Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-07-19
: DISTRICT REFUSED TO GRANT PENSION
For Third Time School Meeting Rejected Proposition III to 10
Question Of Authority Killed Medical Inspection Plan

the resolution would be unanimous.
Mr.. Richmnd asked that the vote be
taken by ballot and then gave his rea-
sons for opposing the measure. He re-
garded teaching as a trade, entered upon
voluntarily, and said that a teacher was
entitled to no more credit because he
was a teacher than was bricklayer
because he was a bricklayer. "Will you
grind something out of the hundreds Of
all classes he said, Ito pay pension
to a small class?" He thought that II
teachers were underpaid 1t was because
the supply was greater than the de-
mand.
Principal e. b. Smith said 1t was not
true that the supply of good teachers
was greater than the demand. Teach
ers are born and not made, he assert
ed. He thought the pension law was a
good thing for a school system.
Clarke c. Fits made a ringing appeal
in which he said that the pensioning OF
teachers Of long service was a function
Of government that was bound to be
exercised before many years and that
opposition to II was fundamentally
wrong He stated emphatically that
teaching was not trade, but a deep
soul-stirring profession, for which many
states maintain training schools He
thought the best thing for this town
was not so much to grow large as to
show its capacity for real progressive
ness.
L. e. Holden said 1t was not the best
thing to bond the town to make a PEN
sion agency out Of it. Martin Austin,
jr., regretted that the sentimental side
had been brought in. He thought the
committee ought to pay the teachers the
maximum salaries and that the propo-
sition of a pension was an admission
that the district had lodged payment in
the past.
The moderator appointed checkers and
tellers and at 9.37 the result was an
nounced, the vote standing: Yes, 70; no,
III.
would vote to refund the temporary loan
of $4,000 made to pay the balance of
the issue of $4,000 of Canal street
schoolhouse bonds due July 1, 1912. A
resolution offered by George c. Averil
was adopted, authorizing an issue Of
$4,000 of bonds in denominations of
$1,000 each, bearing 4 per cent interest,
payable semi-annually at the Vermont
National bank. This provides for a re-
duction of the debt at the rate of $4,000
a year.
. On motion of ]. G. Estey a 67-cent
tax rate, payable forthwith, was voted
in accordance with the committees rec
concentration. The rate last year was
62 cents.
WHeH the last was taken up
Mr.. Richmond offered the following res
olution. the purpose of which he said
was to do away with the criticism
which had been made in the past that
the voters did not know what the diff
ferent departments were costing:
Resolved, that the prudential COM
mittee Of school district No. 2 shall be
requested to furnish an itemized report
for the coming year. and in said report
to state the salaries Of all teachers and
superintendent. The report shall be so
made up that the ordinary voter will
know about what It is costing to run
the different departments Of the school,
namely, the grammar. primary and high
school, also the commercial depart
ment."
Judge Martin said that schools did
not publish the amount paid to each
teacher, because some were paid more
than others, according to their ability,
| and that an itemized list might result
in friction among the teachers, although
| any person might ascertain from the
treasurer the amount paid to any teach
er, or any other item of expense. G.
L. Durham supported Judge Martins
position. J. G. Estey thought the pub
lication Of the salary list would be a
| poor business policy as 1t would oper
the door to increased expenses. r. S
| Childs said this was an age of public.
ity and no harm could come from pub.
| fishing the list. l.. E. Holden asked Il
anybody doubted that any teacher knew
what the others were getting. c. G
Staples called attention to the fact thai
the cost of each department was KEEP
separate in the printed report TIL,
resolution was lost and the meeting ther
adjourned, at nearly 10 o'clock.