The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-02-20
WILL MAKE FIGHT A HARD ONE
Local Teachers Said to be Unanimous
in Their Opposition to Bill Proposed
by Senator Teasdale Which Will Re-
peal the Teachers Pension Act.

The teachers of Wisconsin are alafHl-
ed about a bill recently introduced IN
the legislature by Senator Teasdale OF
Lacrosse. This bill is for the repeal
of the teachers retirement fund bill
passed by the legislature Of 1911. Mr..
Teasdale opposed the bill throughout
the session of 1911, and has worked
hard ever since it's passage to put the
law in disfavor.
Tho law has also won some enemies
among school clerks, as it requires OF
them a little added account keeping
and demands an accuracy and prompt
ness in accounting that is somewhat
disturbing to the incompetent ones.
Petitions to assemblymen and SEN
ators signed by the entire teaching
force Of many communities are being
hurried to Madison, asking for the de-
feat Of the Teasdale bill. 1t is known
that Senator Bishop Of Kenosha
county, supported the retirement fund
bill in 1911, and it is believed that he
will stand for it's defense now. Petit
tons are being circulated among the
teachers of Kenosha, to be sent as soon
as possible to our assemblymen in
Madison. The teachers petition the
support of citizens in this defensive
act.
The repeal of this law, would not
only bring Encouragement and disap-
pointment to thousands of teachers in
our state, but would be backward
step. Wisconsin was pretty late In
getting into the procession any how.
More than twenty states have, in part
or in whole, adopted g retirement
fund system for their teachers.
For some time, laws allowing indi-
vidual cities to make pension provI-
sion for retired teachers have existed
in Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Ten
neeesee, California and Washington.
This winter bills providing for a
general law for the entire state, like
the one passed in Wisconsin in 1911,
are before the legislatures of Michi-
gan, Iowa, Minnesota and Wyoming.
Dakota, Tennessee, Alabama, Califor-
MIA, and Washington, are also work
40 .1,x
law.
In one of its decisions, the supreme
court of New York, states that the
annuity is simply salary withheld to
induce long, continued and faithful
service. Corporations, railroad sys-
tens and smaller business concerns,
are also adopting such systems for
their working forces The companies
openly state, that such systems are
adopted for the benefit of the com
panies because, as tried out, thex pro-
mote permanency and efficiency in the
working forces.
In places where the retirement fund
law has been in operation for some
years, it is estimated that the perman-
ency of the teaching force has in
creased seventy-fve per cent.
One objection to the Wisconsin law
is that 1t is compulsory for all people
engaging to teach in Wisconsin after
its passage, since many of these teach
ers do not intend staying long in the
profession it is claimed to be unjust
to assess them.
Let it be remembered that the pub
lie schools do not exist for the pur.
pose of providing temporary employ
ment for those who have other pros.
poets, but they exist that children
may be educated. The object of the
law, therefore, is to create perman-
ency in the teaching force, to attract
and retain strong men and women who
would make teaching their life work.
Hence it is perfectly just that those
who wish to use the profession simply
to help them over into another pro-
tession or employment, should paw toll
for crossing the bridge. This is lust
towards the school and Just towards
the teacher who would make teaching
his or her life work.
At present there are eighty-one an
nuitants in Wisconsin. They are all
teachers who have far exceeded the
twenty-five years required as mini
mum Of service. One-third of these
were rural teachers, earning but a
small salary, and, therefore, saving
bnt little. To large proportion of
the eighty-one the sum received. which
is between $312.o5 and $4,000 annu-
ally, meant the difference between de-
pendence and independence. during old
age-a thing that gave this compare
lively small sum Of money a decided
" important significance.