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


best she could, AND sent them out into
the world to do the work of life. This
old fashioned woman is gradually dis
appearing from the State of Maine,
this woman. | mean Maine born and
bred. If YOU disbelieve this statement.
go with me to the best residential
streets of our cities and you will find
them almost childless Go with me to
our rural communities, where was once
thirty, forty. fifty. seventyfive and
more children. where now are so few
that the cost of conveyance is very
large in maintaining the few small
schools.
Now, gentlemen. we have been proud
of Maine in the past, principally be-
cause of the very large number of
Maine boys and girls who have made
good.
Now. while we report this pension
bill ought to pass and thoroughly
believe in it, yet if some future COM
mittec possibly of some future Legis-
lature. possibly the committee on pub
lie health, should recommend that
this pension system be extended so
that it may include the old fashioned
woman ] should have no objection. s
Elr. President | move that this
measure now receive its second read
ing. Applausc)
Nh MURPHY of Cumberland Mr.
President, / do not propose To make
speech on this measures | simply want
to endorse every word my friend, Sem
ator Walker. has said. | do not be-
lieve the teachers in Maine get sufii
cient salary, at least in the rural dis
tricts. There is a tendency to hire
teachers at the lowest possible salary.
and | know of no other way of suitably
rewardng the teachers than by a pen
sion. 1t does not make any difference
how much money some of the towns
receive back from the State, there is
still that tendency to put it into their
inside pocket, rather than to reward
the teachers.
There is a tendency, as my friend,
Senator Walker, says, for the teacher
to leave Maine. and the people of
Massachusetts, in the shape of teach
erS' agencies are making ii their bus
mess to come down to Maine and in
duce young teachers to go to Massa
chusctts | have seen their agents at
Castine, just before graduating day.
soliciting the girls to subscribe their
names on the list for positions in
Massachusetts. They were more in
terested in getting the five per cent
of the yearly salary paid the girl after
she gets there than in getting her a
good position. Invariably the positions
i g..
are the leftover positions The teach
ers 90 not know that until they get
there. but that is the sort of job they
get.
| have myself had experience with
teachers | believe in making them
contented. and | believe that this bill
win make some of them more content
ed than they are now. | believe that
teachers like to dress we'll and look
good Many come from the small
towns. They are attracted to the cities
because they get better salaries The
chances are that they would not go 10
the cities if it were not for the sal
aries.
The first teacher that taught me in
the North school in Portland is still
there. She is a contented, pleasant
and good -natured teacher. / was
little fellow and happened to be pref
ty good boy at that stage of the game.
She handed me a story book to en-
courage me to go to school, and | went
as long as she was there. Later on |
had another teacher and then | found
baseball more attractive than going to
school.
| believe this law will make teach
ers more contented, especially after
they have passed the age of thirty five
years. Then they think they have
spent the most of their money and
now they will settle down to teaching
school, and they think of the bank
account on which they can draw in
terest in the future, and they will be
more contented
/ know nice, young teacher, who
said II wish this bin would become
a law / could do more for my moth
er then, and l would be more content
ed" That is fact and ii came to me
through a second party as a fact, how
much money would she have by the
| time her mother was through on this
earth? Possibly not much. and she
| is growing older every day.
/ am contented TO vote for this bill
! The committee is unanimous for IT, |
| shall endorse every word my friend.
Senator Walker, has said.