediate crisis.
Prior to 1870, fees had oeen
raised an average OF about 70 per
cent. Further increases are oeins 8
put into effect and are contemplated.
but many Institutions hesitate TO In
crease tuition fees lest they MAKE
Il impossible for students Of limited
means to attend college at all.
Gifts Inadequate.
Emergency gifts have been wide
ly sought. and. In general. trustees,
alumni. and the public have re-
spondcd generously. But gifts OF
this nature are inadequate In flnanc-
ing permanent salary increases. The
main requirement of endowed insti-
tutions is increased endowment and
Mr. Rockefeller's fund is being used
to stimulate such endowment. pri-
marily devoted to the raising of
salaries.
Mr.. Arnetts study develops the
relation between teachers salaries
and other expe nditures. Such SAL
aries form on the average only a.
per cent OF the total expenditures Of
the institutions reporting. Since
ls14-lel5 expenses of maintaining
and operating physical plants have
increased ~ per cent. while salaries
increased only as per cent. This
American Institutions TO put rels-
lively larger sums into maintenance
and upkeep as compared with the
sums devoted to teachers salaries.
This study was undertaken TO pro-
vide a basis for the distribution OF
s50.ooo.eoo gift made by Mr..
Rockefeller in December. 1919. with
the suggestion that. ss far as prac-
ticable, II be used for the purpose OF
stimulating and assisting colleges
and universities in raising addi-
tional endowment for the increase
OF teachers salaries.