The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-05-26
SELFISH ESSEX
Gives Less to Teachers Re-
tirement Fund and Wants
More Than Hudson

At the meeting Of school teachers held
in Newark Friday night. for the purpose
OF furthering the retirement fund. Miss
Elizabeth A. Allen. of Ho0oken. the sec
re.ary of the board of trustees of the
Teachers Retirement Fund of the State
of New Jersey, in her report presented
some startling facts and figures. and her
address was complete revelation TO the
majority of the teachers in the audience
most Of whom were evidently comfort
| ably resting in a state of ignorance con-
corning the statue OF the fund.
In going over my clippings recently,
she began, Il came across the following
from a prominent paper: s'The Governor
last evening vetoed Miss Aliens teachers
pension bill: it is safe to assume that tnis
much talked of scheme win never be
heard of again.
Miss Allen then gave these statistics
concerning the status of the fund in Es-
sex county:
-Of Essex county's 1877 teachers, 56S are
members of the fund and contribute to
it annually about $1,000 Eleven Essex
county teachers have been retired on an
nuities aggregating s4.150 per annum. and
twelve applications for annuities from
Essex. amounting to s4.o5S.50 year, are
now under consideration by the retirement
fund Board Of Trustees In other words
Essex pays into the fund annually less
than 5000, while the county draws from
it $3.50 and asks for s4,o5s.50 more. OF
these totals Newark must be charged with
annuitiea of s2.725 per annun, and appli-
cations for 1926 in addition. Annuities
are paid to six Newark teachers.
1T gives me very great pleasure to
tell you that a year ago DR.. Poland,
speaking on this subject. said:-'The good
of the schools demands the retirement of
broken down teachers but what are they
to retire on2 II is only the occasional
teacher that has had enough salary 10
accumulate anything, and I would resign
my own place before I would be a party
to turning out in poverty these men and
women who have served long and faith
fully. mol Provision must be made for
their declining years Such sentiments
honor Doctor Poland; they honor his
Board of Education. who seem to have
sconcurred with him: they honor the city
of Newark,
Or. Paland spoke in depreciation of the
status OF the Essex County teachers in
the retirement fund, and said that one
reason why Jersey City was ahead in its
contributions was because its teachers
We're 'shustlers.. DIR. Poland spoke IN
favor of the fund. and said that nearly
all large cities had adopted a system of
pension. He also said Essex county had
not done her duty as beaefciaries in the
retirement fund. She pays in half as
much money and draws out foug times as
much, and it looks as II it would soon De
six times as much. This is not right,s he
said emphatically.
Henry Snyder. Superintendent Of |
Schools, Jersey City. said the teachers
could show their sympathy for their fel- |
low workers in no way better than by |
maintaining the fund.
Essex county contributes yearly 81
s7l4e to the fund, and Hudson county
s5,s42ss, he said Only one Hudson
county teacher gets an annuity ana Es-
sex county has II ON the list with Il
waiting he concluded significantly.