The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1910-10-01
PROBLEM Of OLD
TEACHER Solved
PENSION SYSTEM WILL AVERT
WHAT ARE NOW DISTRESS
ING SITUATIONS.
VOTE FOR AMENDMENT 2
Industrial Corporations Have Solved
Problem in Manner Proposed
for State.

In September, 1908. the Information
al Harvester Co. formally adopted a
plan for systematic pensionlng of its
Euperannuated employees, a simple
vote of its board Of directors suddenly
changing the outlook on life Of more
than twenty-eight thousand working,
men.
In taking this important step The
harvester company has followed the
lead of many other large employers OF
labor. Indeed" says Burton ]. Hen
bricks article, in one Of the illustrated
magazines, "one of the most signif
cant developments Of the last ten
years has been the adoption Of pen,
sion plans by more than seventy great
corporations" He entities his article
'The S~uperannuated Man"
Advocates Of a pension system for
teachers contend that what Mr.. Hen.
drick says Of the servant of a powerful
private corporation is exactly parallel
with the problem which the aged, and
consequently no longer alert and eff
oient teacher in a great city school
system, presents to boards Of edUCa.
ton.
"A considerable number of exhaust
ed men, writes Mr.. Hendrick, form
a part of the organization Of every
well equipped modern enterprise,
How to handle them has puzzled hu-
employers for many years.
When a locomotive has outlived its
usefulness it can be broken up for old
iron; but the heartless casting adrift
OF an old employee is revolving"
Fortunately, great corporations are
steadily coming to view this disposal
Of worked out servants as bad bust
ness policy. Pension systems are
growing in favor in the industrial
world, not for sentimental reasons, but
because employers feel that pensions
NJ admirably into a well organized,
highly efficient business system.
Back Of Amendment No. 2, providing
for teachers pensions, to be voted on
November Sth, is to be found the en-.
dorsement of every prominent educa-
tor in the state. In the experience of
these men, school boards, again and
again, have refused to relieve their
salary list Of men and women whose
strength had been sapped by thirty,
forty, sometimes fifty years Of teach
ing. These worn out teachers were
retained because the law did not per
NIT them to be retired on pensions,
Their outright discharge would have
proved too severe a shock to a com
munity that felt itself bound to these
hopelessly inefficient, yet tenderly
loved creatures, by the strongest ties
Of reverence and affection.
Those who propose pensions for the
solution OF a difficulty that is felt
wherever schools exist, and felt most
keenly in great cities, maintain that
not a single telling argument can be
advanced why Missouri should not
vote YES on Amendment No. 2 in
November. Even the matter Of eX
psnse TO the board Of education grant
ing pensions disposes Of itself.
In practically every city public
school system in the United States a
teacher who Is retained in the service
longer than one year receives an in.
rease of pay, proportional to length
Of service. The Buperannuated teach
er's salary does not decline with his
waning strength. Old enough to be
retired on a pension, e such pro
vision permissible by law, he, on the
contrary, is drawing the maximum
salary-a salary that stops wholly
with his retirement, Could he be
made a pensioner, his place would be
filled by q young teacher, beginning
his career in the profession, ready to
accept the minimum salary attaching
to the first year in a given position
The salary Of the su%perannuated teach
Yer thus set free for the employment
Of young talent would often provide
q sufficient pension to care for the re
tired. worn out teacher for the re.
mainder OF a peaceful life without the
necessity of unloading him upon some
other institution.