Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-03
FUND FOR TEACHERS
Plea for Enactment of Pending
Retirement Bill.
SMITH MEASURE LIBERAL
Its Provisions Acceptable to the Pro-
\ posed Beneficiaries-Views
Of Miss Daily.

The High School Teachers Association
Of the District Of Columbia, of which Mics
Ida NJ. DAILY is president, has prepared
statement in reference to the pending
teachers retirement BILL as follows:
1.-The fact that in twenty-one states
pension laws for teachers are in active
operation proves the rapid growth of the
idea and the justice of the principle un-
DERIVING it.
THE need of such laws is SO self
evident as to appeal, without comment,
to all intelligent thinkers. Following the
lead of New York and Philadelphia, other
cities established pension funds and for
several years such funds were sustained
by teachers only, through a tax upon
their salaries.
philadelphia came to the front, and now
| contributes to the teachers pension fund
an amount equal to the sum paid into the
fund by the teachers. New York gives
5 per cent Of the excise tax. making a
Neutrality-suspicious. contribu-
| ton to the fund-a sum equal to twice the
amount Of the 1 per cent tax on the
| salaries of the teachers. The usual plan
! is to set aside for these pensions a GER
| tain percentage of the school tax. Various
plans in various states meet the demand,
but in very few states is the work left to
the unaided efforts Of the teachers.
Beneficiary a Contributor.
mo teacher who is not contributor to
| the fund receives a benefit. The need ad-
mitted and a fund set on a business foot
ing. the basis Of apportionment next de-
| mands thought, and here length Of service
| becomes the factor for consideration. In
| nearly every city alive to this work, two
periods, one a time for voluntary retire.
ment and one a time for retirement Of a
teacher by the board Of education, are
recognized. 1t is noteworthy that only
two or three cities have a compulsory
time Of retirement, the board of educa-
ton being considered efficient judges Of
| a teachers capacity for work. In most
| cities the time of voluntary retirement
occurs after thirty years Of service. and
| in many cities but twenty-five years are
required.
"This point being established. the
| amount of pension is necessarily next
in line. and this decision varies in the
different cities The majority Of cities
give q life pension of one-half the salary
Considerations Of disab ility and fea-
lures affecting some teachers who drop
ped out Of the service before the pension
laws which would have benefited them
were passed, and also certain allow
ance for years of teaching outside the
municipality, are dealt with in different
ways in various cities:
Some states, notably Rhode Island
and Maryland. are now onertng an
nuities to teachers without requiring
any contribution. In several states,
in addition to q pension from the state,
there Is q pension from the city, as in
Boston and Baltimore.
Hope Il in Congress. i
"The teachers of the District Of CO.
lumbia, having no municipal court to
legislate for them, hope the Con-
gross, the facts being, clearly present
ed, will act for them as each member
would act for the teachers Of his re-
spective state before the municipal
court Of that state.
1--WE want asretirement bill for the
teachers OF the District Of Columbia,
one framed on the liberal lines Of the
Smith bill. This pension bill provides:
Thirty years of service, voluntary re-
tirement or retirement for incapactty
by board of education, and pension
Of six-tenths of salary Of the Ave years
preceding retirement. the tax to be
from / to per cent of salary.
I'VE simply ask that Congress con-
tribute an amount equal to the amount
braska for every dollar the teachers
and one-half dollars.
the fathers OF municipality"