Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-12

Laws of 1902, entitled AN Act Great
ing the Maine Forestry District and
providing for protection against forest
fires therein"
Passed to Be En9rossed.
An Act relating to the use of auto
mobiles in the town of Mt. Desert,
Hancock county.
An Act To increase the efficiency OF
the public schools of Maine by retir-
ing teachers OF long service with pen
sions
eThe report of the committee was
accepted)
Mr.. WALKER of Somerset: Mr..
President. as pension legislation for
teachers in. Maine is something new, |
wish to give brief history of this
measure and some of the reasons
which actuated your committee in
asking that it be enacted into law.
This measure was proposed in Maine
for the. first time at the Maine Teach
ers' Association meeting in Portland.
last fall. There were present at that
meeting more than thirtyf five hundred
members anu they unanimously re-
ported resolution faVoring pension
LEGISLATION i'll Maine.
Mr. Taft, President of the United
States, was one of the speakers and
endorsed pension legislation for teach
ers. \ committee was chosen at this
meeting to look after the matter,
which committee drafted a bill which
was presented to the Legislature early
in the session. This bill was referred
to the committee on education. On
this measure we had a hearing in Rep
resentatives Hall, which was largely
attended, it being one of the largest
attended hearings which we have had
during the entire session OF the Legis-
lature.
There were present many teachers,
school superintendent. business men
and professional men who We're earnest
in their appeal for this measure. Mr.
Marshall, chairman of the teachers
pension committee. conducted the
hearing for the petitioners He stat
ed to your committee that although
pension legislation for teachers APP
peared in Maine for the first time. it
was no new idea, as most of the con-
tinental countries of Europe and South
EAiiitIittt Dis WA 0S lllt ItN iiltt VI
Canada, have teachers pension sys-
TENS. Also that there were five states
in this Union containing fourteen mill
lion people and Il teaching force of
fifty thousand that have complete PEN
sion retirement system.
Mr.. Smith. the state superintendent
of schools, also appeared for the meas
ure, stating that he should consider it
as to whether or not ii would benefit
our Maine schools, although he said
he knew many teachers. long in the
employ of the State, faithful and con-
scientious, whose needs IN their old
age should make a strong appeal to
us. He said that in the years past,
Maine has lost tremendously because
of the teachers who have gone to other
states to engage in their profession
there. And that our attitude in regard
to this measure would determine to
large degree whether this exodus
would again take place.
Rhode Island, Vermont. New York
and Massachusetts, already have COM
plete state retirement systems. Mass
achusetts, Connecticut and Pennsyl-
vania are considering pension legis-
lation for it's teachers at the present
time. Mr. Smith also made the plea
that this pension system be made State
wide in its operation. He said tina.
many of the cities of our State were
wisely considering pensioninG their
school teachers. and that campaign
had been begun in our State for the
betterment OF our county schools, that
they are among the most important
schools which we have and that il
years past they have suffered in com
petition with city schools: that the
inducements have been large for the
country school teachers to leave the
country schools and locate in the large
towns or cities. A city pension plan
which is being seriously considered by
some of our cities would further at
tract our people from country neigh
borhoods.
In conclusion he said the teachers
pension proposed by this bill will at
comparatively small cost give to the
teachers of our State a degree of as
surance and protection that it is be-
yond any words of NINE to express. II
will help to insure the children of our