The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-10-20
MISS ALIENS ADDRESS
BEFORE THE STATE
TEACHERS ASSOCIATION.
At the Hyperion Last Friday Morning
Organization of the Tenchers' Re-
tIrement Fund Was Her Subject.

al tHe opening OF Inc state IeacnefS
convention at the Hyperion last Fri
day an interesting address was deliv-
cred by Miss Elizabeth A. Allen, secre-
tary of the board of trustees of the
Teachers Retirement Fund of New Jer-
sey, and a well known educator of that
state.
Miss Allen is the principal of Public
School No. 5. of Hoboken, N. j.. She
spoke of the organization of the Teach
ers' Retirement Fund in her own state
and of its development
Miss Allen said that the first attempt
made to organize for pensions for teach
ers in New Jersey was in 1890 A bill
was introduced in the New Jersey leg
islature in 1891. 1t passed the senate,
but too late to get to the house, and for
other reasons the bill failed to become
law. The New Jersey teachers finally
themselves provided a retirement fund,
and asked for state administration of it,
After describing the operation Of the
fund Miss Allen told how widely the
plan had spread over the country by or
ganizlng guilds.
1T is constantly charged against old
| teachers" said Miss Allen, that they
have got into ruts. More justly might
it be said that as pioneers in a new
country they hewed down obstacles,
tunneled hills of difficulty, levelled
| grades, laid tracks and riveted the rails
over which educational progress
| steamed smoothly into the twentieth
century country, and, alas, they would
now side track the old TEACHERS along
with old methods that have made
America the foremost nation of the age.
1T is said that teachers never united
except for a raise in salary, and that
they hang together like rope of sand.
But why have not more teachers re-
sponded to the earnest appeals of mem
bers and workers in this state to join
the guild. Well, let us see. The girl
teacher says, Twenty years. shall
never reach twenty years; ] shall mar
ry.' No doubt whatever about that
now. Of course you will, but even for
you there is food for reflection in the
fact that of the fifty-fve teachers re-
tired on annuities, nine are widows.
They wore the orange blossoms only to
return to the weeds of widoWhood.
There are other ventures in life more
permanent and certain than matrimony,
but young persons who enter the pro-
fession in the right spirit are glad not
only to receive their pay and the emol-
uments of their calling. but they will
lingly assume it's duties and share Its
responsibilities. That so many young
persons have Joined the ranks in just
this spirit is inspiring" Miss Allen
made a strong appeal to the teachers to
join the guild.
After the meeting at the Hyperion
was over the teachers fiocked to the
street and scattered in all directions
Chapel street was alive with feminity.
Some of the teachers went to College
street hall, where the ungraded section
was to meet, others went to Warner
hall, where the Kindergarten section
met, but the main body went to United
and Center churches, with a smaller
number attending the sessions held in
the First Methodist church and to Cen
ter church chapel.
The sections adjourned at noon for
the teachers to get luncheon and con-
lvened again at o'clock.
The ungraded section held its meet
ing in College street hall with Miss c..
In. Bush of Mantle as the leader This
I-aa4io,, 10 Jar Of 10
ers from the country schools and they
listened to a recital of the evils and
the necessity for reforms in connection
with such schools. When a speaker hit
a hard rap at some existing evil In
connection with the rural schools the
teachers would give vent to their feel
lings by loud and continued applause.
There were two speakers at the morn
ing session of this section who spoke
upon the topic of Forces That Make
For and Against the Betterment of
Our Schools" Prof William G. Sum
liner of Yale university was the first
speaker and he was followed by
ICharles D. Hine of Hartford, secre-
tary of the state board of education.
Mr.. Hine spoke of the systems and
their deficiencies. THE problem of the
country town." said he, continues to
be discussed by students and observ-
ers The same condition exists in all
the New England states and the school
problem is only one of those which
must be solved. Good roads, the extern
sion of mail service, the use of the
telephone in farming communities. troll
ley lines, public libraries, satisfactory
preaching, good markets are among
the things that must be considered for
those who life is to be in the coun-
try.
cat present we find the country peo-
pie continually flocking into cities, and
we infer that despite the discomfort
and crowding of cities it must be that
the country people do not find them
selves happy in their country homes i"
Mr.. Hine discussed the case and the
situation of the country school and
the teacher in the rural districts at
length. He believes that additional leg
islation is necessary to bring the
schools of the state to an equality.
Towns are required to maintain schools
and to these schools the children must
go unless private schools are preferred.
The experience has been that the main
tenance imposed by law is a slight
burden in one town and an exceed
ingly heavy burden in another. If the
state insists that all towns maintain
a high equal schooling for all. he