Evening star., 1895-02-25
How the Old and Infrm Are to Be
Cared For.
THE AID AND ANNUITY ASSOCIATION
What Has Been Accomplished in a
Single Year.
PROP OSED BIG BAZ A A r


schools. on new buildings, on Increases IN
the sc ope OF the work, and there has come
to he established here very nearly hodei
eduea tionhi plant In the estimate OF pup
lie Instructors. But up to very recent
date the capital city has been fhf behiha
the times IN one most important particular
There has been no provision whatever io'
the retirement OF superhnnuhted t"hehefs'
OF the care of those who break down uhHef
the great mental strain OF their respohs'p'e
duties, Steps have long ago been taken w
other cities OF the east to supply this lhoh'
and they have been attended WIN great
success. A little less than year ago the
Washington teachers saw their opportunity
or rather, realiZed the necessity for do'hs
something in this way, and there was or
ganized association for tEese opJettS
which deserves the most feafty encouiuse-
ment by the citizens generally.
The PubIic's Interest.
In a peculiar sense, as was pointed out
by Superintendent Powell in his latest an
nual report, the public had the greatest
share of interest in this matter OF retlrihs
teachers after a certain term OF selNice'
In the first place, beyond the mere ques-
tions of justice and right the teachef car
not give the best service after certdlh
length of time spent in this brain ana pouy
wearing work. The pupils who come 10
him or to her for instruction must heces-
sarily suffer. She no longer has the
strength to work to keep up with the pro-
cession OF new ideas in education that are
constantly being advanced, ana there 10
an ever increasing inability to study anu a
rapidly decreasing amount OF ph9 slciii
energy The pupils interests are thuS az
lowed to decline, while the aged teacher Is
kept upon the rolls by the trustees 1roii
humane motives.
There is no public fund for the retire
int
are kept on rolls the efficiency o. the schooi
suffers; if they dismissed they are
thrown out of employment with httie or
no means OF support. 1t IS thought to be a
cruel hardship to turn these faithful SER
wants adrift after twenty or thirty years Oh
hard ana wearing work, Tor Wh'ch 'ne
compensation is small that 1t Is next 10
impossible for the teachers to lay by any
fund for the proverbial rainy day. Yet to
retain them in the service is not fair to the
pupils.
The Teachers Plan.
In this dilemma the teachers themselves
come forward with solution: Ihey VIII
make a fund themselves to care for the
aged and infirm of their number. The plan
has been tried with success in other large
educational centers, such as Boston, New
York Philadelphia and Brooklyn. and why
not Washington? On March "A last the
Teachers Annuity and AID Association OIL
Washington was formed and today 1t mas
made a great stride ahead toward attaining
that position under it's constitution where
it can begin to furnish aid to its members
wlio may be entitled to it. In less than q
year the sum of $4,000 has been raised, by
various means-a few donations, entertain
Ments, fairs and the dues of members. The
constitution has as its fundamental rule
that nothing shall be done toward the re-
lietirg of aged or iniirm teachers until the
association has accumulated Sb,uu0. Thus,
Cne-third of the sum needed is now in
h. nd iS
the fund shall have reached at least $4,000
and perhaps $4,000. The money now in hand
has been accumulated without great effort
on the part of the association, but prepara-
tions are now in progress for the Holding
OF Il great bazaar next winter, from which
substantial receipts are expected. AS an
instance of what has been accomplished in
other cities by such affairs 1t may be stated
that the Teachers Aid Association of Phila
delphia raised $4,000 by means of one fair,
the Boston association $4,000 from theirs.
and the Brooklyn association, $4,000. II
these successes be but aproximated in
Washington the local association will be a
once placed en- a footing to Go business on
the basis of its original plan.
\ Wholly Self-Suppcrting Orgnuixa-
tion.
Thus, the organization aims to be wholly
self-supporting. The fund that is raised in
this manner is to be held inviolate. No
penny can ever be drawn from it. The fund
is invested in first mortgages, under the ad-
vice of committee of three business
men, selected with the greatest care. The
names of these trustees. as they are In ef-
feet, form sufficient guarantee that the
business affairs of the local associatio viii
be well managed. They are John JOY Ed
son. james r.. Fitch and j. w. Whelpley.
Not a dollar Is put out except by the advice
of these men, wh) charge no commissions
and are paid no salores. There is now well
invested about $60o and the remainder of
a.. en-, IN, hup hp
From this permanent fund. untouchable
and inviolate, comes an annual revenue,
which is, after the limit Of $4,000 Is
reached turned INTO the annuity fund.
from which the bcneticiories OF the associa
ton are paid. There arr three classes of
benefits. The first Is that which applies to
those members who have taught for thirty
five years or upward. Then there are those
who become permanently disabled in health
while in service. Finally, the association
Is pledged to pay TO the beneficiary OF each
member dying the sum OF one years an
nuity There are two classes of member
ship. Glass includes all three of these
forms of benefits; class B admits to a share
Of a fund created tor the relief OF tempo
rary disability incurred during school ser
vice There are many safeguards and some
intrjcacies lin the constitution, which Is
carefully drawn after the model Of the New
York association, the pioneer of all. In a
folder issued by the local organization last
spring it was stated:
New York city has zoos members, $121,-
600 permanent fund, an income of $25,OOO,
and is paying benefits to 10 retired teach
ers: Philadelphia has S04 members $4,000
permanent fund. S250OO income, and Is pay
ing % annuities, while Boston has 93S men,
bers $4,000 permanent fund, $4,000 in
come, and is paying so annuities Flour
isbing associations exist in Cincinnati and
Brooklyn, while another includes Lowell,
Lynn, Cambridge and several other small
towns of Massachusetts,.
The Present Membership.
There are now about 275 members out of
a total Of about 600 teachers. Newcomers
are constantly being added to the roll,
which is open to all grades of the work
in the schools Standing shoulder to shoul-
der in this enterprise are teachers of the
lowest grade, principals, supervisors, SUI
perintendent. 1t so happens that Superin-
tendent w. B. Powell is the present presi-
dent of the association, but that is merely
a coincidence. Mr.. Powell is an earnest
worker and some day, when his term of
office has expired, will gladly step into
the ranks and perchance be succeeded by
one of the humblest Of the teachers.
One of the most interesting features of
this work is the fact that it is being carried
on almost wholly by the women teachers,
who form 90 per cent Of the teaching force
of the District. They are eager to reach