The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-06-14
PROGRESS OF DAM RE ETIREMENT FUND
Started by Three Hudson
County Teachers in 1890
Has Grown to 2,803.

In September. 1890 three teachers met
on a Hoboken street corner. They spoke
| of a teacher once young, beautiful, gift
| ed: the sole support Of an aged mother
She had taught long and successfully
, but was then dying in a poorhouse. Such
an end to such a career seemed to them
reproach to the profession of teaching.
Policemen and firemen are pensioned, :"
said one, why not teaehers?" Then aro1
there they constituted themselves a COM
mittee of three on teachers pensions and
went to work Such was the birth of the
Teachers Retirement Fund In New Jer-
sey, which has now grown to 2,so3.
To January l. 1892. forty-seven teachers
had been retired on annuities averaging
ss07 60 and aggregating sl4, 1925 The to-
tai annuities paid since the organization
of the fund was s24,sS4.s1, and the per-
manent principal, which I shall hereafter
speak of as the endowment, amounted to
ST.. .22i 07, of which 5o,s3164 was invested
at interest. Seven annuitants. drawing
81, ,966 25, had died. leaving forty annuities
in force drawing total of sl2,4s1 per an
mum and averaging ssl2.27
The income of the fund for the fiscal
year ending June 30. 1901. was s20.s52 10,
of which ss,2s2s3 was derived from ba-
zaars, entertainments. etc; s52 from do
nations; 81. I05 from interest, and the bal
ance from members dues which at an
average of about one and one-ha.f cents
per day per member, yielded SIS, Sa2.77.
1t is an encouraging fact that already
interest on the denominations of the fund.
the endowment, is SUFFICIENT to pay eight
average annuities Interest is a constants
ly growing factor.
The registered membership in the fund
actually contributing is less for the
reason that teachers moving from one
place to another neglect to notify their
new Board of Education that they are
members of the fund. Also, the non-com-
pliance with the law by some district
clerks has caused serious loss of member
ship. These temporarily lapsed member
ships are being looked up in the State
Treasurers Office and will be replaced on
the roll as fast as found, the Attorney.
General for the state having decided that
member cannot withdraw from the
fund, except by ceassng to be a pubic
school teacher in New Jersey. Members
should inform school officials that the law
is 1nane2 tory and that they are liable
personally for any loss the fund may
rl&r =
provisions
The increase in membership last year
was 14l. of whom 10 wsre from Hudson
county, leaving but 81 new members for
the remaining 20 counties
The following is list Of the officers
and committee of direction:-President,
Mrs. Susan C. Marvin, Jersey City; first
vice president, Miss Anne M Adams At
lantic City; second vice president, Miss
Anna E. Dunn, Newton; treasurer, Miss
Ella A. Macpherson, Trenton; recording
secretary, Miss Mary A. Burrough, Cam
den: general secretary, Miss Elizabeth A.
Allen. Hoboken.
Honorary Officers :--Hon5rary President
Addison B. Poland; Honorary vice-Presi-
dents. S. d. Hoffman, Charles B. Boyer,
John Terhune, Herman A. Stees. Charles
S. Albertson, James E. Bryan, Horatio
Draper. Aaron W. Hand, John n. Glas-
pell, siIas c. Smith, w. e. Cox. Elmer G.
Sherman, William NJ Swingle, William
II. Eldrige, M H. Kinsiey, Henry Snyder
James H. Christie, Otto Ortel. Robert Wa
ters. A. J. Demarest. Jason 8. Hoffman.
Abel w Hartwell. Leslie G. Pierson. III.
Brewster willis, William Clinton Arm
strong, John Enright. Fred S. Shepherd,
Watson B. Matthews, F. A. North, Homer
A. Wilcox. L. A. Goodenough, y. Harry
Smith, NJ. H. Strattoh, j. A. Nets, VIII
lam ]. snearer. W o. Robinson, Franklin
r. Atwood and H. Budd Howell.
Executive Committee-Mrs. s. G. Mar
vim. Miss Anne NJ Adams Miss Elizabeth
A. Allen, Miss Sophie NJ. Braun, Eliza
beth; Miss Clara l. Cansdell, Woodbury.;
Miss Emma NJ. Cattell. Camden; Mrs.
Georgia B. Crater, Newark, Miss Emma
E. Dunn; Miss Lydia K. Ennis. Jersey
City. Mr.. Alex p. Kerr Lambertville;
Miss Ella A. Macpherson, Miss Kate L.
Mccoy, New Brunswick; Miss Louisa E.
vanderbeek, Paterson and Mr. Thomas