Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-02-24
A TEACHER TALKS.
annot Afford to Pay $40 . Year to
 Pension Fund.

Waterbury. Conn, Feb. 24, 'oo. Editor of the Democrat:
 Will you permit one of the teachers in tue public schools to say word about this pension and tenure of office bill which the board of education seems determined to make us swallow and which Mir Tinker and some of the board would have the public believe we have been told all about. Many of us are only beginning to learn it's full importance and how it shall effect us in the future. How many of the teachers are aware that instead or paying only one per cent of our salary to this pension fund. we shall be obliged-remember MT Editor. this is not voluntary matter with us-so l repeat we shall be obliged to pay on an average of about $40 a year. And what do we get in return for this an- nual payment ? About $500 year after thirty years services. if we nap pen to have been in it that time. i .. Is if, right or fair to our fathers or mothers. who have done their little share in making Waterbury what it is. | to he compelled to make the evening of life for Mir Tinker and one or two others who are almost strangers ill this town. as comfortable as they could , hardly make it for themselves You have stated in your paper that it is strange we do not make this grievance known by our votes. but how can we! 1 Is there clerk in any store ill water bury, or n man or woman in all the factories that would have the courage to onnose anything which the owner or foreman would like to have in dorsed by his help
 Most Of the teachers are under thir- ! ty, great many of them little over | twenty. but we are all strong and able to work for many years vet tn come. 1 and we shall continue having $40 year after year as long as we are teachers in Waterbury, Isn't that a pretty high rate to nav for an annuity of a few ! hundred dollars year. considering the average age of the corns of teachers ? Rut Mir Tinker says that it is better | than any insurance cOmDany would give flor one per cent of our salary" Still there is possibility of our heinz comnelled to nay more than SiO year. which is made m from salary we are allowed for five days il'ness,a year. and fifteen days for other req sons, less of course what VIC paic our substitutes.
 On this point of "Other reaSons" which is mentioned in the bills the point is very broadly covered. SD that many of us are in absolute ignorau e ! .h,k s<, mi t,,r n he. Does it mean that we shall not be paid for days the schools may not he oDen on account of stornl. for surl, days as wnshington's birthday and Lincoln's birthday. There are great many things in cnnne"tion with this bill about which there has been noth. ing said to the teachers. ev"enting q few, understand. This hill would immeliatelv effect six taarhers. Miss Margaret Croft. Miss Julia Northrop. Bernard Fitynatri"k. princip"l of tho Crosby school: Miss Mary Danahne. Miss Rose white and Miss Ellen Null vile. It would effect three in five wears: Miss Susan Cairns. Miss M. J. Russell and Miss Mary Gibson, and it would effect sivteeu in ton vrnrs. Now. while we. the teachers. will he forced Inv the nroviSin:.s or thiS h'l! to nay s40 I wear. as have s"'t. Mr Tinker anl tiin nrin"inois will nay only one ner cent of their s"'arr. Probably this was the view MT Tinker ,ont nf if. saw is nwn i"'"reetS ""lv and forgot onrs. They will nay only one Der cent of their salarv because they are allowed for days o~. and tber shall nav onlv to fine extent of s12On. hut that is still far f-nn1 what we shall nav. So ron sec that while we must he the main contributors to this nension frnd. we get tho least hanafit ont of it. if I understand the hill nronerlv. and nerhans I don't. hut if that is so there are scores of other teachers like me.
 ! have Derer seen tho schools of Waterbury in such hn'hub. until this hill came to onr attention. and I
 have heen teaching in tham for some
 time. Rnt I s""nose thev will calm down. ani whether ar not wa like inc
 hill. to which I and many others will he ,nn,nulSorv s.optrih-tr-s. rc will
 have to accent it. Put hope it won't pass in it's present form.
 Yours trulr