Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-09-25
RETIREMENT
FUND REPORT.
Teachers Show a Good BaIauCe
on Hand-The Officers
i. Statemen

TRENTON, Sept. 25:-NeSw Offices
were elected and a report from State
Treasurer Briggs, showing "$S7,S33.-
"a cash on hand, was presented at
the annual meeting of the board sof
trustees of the State Teachers Re
tirement fund in the office of the
| state board of education at the state
house yesterday. 1t was decided to
ask Governor Stokes to make avail
able from his emergency fund of
$4,000 the $1,000 appropriation for
the expenses of the administration
of the fund, which was included in
assembly bill 400, passed last win
ter, but which was omitted from the
appropriation bills.
The officers chosen were: Presi-
dent, Professor Charles ]. Baxter,
state superintendent of public in
struction; secretary, Miss Elizabeth
A. Allen, Hoboken. Both We're re-
elections. The office of vice presi-
dent was created in order that there
might be an official to act in the alb
sence of the president. William D..
Forbes, of Hoboken, a member of
the state board of education, was
elected to the office.
Three teachers were retired on an
nuities as follows: Miss Agnes e.
Pelser, Paterson, $500; Miss Emma
l.. Lehman, Hoboken, $402; Miss Ell
izabeth Howard, New Brunswick,
$3.50. 1t was reported that eighty
five applications for membership in
the fund are pending, but owing to
the fact that the clerks of the school
districts in which the APPLICANTS re,
side have neglected to deduct the
membership dues of 1 per cent. of
the salaries and forwarded them 10
the treasurer, the applications could
not be acted upon.
State Treasurer Briggs presented
a report showing that 700 teachers
in the state have not paid their dues
for the new year. In a large number
of instances this is also due to the
neglect of the school district clerks.
The matter of the neglect of the
school district clerks to obey the
law, which directs that l per cent
of the. salary of each teacher be de-
Quoted and forwarded to the state
treasurer for the retirement fund
was discussed and a committee, con-
sisting of w. d. Forbes, Charles e.
Surdam, Morristown, of the state
board of education, and Miss Allen,
was appointed to take up the ques-
ton of having the law enforced.
President Baxter was instructed to
take up with Governor Stokes the
matter of securing the $1,000 from
the state emergency fund. The
trustees took the position that the
needs of the retirement fund con-
stitute an emergency amply suffic-
lent to warrant the governor in
placing the money at the disposal of
the board. The ground for this be-
lief, the members of the board held,
was emphasized by the circumstanc-
es under which the amount failed
to get a place in the regular or sup
Elemental appropriation bill.
Two bills were introduced in the
assembly last winter providing for
an appropriation for the expenses of
Z lHt lunus M app OPt ~ w.
500. This passed both houses, but
was recalled from the governor, be-
cause it was understood the govern
or had said he would not sign 1t.
In the last days of the session
bill No. 400 was introduced as a sub
s~titute, making the appropriation
$500. This became a law, but the
amount was not included in the APP
preparation bills.
After the meeting Miss Allen
stated that the teachers in the north
ern part of the state are planning TO
increase the endowment fund to
500, 600. A meeting has been held
at Newark, attended by a large mum
Der of teachers from Essex, Hudson,
Passaic and Union counties, and
some enterprise will be undertaken
at once by which the desired end, il
is honed. will be ACCOMPLISHED.