The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-06-17
Teachers Retirement Fund Bill
Now Awaits Signature Of
Governor Davidson
WOULD ENCOURAGE ECONOMY
Law VIII Apply to Every City in the
State ba5 Milwaukee is Taken as
the Model for Giving Penp
sions to- Teachers

Wisconsin teachers were given gen
eroqs Treatment BY the legislature OF
1909, provision being made for their
retirement after q reasonable term Of
service on Eetirea pay. The amount
WHICH they are to receive upon retire
ment is not classed as a "pension. y
Instead, the money is TO come from a
fQpd built up out Of money appFopria-
ted from the general funds and from
assessments on teachers salaries.
TIE bill, 1888, introduced by Senator
John G. Kleczka of Milwaukee, the
youngest member of the upper house,
paves the way to q retirement fund
for teachers Of Milwaukee. The bill
granting the same things to teachers
outside Milwaukee was introduced by
Senator j. H. Stout of Menomonie,
The president of the milwaukee,
School Board, two female teachers, one
Of whom is to be q principal or vice
principal, two male teachers, and four
members of the School Board, are to
constitute the "Board of Trustees of
the Rubne School Teachers Annuity
and Retirement Fund" under the
terms Of the Kleczka act,
&s soon as The goveruor signs the
act ana it becomes law, twenty-five or
more teachers who have signifed their
intsption Of subscribing to the retire
menta fund may hold a meeting on the
call of any Ave. They are to elect the
trustees as provided in the act, two
male and two female teachers. The
School Rqar6 at its first meeting after
the meeting of these teachers is to
elect members, Of the body to act with
the teachers ON the Board Of Trustees.
None of them is to receive pay, The
act is. fFamed 50 that after the first
year tbere are 10 be successive cleo
tions, thus providing rotation in Office.
At tho first meGting of the trustees
they are to organize by eleeting from
theiy number a president, vice presi-
dent and secretary.
The following is quoted from the
Klee2Ea ayt:
GA tohchers' retirement and annuity
FUND is hereby created apd the fund
shall coFAist of; A permanent and gen
eral fund. The permanent fund shall
be made up of gifts legacies, specifeal-
ly given to said permanent fund. The
general fund shall be made up of:
Gifts and legacies not specifically
given to said permanent fund interest
derived from said permanent fund; all
moneys obtained by such other methods
of increment as may be duly and le-
gally devised for the increase of said
fund. The general fund may be drawn
upon for the purpose of this act by
said Boagd Of Trustees.
The trustees are to have control of
the investment of the fund and the
payment of retirement annuities, but
the city treasurer is to be the custodian
of the money and he is to keep all
books relating to it, subject, Of course,
to the inspection of the trustees.
Regarding the manner of collecting
assessments from the teachers in Mil
wapkee who choose to enter into the
scheme the bill says in part:
Beginning with the monthly pay,
menttof teachers salaries in November,
the school directors shall reserve from
the salary Of each teacher who has
come under the provision of this act.
and from every monthly payment
thereafter, for the period of twenty-five
years, or until the total sum of $500 is
paid, the sum of 49,"
Persons who have accepted the re-
tirement plan become eligible to a
$500 annuity after twenty-five years of
service as teachers. In order to get
the advantage of the fund the teacher
must have served for at least fifteen
years in the public schools of Milwau-
kee. If teacher who has served for
years in an outside school and who has
paid the equivalent of fifteen years
assessments into the fund, becomes in.
capacitated, he is to receive an annui
ty, this annuity to cease when the
state of incapacity ceases. If the con
dition of the teacher becomes perma
nent, the Board Of Trustees may ar
range to pay proportionate annuity
"such annuity says the bill, "shal
be as nearly as practicable, as many
twenty-ffths Of the full annuity as the
service of such teacher in said city are
part Of twenty-five"
The following paragraph of the
Kleczka bill is particularly interesting
especially to teachers Of saving ten
deney
"No annuity shall be paid to any
teacher until said teacher shall have
contributed to the general fund sun
equal to all the assessments for twenty
FIVE years, to-wit, $500. Any contri
buting teacher who has taught in sale
city for a period of four years or more
may, in addition to the monthly pay
ments, pay into the city treasury as
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