The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-01-12

Who Have Given Best Part of Lives.
Editor The Washington Herald:
/ Having read the article in The Wash
I ingt0n. Herald Of this morning In refer
/ ence TO the annuitants Of the Teachers
/ Annuity end Aid Association and the
amount paid to each, feel it duty. as
/ an ex-teacher in our public schools. and
one who has been greatly Interested IN
/ the work Of this association since its in
ceptlon, to give some facts which may in
terest the thousands Of patrons of our
schools.
Fourteen years ago a band of earnest
] teachers interested In the progress Of the
/ Washington public schools and the vel
/ fare Of the teaching force conceived the
/ idea of forming an association for the
! benefit Of those Of their number who had
/ given the best Of their lives to the serv-
| Zee. and who, from their meager salaries,
/ had been unable to provide for the future.
/ Membership in the association was 10 be
voluntary and effected by the signing OF
a constitution. which definitely provided
for the raising Of funds and the conditions
under which benefits should be paid.
Paid Annuities in 1896.
The Teachers Annuity and Aid Asso-
citation was thus formed in 1895, and be-
gan to pay annuities in February, 1886.
when the sum Of $4,000 had been secured
through the efforts Of the members and
their friends.
The plan Of paying anDuities is explain
ed by Article * Of the constitution.
which is as follows;
ARTICLE X.
Auuuties.
Section / Amount Zach snnsity shan be sixty
61 per cent Of the basis q the assessment At the
tine the person becomes a beneficiary, but no an
nuity shall exceed the Of SIX hundred $500
dollars. Whenever the annuity fuud shall be in
sufficient 70 pay IN fun all annuitants and other
benefcaTies the whole q the said fund, less the
current expenses shah Be divided equitaby among
the annuitants and other Denefclarles; and every
payment made 10 annuitant OF other beneficiary,
under the provisions Of Iris section. shaH be con
sidered as having been made il fun Of all claims
To the date of said payment and shall be TecsiDted
for as sach.
ten l0j installments on before The first lstl q
( each month excepting August and September
The constitution also provides that the
money shall be divided into two funds,
the permanent fund and the annuity fund.
| The permanent fund is 10 be kept intact
/ as capital, and can be invested only IN
first mortgages on real estate IN the Dis
: trict by the approval Of an advisory board
Of three citizens. now composed Of John
, JOY Edison, James ". Whelpley, and
Clarence B. Rheem.
Fund of s77,5so.4S-
This FUND, on January 1, 1908, was
81. 5sO4s Of which $3.50 is now invested.
This fund is yearly increased by half Of
the dues Of members and by the results
of efforts continually being made by the
teachers. The increase for the year Just
closed is nearly 5000.
The annuity fund is made up of half Of
the dues of the members and OF the in
terest from the permanent fund. This
fund to January !. 1908, amounted to
$50 573.79, Of which SIS so2.61 has been paid
in annuities and death benefits. There
Is s27l0S0 in the reserve fund for the en-
suing year and the rest has been used
for necessary expenses during the four
teen years OF existence.
As might be expected. during the first
years of the association, only a part Of
the annuity fund was needed 90 pay
benefits in full and surplus was ac-
cumulated. Some years later, as the
number OF annuitants increased, the in
; come eQualed the sum paid out, still
later the sum coming in was somewhat
, less than that going out. but the differ
: ence brought no reduction in the an
! nuities on account of the use Of the sur
plus Of $500 which had accumulated.
This year. however. sees the surplus ex-
! hausted and the number of annuitants
/ increased.
g During the year 1907 there was paid into
= the annuity fund S6.22151 The amount
-. necessary to pay in full the twenty an
, nuitapts was Sg.57150 1t is easy 10 see
{ that with an income of 5000 and a pay
=, roll of s9.500. annuities could not be paid
r in fun. Each 5000 annui1ant received for
the year 1907 $470-56.
Knew Reduction Would Come.
Knowing that the reduction would
come in 1857. the members have been
7 making heroic efforts for the past two
wears to increase the permanent fund,
S the ultimate goal of their ambition be-
b ing $4,000. They believe shat with that
= sum in the permanent fund. full an
l. nuities could be paid, as when that sum
e is reached all dues will be used for the
p annuity fund, as the constitution pro-
7 vides
g This association is performing a noble
work. and is doing for its members what
S the board of education is earnestly seek
d ing 10 have done through legislation for
d the entire teaching force of the public
school system.
The foregoing facts should be known
= to the patrons of our schools. As par
, ents. we owe a debt of gratitude to
these faithful teachers who have given
years of service in instrUctng our chill
dren and in raising the educational stand
ard of the District of Columbia. and as
citizens we should give announcement
I and support to the Teachers Annuity
and Aid Association.
MRS * n HOFKE