ucational work, the theory that the difficulty to secure the funds should make the employee content with the small wage has had an equally pernicious effect. The economic sense has been blunted on each side. May the time soon come when the tendency to reduce the standard of living, and hence efficiency of teacher and social worker, may cease; and when philanthropists will not attempt to take from their employees what they are striving to give their beneficiaries—the power to grow in their work and to be human. Unfortunately the same "custom of inferiority," lack of economic sense and business ability, failure to understand the group idea and the value of cooperation is apparent among women in these fields perhaps as conspicuously, because more important. To gain for efficiency its economic status in this field is even more difficult because all of the difficulties just enumerated must be solved in the face of custom and tremendous prejudice. The very spirit of protection-of chivalry, which we all admire, loses its sense of perspective, and forges chains to bind women so that they can neither protect themselves nor permit others to do so for them. In the newer fields of commercial and secretarial work and of household industries, Simmons College is, I believe, proving that technical efficiency, together with the back-ground of economic power, will command the suitable and adequate wage. It is here, as with trade schools, too soon to make deductions or quote statistics; but the outlook is encouraging. While Simmons College and technical and commercial High Schools are breaking down, the barrier of mediocrity and broadening the field of work at the top, thus reducing the number of competitors in the less skilled fields of commercial life such as the ordinary typewriter, stenographer, and saleswoman -trade schools and technical schools should be drawing back into the skilled trades those whose tastes and abilities fit them for industrial rather than commercial occupations. With the number thus reduced, every effort should be put forth by the educational and social leaders to bring about education, organization, and legislation which shall raise the standard of wages in this field. Approaching professional occupations for women, we are brought face to face with the problem of teaching and its salaries. By statute, California has provided for equal pay for equal work for men and women in the public schools; but eastern states are less farsighted. This question is far too large to be discussed here; rather let us consider the problem of wage, standards of living, and effi ciency. While by far the larger number of teachers are not college graduates, in the brief time allowed it is pertinent to consider what the teaching is affording in wage to the supposedly most highly skilled members of the profession. That the lower salaries of the less skilled are not more commensurate with the required standards of living will hardly be disputed. It will be remembered that in 1906 the Boston Branch undertook a study of the "Living Wage for College Women," sending the schedule for statements of income and expenditure to each general member of the Association and to each of its branches. Consequently a preliminary report was presented, in order to show the facts as gained from the returns, with the belief that it revealed the trend of opinion and that it would be of great value in determining the future line of study of this subject in this Association, in the Alumnae Associations of the Colleges, and throughout the country. The conclusions cannot be considered final since the small number of 177 returns were received, and full accounts were given in 137 only.1 This investigation was undertaken with the view of adding definition to the vague feeling that a college education did not receive the reward from the public exchequer that tends to encourage young women to take sufficiently thorough courses, and the following questions suggest the means of discovering the truth of the contention: 1. Does or does not a college education pay? Is the recent requirement that high school teachers, for instance, must have a college degree, a just one in view of the cost of a college course and in view of the salary paid? 2. What is the minimum salary upon which a college woman Of the 177 returns the financial account is fairly satisfactory for 171 of the reports, altho the full college expenses are given in but 92. The schedules received represent 27 colleges from 19 states, as follows: (1) Returns from States: California, 7; Connecticut, 1; Idaho, 1; Illinois 4; Kansas, 1; Maryland, 3; Massachusetts, 47; Michigan, 1; Mississippi, 1; Missouri, 8; Nebraska, 1; New Hampshire, 1; New Jersey, 5; New York, 55; Ohio, 7; Pennsylvania, 7; Rhode Island, 11; Washington, D. C., 3; Wisconsin, 2. No state given, 14. (2) Returns from colleges: Barnard, 6; Boston, 7; Brown, 1; Bryn Mawr, 5; California, 4; Cincinnati, 1; Chicago, 5; Cornell, 13; Denison, 1; Hamlin, 1; Indiana, 1; Iowa, 1; Mass. Technology, 3; Michigan, 6; Minnesota, 1; Missouri, 2; Mount Holyoke, 1; Nebraska, 2; Oberlin, 6; Radcliffe, 17; Smith, 30; Stanford, 2; Syracuse, 5; Vassar, 32; Wellesley, 22; Wesleyan, 2; Wisconsin, 1. (3) Returns from small towns, 34; returns from large cities, 105; returns from unknown, 38. can afford to accept a position, and what should be the advance of salary during the years of service? 3. What must a college woman save in order to provide for her support after sixty years of age? 4. Is the college woman receiving sufficient compensation to meet this requirement? If not, why not? According to the reports,' the money expense for the four years in a state university may be between $1000 and $1500. If strict economy is exercised, in a few of the institutions $1500 will carry the student through the four years' course, although the greatest number show an expenditure of $2200 to $2400. The increased cost of living and the consequent advance in charges by several colleges, together with the growing extravagance of college halls, shows that college expenses not only have increased but are likely to become still larger. A study of expenditures of students in college at present-at Wellesley College by Miss Wamsley, and at Simmons College by Misses Kellogg and Sherburne-corroborates these conclusions, the difference being due to the fact that the latter returns include cost of clothing in all cases, while the reports from the Association members do not. Then, if 1 to 8 years of graduate study were added (69 of the 177 returns show such advanced study), the total cost of training would be between $4000 and $7000.* The consideration of the second part of the question-what income does the college woman receive-should have due regard to the years of teaching or employment, and to the years of graduate work. Out of 123 salaries given, 18 receive $800 or less, of whom 11 have been teaching over 3 years, and 9 over 5 years; although but one has had graduate work. Thus, about 15% are receiving less than a minimum of $800, and half of those have been teaching 5 years or more. Twenty-three teachers receive $800 to $1000, of whom 9 have been at work over 5 years. That is, just one-third 'Returns on college expenses: Full account, 92; except cost of books, 115; except cost of board, 102. 'Expenditure for 4 years under $1000, none; $1500-2300, 49; at $2300, 15; over $2300, 20. Wellesley College: Class 1, $2400 (at Halls where students do housework). Represent 10% of cases studied. Class 2, $2400- $3600. Represent 40% of cases studied. Class 3, $3600-$4800. Represent 40% of cases studied. Class 4, $4800 and over. Represent 10% of cases studied. Simmons College: Lowest possible expenditure, $1453. Expenditure of greatest number, $2702. Normal expenditure of those living at home, $1438. Variations in normal expenditure, $1607 to $4769. *One year graduate study, 25; 2 years, 24; 3 years, 11; 4 to 8 years, 9. of the teachers have a salary of $1000 or less. It will be seen according to these returns that a very large proportion of the teachers are now receiving the minimum living wage of $800, even though but 2 can be considered as serving an apprenticeship because of less than three years' experience. Almost an equal number, 39, are earning between $1000 and $1300. Practically all of these have had more than 5 years' experience, and half have had graduate work. The other one-third of the returns show an income ranging from $1300 to $3000 or over, almost all of whom have been at work over 8 years, or have had a number of years of graduate work.1 Upon this basis, certainly, the income is not proportionate to the expenditure. A discussion of the minimum salary and of the necessary advance in salary should require a study of the living expenses of college women. We have here the most valuable feature of the report, for it affords the beg nning of a collection of data on that most vexed question of necessary expenditures; and, even though calculated for the trained woman, may aid in the whole study of the "living wage." We shall approach the subject, first, from the reports of actual expenses, computing the necessary salary to meet such expenses and provide appropriate savings; and second, by a comparison of incomes with expenditures and the margin actually afforded for savings.2 A close study of the returns3 reveals several important facts besides the range of income essential: (1) We find that the allowance for board of less than $6 a week, which forms the lowest figure under the usual expenditure of the "greatest number," is below what is given in the reports as the rate for "lowest suitable board;" while the highest figure is too low for any localities except the very small towns. (2) The allowance for incidentals, which includes laundry, $50-$150, is far below the healthful standard. (3) The dependence upon $10 to $25 for medical services is dangerous, and must all too often mean a sacrifice of health which will finally result in a call upon savings or a reduction of earning capacity. (4) "Pro 1Earning between $1300 and $1600, 19 (13 with graduate study and 18 with 5 years experience); between $1600 and $1800, 5 (with 8 to 16 years experience); between $1800 and $2000, 5 (with 13 to 20 years' experience); between $2000 and $2600, 8 (with 8 to 26 years experience); over $3000, 6 (with 10 to 29 years' experience). For table see p. 124. fessional expenses" cut down may, and usually do, mean a lowering of efficiency or of development, resulting in a failure to increase earning capacity so as to provide for savings, and often mean a loss of position. (5) What may seem like an unusual allowance for traveling expenses is often required by the distance from home, by the summer outing, and by the savings which may be invested in European travel. Therefore the reports of the living expenses of college women show that the opportunity to save, upon an income of $1000 or less, is extremely slight. It is a unanimous opinion that the college woman is now at the limit of frugal living to get the best out of life without worry. The women physicians emphatically protest against more frugal living. Furthermore, a large number of these reports reveal that women are supporting or aiding in the support of other members of the family and thus relieving their brothers of burdens, but cutting down their own savings as a result. It must be granted that savings are a necessary part of the expenditure, and must be considered as vital in attempting to determine a "living wage." A comparison of income and expenditure shows startling conditions, with regard to margin. The savings for those receiving less than $1200 are less than $200, if any thing, and universally at a sacrifice of the necessities of life; while the ability to save from $300 to $500 on a $1200 to $1500 salary involves the same sacrifice. It is only on a $1200 to $1500 salary that a saving of $200-$300 seems possible without reducing the standard of living, and only on a salary of $1500 or more that a saving of $500 is possible or feasible. To determine upon the advance in salary, the age at which savings should begin and the amount of savings necessary to permit a woman to retire comfortably at 60 years of age must be considered. The greater number of college women graduate at the age of twenty-two or twenty-three or under, while a very small proportion finish their course after the age of twenty-four. Taking into consideration graduate work, we may say that a college woman's earning capacity begins at twenty-five years of age or under. We find also that the salary of $1000 or over does not usually come for the woman who has had no graduate work, unless she has had four to ten or more years of experience; and consequently the beginning of a period of savings cannot be counted upon until a woman has reached the age of thirty or thirty-five. If this is so, we find that |