New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-18
PENSIONS FOR TEACHERS.
MEASURE SUPPORTED BY THE BOARD
OF EDUCATION

THE ARGUMENTS OF COMMISSIONERS FOR
AND AGAINST TIA FUND TO BE
RAISED FROM FINES AND
FORFEITUREs
Two years ago Commissioner O'Bren introduced
a bill for the approval of the Board of Education
by which all fines and foreiturcs imposed on teach
ers should be turned over TO the Teachers Mutual
Benefit Association, to be held as pension fund,
but this project fell through. Other efforts have
/ been made since then. The latest measure Of this
kind was submitted for the approval Of the Board,
and was adopted few days ago.
This measure proposes that public school teach
/ ers' retirement fund shall be established deriving
! revenue from the following sources: /. All fines
! imposed by the Board of Education upon public
school teachers for the purposes Of discipline . All
money. pay. compensation salary. any part
thereof. forfeited. deducted withheld from any
teacher teachers for and accoun, or absence
from duty or any cause. the clerk Of the Board OF
Education to certify monthly to the Controller the
amount deducted from the salaries of teachers
during the preceding month"; ,. All money received
from legaces. gifts. requests. otherwise for and
on account Of said fund; T. All such other methods
/ OF increment may be duly and legally devised
! for the increase OF said fund.
PROVISIONS or TIp MEASURE
Another clause OF this measure provides that
teacher shall be excused with pay unless said
| teacher shall have been in permanent service
teacher fourteen years but the Board Of hduca-
ton shall have power to excuse with half pay
teachers who shall have completed fourteen years
OF service extent not to exceed 100 school days
! IN the aggregate" The Board OF Education by
majority vote a recommendation of the city SUI
pernen(cnt is 10 have power To- retire any fe
male teacher Of the grammar and primary schools.
including special teachers In the same who shall
have taught during period aggregatng thirty-ive
years. to retire the male teachers OF these
crh -bo sbo boNp 1tIrhf Npnr IL
retired will be entitled to receive half pay.
not TO exceed. however, in any case. $1,000 n year
This pension fund shall be placed entirely in the
hands Of the Board OF Education
! There Is wide diversity OF opinions among
the Commissioners as 10 the nropreiy Of pension
ing teachers at all Commissioner Macay las al
ways been thoroughly opposed 10 the policy OF pen
soning teachers. He said 10 a Tribune reporter:
| 81 think 1t is OF the most unwise measures
that could be ndors- by the Board OF Education.
| The teachers in the public schools OF this city are
required 20 work less than 200 ~ the 3Gj days in the
| year and less than six hours each day. This GER
tainiy he called exhaustive labor. mentally
| or physically In all business pursuits such hours
and such labor would be regarded q most as sine
| cures. What merchant would take pay
| ploye 81 week for less than six hours daily labor
! for only five days In the week and for forty weeks
In the year Few of these teachers receive less than
s0D year while there is prospec, Of receiving con-
| silerahly over 5000. and possibly over $2@". after
a number of years in the service The service ~
| attended with little physical danger nor ar" the
teachers subjected - unhclltf al or dangerous !o-
| cIlities. There WOu.i be- some sense in applying
! public moneys to the pensioning Of po ccmcn or
nremon n. who .nIanccr lie AMI limb In the perform
ancr o. their duty. Furthermore tho" men on
duty nearly the whole year around and their hours
are much longer than those ~ the school teachers
Aside from this sci DOL teachers II refer women,
are not expected 10 support 1 family as man is
| D. a. tt
are dependent on every one who is unfortunate"
enough 10 h3iI public office Er' fhore j. point
that cannot b considered in tho hlul.!ng ~ public
money. II & teacher starting IN tho lfc wi'h four
or nse hundred dollars a year anl prospect %
rising 9, position ~ considerably over tnou-
| SAM. ami always sure = Ia Iay. cannot save
enough In the course Il twenty or thirty years
unlcr these extremely favorlb." conditions. 80 pro
VIDE for Old age cannD' understand why the pub
lie should bc called upon {, a.ss; him. Men and
women drawing lhe same or JOS pay. under inhn
itcy sovorcr conditions % ~" save money and Keep
themsclycs beyond the cry 90 charity"
MIR. oBIIEN FAvoRs THE BILL
i Commits. Juer Mll,s NJ O'r-.n sail 20 Tribune
reporter. Il am strongly in favor ~ Tho bill. and
. hope that e. VIII become a law have always been
| In favor = pensoaing Teachers AMI mink q an
economy for N" city In the cong run Il Involves
at merely a question OF dollars ani cents. but Il
, question % providing competent teachers who ar"
iI;rustcl w.'h thc most responsible talk - forming
tie character Of ihc rising generation. II - fact
D ta't under the Iresen' conditions many teachers
ar, kept in active service when they have passed
the limits of useful service an4 II system ~ rctir-
Ing such teachers on ia,f pay ad pci such De-
bIIt,eI teachers would De- retired. and thus make
room for Younger and b,.r Successors As Il stands
now a number of incompetent tclchers ar" N orr
publ, scLOos who cannot De retired and az IN"
., ... a.. ... ,o,-.....t ,,t,., 3d., ,,s,..,..l ..
~ '''' '' az ''
task %. moulding the characters 81 our cnillr'n I
ID KIM" 70 De ldti uii on ii'HtPii o. "u' ~'H'''
las ben luriracltftcl by ply -lca' weakness
tla: lehis 10 be- driven - the school carriage
> and carried % ana from his room in Il chair. I
also ltnov II 10 be a fact that another principal
- deaf ~ 10 be unable TO hear conversation IN ,Dud
tones. These are two Instances that have come
I rulcr my per.pnal attention vet these teachers
have done in their day admirable and conscientious
service Bat what are Ne - DO WITH them? To