The Washington herald., 1911-03-04
SCORES CARNEGIE
PENSION SYSTEM
Prof. j. .McKeen CattellSpeaks
to SchOOlmen'S Club.
GIVES FOUNDATIONS HISTORY
Columbia University Instructor Be-
Iieves State Should Govern Edu-
cationaI system Instead of Million
aires-ProfessOrsS suffer by Central
lied Plan in Private Hands.

DR.. ]. McKeen Cattell, professor Of
psychology in Columbia University, was
the guest OF honor and principal speaker
at the March meeting of the Federal
Schoolmen's Club of the District last
night, and gave the Carnegie Foundation
for the Advancement Of Teaching severe
jolt in the course of his address.
I'm so far as pension systems are
effective in attracting better teachers and
leading them to do better work" declared
Prof Cattell, they should be established
and supported by the State. There is
no more reason for leaving our education
system to the charity and caprice of
millionaires than our army or our courts"
Tracing the five years history of the
foundation, it was noted that widows
had been made eligible to pensions,
length-of-service pensions had been dis
continued. with disability pension after
twenty-five years of service, and that
State universities had been included. 1t
was urged that while the gift is a large
one for higher education. it is not certain
that the individual professor gains by
centralized pension system.
Withdrawn from Professor.
1t was also pointed out that the trustees
of the foundation are college or univer-
sity presidents. and have shown their
human nature plainly by retaining their
right to retire after twenty-five years of
service, when this has been withdrawn
from the professors, through the financial
inability of the foundation, and by in
creasing the maximum pensions from
5000 to 5000, which can practically be
of advantage only to them. Ultimately,
it. is DR.. Cattelrs belief. the professor is
70 fnrA OF 1iRa a nd
professionally by the centralized pension
scheme in private hands.
Expressing surprise that Mr.. Carnegie
and his advisers should ever have imag-
ined that $4,000, COO would provide an ade-
quate pension scheme for higher educa-
ton in the United States and Canada,
DR.. Cattell said that from the reports
of the president issued last week, it
appears that the receipts of the founda-
tion last year were $544,OOO and expendi-
lures $5SS.0O0, leaving a surplus of less
than 5000. Mr.. Carnegie has not yet
given the $5,O000O0 for State universities,
and has indeed only undertaken to give
so much if they are admitted. But he
will doubtless give the sum; otherwise
the foundation would need to 60 into debt
to the amount Of 100000 to pay pensions
it has promised for next year. After
that the demands on the foundation will
increase at the rate of at least 100000 a
year. and it will require an annual gift
of s., 10000 to meet this increase from
income.
Club Elects Officers.
For Ne March meeting Mr.. and Mrs.
Arthur T. Ramsay, of Fairmont Semi
nary. entertained the Federal School
mems Club. Prior to the address, which
was given in the seminary auditorium,
officers of the club were elected for the
current year as follows: DR.. WillistOn
S. Hough, president; W. J. Wallis, secre-
tary, and Thomas W., Sidwell, treasurer.