The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-05-13
The School
Salary Question

II. n. w. writing In The star.
May .. observes that teachers In
tho past have been paid much less
than they deserved: and II In Ger.
tainiy . good sign 70 find mo peo-
pie waking up to tho fact" and
then he hastens 20 add;
But ~ Is also . peculiar fact that
teachers arc reaching for more dol
iars.-
". n. VS.. logic In peculiar. He
declares that teachers are made
quatsly paid. and In fhs same
breath regards II ms undignified for
them 20 ask for more. Does III. Is.
W. not know that II school teachers
had not asked for an advance In
salary they would be paid the same
today as they we're paid In 1857
know many schools and have been
In tho ernploye OF many school
boards. but I never have known n
board out Of the greatness OF their
heart 20 call the teachers In and
tell them that as an expression -
their appreciation Of tho faithful
services OF the teachers. they haa
voted them an increase of salary.
I am sure that II this haf ever
happened n would have been re-
corded pognswhsr. in history. n II
not 20 be found there. Thrrefors. n.
a. the correspondent ismsnt-.
teachers are reaching for more and
more soiiar..- II L. because thcy are
starved into n.
Consequently. II. u. w. n IN error
when he fnt;mstes that the people
are waking ap- 10 thu inafeauacy
Of sescherv wages. Ths people Ga
noS wake up They would BE-
sleeping soundly on the subjsos yet
u the tsa1hers had Dot -wsksnet-
them Thsy were not awakened 20
the net un,i the great crisia Of
1919 came. when their services were
n~edsd In many ospacttiea Then a
great deal OF nauflin sentiment was
uttered about the hard.woskfnG. neg.
iected school teaches. and her merit
w~s duly recognized By the grant Of
<s~s increase IN salary. while the
cos, OF living advanced loore.
nut the great crisis has come and
Kons now. and II. u. w. has sound.
~ tho retreat 20 the wages OF 1918.
Dn, why stop ,heref Why not con.
tirue the retreat 60 the wage Of the
woman rural teacher OF istrf That
was ti.;S a week actual money
wage OF all persona tar surgeons
ought no, 20 30 things by halves.
The wage level Of 1871 il true nor
maicy.
In reality. a. II. B. w. Admits.
teachers wages have at no time
compared favorably with wages In
other activities.
In the most authoritative book on
tho subject. entitled Trends Of
School Costs" written by w. Ran
dolph burgess. and published by the
department Of education of the Rus
sell Sage Foundation In 1870. sp.
pears tho following statsmsnt pages
e3.ss;
From 1918 to 1870 the cost of
living increased twice a. much ~
teachers ealaries-
AS a result of recent prics IN
creases. the purchaalnx power OF
the teachers salaries In lees than
at any other time since tho civil
war period"
II appears from the foregoing. and
from n number of other materials
which lie before me. that n We are
TO make any considerable reduction
in educational expenditures. we must
look for loss OF efficiency.
More and more pupils are con-
sfantiy crowding into our schools.
and va must plan 10 spend more
and moro 10 accommodate them. II
We wish our educational system 10
develop 20 its highest usefulness.
These IDEAS are in accordance with
economic laws and we cannot evade
them. We must face them and
solve them. Pinohbeck economy
never has solved an educational
problem and II never will. Educa.
ton with tho dollar sign is too
suggestive Of education with the
lSaiser's helmet. Away with II.
MR. rf~p xtvfNyrtrnnn