ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 



Philadelphia, Pa., April, 1920. 



The Urgent Necessity of Higher Salaries for Entomologists. 



We have received from "a group of >ounger Entomolo- 

 gists" a letter and a printed statement entitled "American 

 Entomology: Its Present and Future Status as a Profession. " 

 The justness of the claims urged therein is so apparent and the 

 emergency is so pressing that we reproduce a large part of 

 the statement herewith. 



That men of science, particularly those engaged in research and teaching, 

 are greatly underpaid, is a fact so well known that it needs no setting out 

 here. This applies, perhaps, more especially to Entomology' than to any 

 other one division of the basic Sciences. 



We have in mind a case that came under our observatioa a short time 

 ago, the case of a young man, very greatly interested in his work, capable, 

 ambitious and diligent. The only misfortune that apparently handicapped 

 this gentleman was a wife and two children. This young man entered the 

 employ of a certain Department of Entomology four years previous at a 

 salary' of $1000 per annum, giving up a position of some importance and 

 much larger remuneration for his services in doing so. After one year of 

 faithful service he was raised to $1200 and had remained at this salary for 

 three years. Apparently every eflFort had been made by his immediate 

 superiors, without avail, to have his salary increased. Twelve hundred 

 dollars is decidedly not a living wage for a family of four. 



For several months the young man tried various enterprises outside of 

 working hours to remedy the situation. These eventually encroached on 

 official time as the situation became more and more acute. He gave less 

 and less thought to his professional work and more and more to the question 

 of making income and expenses meet. After a time the situation became 

 so desperate that the young man resigned his position and entered busi- 

 ness. At the present time he is enjoying considerable success in a com- 

 mercial enterprise. Let us repeat that this young man was an excellent 

 investigator and an Entomologist of great promise. 



It may be pointed out by some that the case herein mentioned is an ex- 

 treme case but we now have under observation several instances which 

 are nearly parallel. 



Now there are positions open for a certain number of Entomologists, 

 positions which must be filled by someone, and which should be filled by 

 those most fitted by training and experience. Yet many of these positions 

 are filled by a shifting group of men, the cycle appearing to travel in some 



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