CODEBOOK AND USER'S MANUAL: A SURVEY OF 347 TEACHERS IN IOWA, 1884 REPORTED IN THE FIRST BIENNIAL REPORT OF THE IOWA BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS Version 3.0 April 22, 1993 Susan B. Carter Roger L. Ransom Richard Sutch Hongcheng Zhao Historical Labor Statistics Project Institute of Business and Economic Research University of California Berkeley, California 94720 This codebook is a preliminary draft. The data described here and accompanying this version of the codebook is still in a preliminary format and may contain errors. Those wishing to use this data for research purposes should check with the authors for an update. Neither the collectors of the data or those sponsoring the data collection wish to bear responsibility for the use to which others may make of this data. The financial support of the National Science Foundation, the All-UC Group in Economic History, and of the Institute of Business and Economic Research and the Laboratory for Historical Research, both of the University of California, is appreciated. For further description of the Historical Labor Statistics Project, discussion of the social, economic, and political context in which the data were collected, and an assessment of data quality, see Susan B. Carter, Roger L. Ransom, and Richard Sutch, "The Historical Labor Statistics Project at the University of California," Historical Methods 24 (2) (Spring 1991): 52-65 and Susan B. Carter, Roger L. Ransom, and Richard Sutch, "Doing the Wright Thing: Carroll Wright and the State Labor Statistics Movement." Paper Presented at the Conference on Historical Labor Statistics, Lawrence, Kansas, June 1991. Suggested Citation: Susan B. Carter, Roger L. Ransom, Richard Sutch and Hongcheng Zhao. Codebook and User's Manual: Survey of 347 Teachers in Iowa, 1884; Reported in the First Biennial Report of the Iowa Bureau of Labor Statistics. Berkeley: Institute of Business and Economic Research, 1993. A SURVEY OF 347 TEACHERS IN IOWA, 1884 These data come from a survey of 347 teachers conducted by the Iowa Bureau of Labor Statistics in 1884 and published in its First Biennial Report [1885]. While the stated purpose of the survey was to ascertain the opinions of teachers regarding the possible adoption of a uniform system of text-books throughout the state, the Bureau also collected and published data on personal characteristics of teachers including gender, age, nativity, college education, earnings, expenses, savings, debt, insurance, and home ownership. The report does not contain a description of the sampling procedure used other than to state, "blanks were sent out, and a large number of replies received" [Iowa Bureau of Labor Statistics 1885, p. 245]. The Historical Labor Statistics Project has transformed these data into machine-readable form using the procedures and codes outlined in this Codebook. Table 1 lists the questions asked in the survey and the variable names assigned to each response. Tables 2 through 20 present descriptive statistics on the values and distribution of responses to the questions, including, where necessary, the numeric codes used in entering the data into the computer. In the case of one question we report a slightly different variable than the one summarized in the Report. We coded a respondent as having insurance only if he or she indicated life insurance. Because the Report counted fire and accident insurance policies together with life, its totals differ from ours. Since version 2.0, most of the variable codes and some of the variable names have been changed. Some minor data changes have been made in HOURS, TERMS, BOARD, and INSUR. Several new variables such as PAGE, PERIOD, WHYDEBT and TEXTBK have been added. Users are reminded to be aware of these changes. The data from this survey of 347 teachers in Iowa in 1884 has been archived at the Laboratory for Historical Research at the University of California, Riverside. For additional information regarding the availability of these data please contact: Professor Roger Ransom Department of History University of California Riverside, CA 92521 FAX [909] 787-5299 Reference Iowa Bureau of Labor Statistics. First Biennial Report, 1884-5. Des Moins: Geo. E. Roberts, 1885. Table 1 Questions Asked of Respondents Survey of Iowa Teachers, 1884 Name Description PAGE Page Number ID Case Number SEX Sex OCC Occupation AGE Age POB Nativity HOURS Average Number of Hours Taught TERMS Number of Terms Taught COLLEGE Received a College Education EARNMO Earnings Per Month TOTEAR Total Earnings for the Year COLYR Cost of Living for the Year BOARD Average Monthly Cost of Board DEP Number Wholly or Partially Dependent on the Teacher for Support PERIOD Pay Period BENESOC Belong to a Beneficiary Association INSUR Have Insurance SAVINGS Have Accumulated Savings IFDEBT Have Run into Debt WHYDEBT Reasons for Running in Debt TEXTBK Favoring a State Uniformity of Textbooks OWNHM Own a Home Table 2 Sex [SEX] Survey of 347 Teachers in Iowa, 1884 Code Response Frequency 1 Male 181 2 Female 166 Total 347 Table 3 Occupation [OCC] Survey of 347 Teachers in Iowa, 1884 Code Response Frequency 1 Teacher 324 2 Principal 13 3 Superintendent 10 Total 347 Table 4 Age [AGE] Survey of 347 Teachers in Iowa, 1884 Age or code Frequency -9(No response) 1 16 - 20 years old 88 21 - 25 124 26 - 30 69 31 - 35 27 36 - 40 15 41 - 45 10 46 - 50 7 51 - 62 6 Total 347 Table 5 Nativity [POB] Survey of 347 Teachers in Iowa, 1884 Code Response Frequency 1 Canada 3 2 England 1 3 Germany 5 4 Ireland 1 5 Norway 4 6 Nova Scotia 1 7 Prince Edward Island 1 8 Sweden 2 9 Switzerland 1 10 United States 328 Total 347 Table 6 Average Number of Hours Taught per Day [HOURS] Survey of 347 Teachers in Iowa, 1884 Hours or code Frequency -9(No response) 3 4.0 - 5.0 hours 2 5.1 - 6.0 262 6.1 - 7.0 50 7.1 - 8.0 23 8.1 - 9.0 3 9.1 - 10.0 4 Total 347 Table 7 Number of Terms Taught [TERMS] Survey of 347 Teachers in Iowa, 1884 Terms or code Frequency -9(No response) 2 -8("1st term") 16 1 - 5 terms 136 6 - 10 79 11 - 15 46 16 - 20 29 21 - 25 7 26 - 30 8 31 - 84 24 Total 347 Table 8 Received a College Education [COLLEGE] Survey of 347 Teachers in Iowa, 1884 Code Response Frequency -9 No response 292 2 Yes 55 Total 347 Table 9 Earnings per Month [EARNMO] Survey of 347 Teachers in Iowa, 1884 Value or code Frequency -9(No response) 8 $18.00 - 20.00 5 20.01 - 30.00 108 30.01 - 40.00 157 40.01 - 50.00 25 50.01 - 60.00 8 60.01 - 70.00 9 70.01 - 80.00 6 80.01 - 90.00 1 90.01 - 100.00 10 100.01 - 160.00 10 Total 347 Table 10 Total Earnings and Cost of Living for the Year Survey of Iowa Teachers, 1884 Frequency Value Total earnings Cost of living or code [TOTEAR] [COLYR] -9(No response) 67 133 $20.00 - 100.00 30 45 100.01 - 200.00 68 83 200.01 - 300.00 84 39 300.01 - 400.00 40 23 400.01 - 500.00 20 10 500.01 - 600.00 9 6 600.01 - 700.00 8 2 700.01 - 800.00 3 0 800.01 - 900.00 3 3 900.01 - 1,000.00 3 0 1,000.01 - 1,500.00 12 3 Total 437 437 Table 11 Monthly Cost of Board [BOARD] Survey of 347 Teachers in Iowa, 1884 Value or code Frequency -9(No response) 69 -8("At home") 25 -7("For use of organ") 1 -6("Work for board") 1 $4.00 - 6.00 15 6.01 - 8.00 68 8.01 - 10.00 86 10.01 - 12.00 30 12.01 - 14.00 16 14.01 - 16.00 22 16.01 - 18.00 6 18.01 - 20.00 6 20.01 - 32.00 4 Total 437 Table 12 Number Wholly or Partially Dependent on the Teacher for Support [DEP] Survey of 347 Teachers in Iowa, 1884 Number or code Frequency -9(No response) 206 1 dependent 31 2 31 3 35 4 13 5 11 6 9 7 2 8 4 9 2 10 3 Total 347 Table 13 Pay Period [PERIOD] Survey of 347 Teachers in Iowa, 1884 Code Response Frequency 1 5 months 1 2 Close of term 53 3 Indefinite 2 4 Monthly 265 5 Quarterly 22 6 Semi-annually 3 7 Time yearly 1 Total 347 Table 14 Belong to a Beneficiary Association [BENESOC] Survey of 347 Teachers in Iowa, 1884 Code Response Frequency -9 No response 310 2 Yes 37 Total 347 Table 15 Have Insurance [INSUR] Survey of 347 Teachers in Iowa, 1884 Code Response Frequency -9 No response 288 1 Fire insurance 22 2 Life insurance 20 3 Life and fire insurance 15 4 Life, fire and accident insurance 2 Total 347 Table 16 Have Accumulated Savings [SAVINGS] Survey of 347 Teachers in Iowa, 1884 Code Response Frequency -9 No response 110 -8 "Give all to parents" 1 2 Yes 236 Total 347 Table 17 Have Run in Debt [IFDEBT] Survey of 347 Teachers in Iowa, 1884 Code Response Frequency -9 No response 296 2 Yes 51 Total 347 Table 18 Reasons for Running in Debt [WHYDEBT] Survey of 347 Teachers in Iowa, 1884 Code Response Frequency -9 No response 333 1 80 acres 1 2 College 1 3 For education 2 4 For home 7 5 For land 1 6 For sickness 1 7 Traveling 1 Total 347 Table 19 Favoring a State Uniformity of Textbooks [TEXTBK] Survey of 347 Teachers in Iowa, 1884 Code Response Frequency -9 No response 14 1 No 71 2 Yes 248 3 Indifference 1 4 Undecided 13 Total 347 Table 20 Own a Home [OWNHM] Survey of 347 Teachers in Iowa, 1884 Code Response Frequency -9 No response 275 2 Yes 72 Total 347