New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-12-09
TEACHERS CLAW
NEW PENSION IDEA
Flock of City Pedagogues Pro-
tests Against Changes in
Retirement Law.

Granted a public hearing on a bill call
ing for changes in the teachers retire
ment law. hundreds OF teachers. the ma
jority Of them women in the public school
system flocked yesterday afternoon to the
hall Of the Board of Education. Long be-
fore o'clock, the time the meeting was
TO begin every seat was taken. the halls
and adjoining committee rooms were
packed and scores could not get any
where near the auditorium. Many were
turned away.
One thing that stood out prominently
at the meeting was the threat from repre-
sentatives of several schools TO take the
matter to court if the Board Of Education
passed the measure. which has been Of
fered by the board of retirement. An
other thing almost equally prominent
was the demand that no bill be passed
that had not been submitted to refer
endum vote of the teachers.
Thomas w. Churchill, president OF the
Board OF Education. and the members Of
the board of retirement were present, as
were several members OF the Board OF
Education. In opening the meeting Mr..
Churchill said the pension fund was In
deplorable condition.
IF permitted to continue So he added.
"it will be a menace. The bill proposed
Is only in q tentative state. 1t will be
thrown into the arena this afternoon. and
you can claw It as much as YOU desire"
Abraham Stern. chairman of the board
Of retirement. asaerted that there was
only a $4,000 surplus now IN the retire
ment fund and that unless something was
done this sum would be exhausted in four
or five years. There is "A fund of 10000,
the principal OF which cannot be touched.
Unless something is soon done the retire
ments. he added. would be cut down TO
about onc-third the present number. II
the new bill were I'm effect, he main
tanned. it would bring in an ircrease OF
sJ07. 900 in 1914.
Miss Jennie VI. Davis representing the
teachers OF Erasmus Hall High School,
declared ii was not known whether the
bill was TO appeal 10 the reason or the
risibiities of the teachers. one OF its
provisions Is that women teachers be re-
tired at ffty-nvc and men at sixty.
no board i'm this city" she declared.
shosld say that when we are fifty-five
We look like sixty"
Eydney Edwards. representing the Man
ual Training High School. said II neces-
sary the teachers would test the right OF
the Board Of Education to put into effect
the provisions Of the tentative bill.
Miss Grace G. Strachan. president OF the
Interborough Association OF Women
Teachers. contended with others that the
pension fund should come directly from
the city. She objected TO its coming In
part from the sale OF spirituous liquors.
as il does at present. The association, she
explained. had appointed a committee to
draft a bill. She spoke against "A Hat pen
sion rate which was advocated by some.
In regard To the matter OF providing for
retired teachers, she referred 10 Mexico.
In Mexico a teacher is retired on full
pay and given house she declared.
Some OF the contentious made were that
no pension should exceed $3.50, that
teachers have the right 10 request their
own retirement. that there should be no
discrimination "a 90 sex. and that the city
should. by yearly appropriation, meet the
pension demands.