New-York tribune., 1900-07-16
THE PENSION FAD

The National Educational Association under
the lead OF Nicholas NJ. Butler the chairman of
its Committee on Resolutions. last week com
mitted itself to a policy which must be regarded
as mistaken, discreditable and calculated TO set
dangerous precedent. The resolutions adopted
enumerate as Indispensable to the welfare of
the educational system proper standards Of
scholarship in teachers security of tenure de-
cent salaries and, finally. what Mr.. Butler curl
ously describes as "a systematic pension svs-
fem" All these items will doubtless meet with
the unhesitating approval of thoughtful men,
save the last, and it will be, we believe and GER
tainly hope as certainly disapproved
Precisely what Mr. Butler means by a ''sys-
temauc system we are not prepared to say
with complete assurance, but we assume that it
means some plan under which teachers. after
serving for q certain period Of time or upon be-
coming incapacitated or upon some occasion or
another are TO be retired upon pensions and
that This plan is TO be a general one, applicable
10 all teachers. For that we can see no neces-
sity and no justification. We believe in. and
have frequently and consistently advocated
adequate salaries for teachers. But beyond
such salaries we cannot see that they are en-
titled 10 remuneration or to eleemosynary care
any more than any other class Of public or pri-
vate employees 1t is true that the teachers
calling is a noble one of great value to the
community But there are others fully com
parable with it. Are we to pension all super
annuated doctors and nurses and preachers out
of the public funds? It is true that at best
teachers do not get very large salaries But
that may be said Of other employees in the Civil
Service and in professional and business life,
who are far more numerous than the teachers
Are they all to be pensoned? Really, the
teachers have less claim upon such bounty than
many others, for the reason that their work is
not nearly confining and exacting as most
tther occupations. Their hours of labor are
fewer they have two holidays week instead
OF one, and they have much more vacation time
than almost any others
The pension system in the military service
and in the police and fire services is rational
and commendable because of the excentionaI
perils which invest those OCCUPATIONS Rut in
ordinary civil occupations 1t is not only nm
called for, but must be regarded as actuarv
vicious. 1t implies that people are to be induced
10 work for less than their deserts on tbe
strength Of promise that they will be cared for
10 the end of their lives. That is a mean tric,
The honorable plan is 10 pay them what their
services are worth and thus enable them TO
make proper provision for themselves. The
promise of a pension would inevitably. in many
cases, seduce prospective benefciaries into
ways of improVidence and extravagance: for
many a man who knows that he is to be cared
for whether he saves or not will not save. no
matter how much he might be able to save if
he would. II is quite true that the faddists
and propagandists of Socialism are urging gen
eraI pension systems for all men, and that to
some extent they have succeeded in getting
their Vagaries taken uD seriously by serious