Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-22
BILL NOT PROPER
Commissioners Oppose Teach
ers' Retirement Fund.
DECRY LACK OF ECONOMY
Suggest Administration Effect Some
Saving Measures.
HINT LEGISLATION NEEDED
District Heads, However. Declare
They Will Support Any AIDE
quate Measure.

The District Commissioners refuse their
: airport to the teachers retiremen; bill
I-a,lled by the local school authorities
and introduced in the senate bv Senator
I.aliinger in . report submitted 20 iac
Senate District committee ah.s afternoon
Tie Commissioners ind faul, with The
!; royisions Of the bill. bat they clearly
state that they are in favor of a teach
arS' retirement law as a general PROPOSE
zion.
And in making the adverse report OF
tie retirement bill of the school author
lies the Commissioners take occasion to
suggest that In the administration of the
schools there should be some .'reasonaD ie
economies
I'm order that the additional funds re-
,.uired to meet the expenditures for pen
SONS the Commissioners say. might
not increase the aggregate annual appro-
priatiols for the school system, already
unduly large when comparisons are made
with other cities. il is suggested that
some reasonable economies could be ef-
iscted in the administration of the schools
at the same time prior to the pas
age of d retirement bill
Hint Legislation Needed.
In the opinion of some who have read
missioners intimate that some legislation
should be enacted
As regards the retirement bill. which is
S. 2:63 and entitled "a bill to es-
tahlish and disburse a public school
teachers retirement fund in the District
of Columbia the Commissioners directly
say that in their opinion the public
school service OF the District Of Column
bia would be materially benefited by the
passage of proper measure providing
for the retirement of those teachers who
are unable to render efficient service
where unttness is occasioned either by
length OF service or by reason of disability
incurred in the line Of duty.
The power of retirement under the
BILL the report continues, lis placed in
the board of trustees of the teachers re-
tirement fund of the District of Column
bia. This board consists of three mem
bers of the board of education. the super
intendent of public schools, the assistant
superintendent of public schools and
nine teachers of the public schools. 1t is
believed that this board of trustees should
be otherwise constituted so that no
member of the same would possess any
direct personal interest. through the hope
of promotion in the retirement of any
teacher or other officer or employee
1T IS further believed that the bill
Should provide for the retirement of no
one who is still capable in any suitable
dIjdciIS WiIHln the puDHc ScIOOl organ
ization OF rendering service equivalent in
value to a modest salary of say $500 per
annum.
Recommend Physical Examination.
IF annuities are to be given for dis
ability it would appear advisable to pro-
vide that no teachers shall be employed
without physical examination.
The board Of Commissioners is of the
opinion that the pay on retirement should
be materially less than that contemplate
ed in the bill.
The bill provides that EVERY teacher
retired by the board of trustees. except
in case third chose who have taught less
tran twenty years. shall hereafter
ceive an annuity out of the annuity fund
equal to six-tenths Of the average annual
salary received by such person for the
five years of employ Elent as teacher next
preceding the date OF retirement, p"ovid-
ed that no annuitant shall receive an
nually greater sum than $1,000 nor
less sum than 5000 In the case of
those who have taught less than twenty
years the annuity is to be pro rata as the
number Of years of teaching bears to
twenty.
The commissioners further believe
the rS.Ort continues. that there should
be provided no uncertain and indefinite
accretionS 10 the retirement fund not re-
lated in amoHnt to the demands that will
be made upon that fund and derived or
withheld frorn public FUNDS. such as tut
ton fees Of onreSident pupils. balances
of apnropria ions for teachers salaries
and sums elGal 10 percentages of aggre-
gale ar rcDriations for teachers sala-
res 1t would appear better practice if
appro.ria ions We're provided as required
to supplement prescribed contr buttons by
teachers to insure the beneiiciaries re-
ceiSing their ann..itieS whom due