Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-02-14

!, ly TO pass complete pension legislation
J this winter; New York and New Jerse
also have pension laws and Pennsylvani
: IS now considering a similar enactment.
have named practically all the states t
: which teachers have gone in the pas
from Maine and you will see that Ney
: Hampshire alone in the East is withoIi
| a pension law or without the immediate
prospect of one. We have sent compare
lively few teachers to that state. If al
these other states have pension laws
think of the added iuducement which
would be before Maine teachers to Ieav,
! our State early and engage i'm the prac
tce of their profession elsewhere
! want to make also special plea
that this pension system shall be State
wide in its operation. A campaign has
just been begun in this State for the
Improvement of our country schools.
They are among the most important
schools we have and il is well known
that they have suffered in years past
through competition with city schools.
The Inducements are all large for
teachers TO leave the country school
and TO locate in the larger towns and
cities. local or city pension plan
would further attract our teachers
from country neghborhoods. Let us
put them all on the same standing
| with respect To this matter of pen
sions.
| Pensions and Higher Salaries.
Should teachers pensions he grant
ed or should higher salaries be paid?
Gentlemen, these questions are not al
| Tentative questions. both ought to be
| done. ! see no prospect, however, that
teachers salaries in the near or the
remote future Will be adequate to
present support and old age main
tenance. | can count on the fingers
of two hands all the grade teachers
/ of Maine who are receiving salaries
| in excess Of $500. Hundreds of them
are receiving under $500. | should be
glad to have teachers salaries made
SO high that pensions would he I'M
necessary. To make them adequate
would be To increase our school APP
propriations Immediately by - per
cent. You know that our people are
not prepared to make so great an in.
crease as this.
! Questioned by members of the com
! mittee Mr.. Smith stated that the net
: increase in school funds during the
past year was $4,000, while there was
! a decrease of 600 reported in the num-
Der Of pupils although this was not
i really a decrease. The bill as drawn
would deduct $4,000 from the school
| funds. Be believed that a pension
| system would take care of the teach
ers who are inefficient because OF old
age. There has been some increa Sc
in salary since the increase in the
mill tax for schools, but under the
present law towns were allowed To cut
their school appropriations and many
have done SO. Some of the increase
has gone TO larger salaries. He be-
lieved the best way TO increase sal
aries is To make the teachers more ef-
ficient so they win have to he paid
more.
w. 3. Andrews.
w. r. Andrews, principal Of the
!, Westhrook High school and president
Of the Maine Teachers Association.
, read the resolution favoring pensions
which had been passed at the last an
nual meeting of the association. He
! believed in pensioning teachers in JUS
. tice to the teachers and to the COM
. munities, as the system will Increase
the efficiency of the schools
:, Lydia r. Moulton.
Lydia T. Moulton Of the Portland
. school board thought thar pensions
> should be granted not SO much out Of
consideration TO the individual but for
: the cause of education ia general
Good government depends on intelli-
sence which must be furnished by the
public schools. Under present condi-
tons the average teacher gets the
largest recompense in interest i'm the
work. Their wages are not large
Il enough To permit much saving ana
many of them have to ard in support
: ing others. 1t is not charity however
that the teachers are asking but that
the State will assist in promoting in
the general welfare by securing for
the children the benefits of experience
| ed teachers. The pension plan is meet
4 ing with favor in all lines of business
p and shrewd business men consider i,
good business TO pay them. The
- teachers make the schools of what
g they themselves are
| The population of Maine is now
about 100000 and an appropriation OF
t SZ5O00 TO start the pension system
: would involve a per capita expendi
tire of only about seven enths of one
o cent
Amanda M. Mouiton.
Miss Amanda Nj. Moulton. president
of the Bangor Teachers Association
stated that she had been teachine
. more than two score years, over hall
!, the time in the public schools. u
/ nave sounded the depths of hard work
:, ana poor pay said she, land yet
nave lived to tell the tale and Il
keep on teaching" She explained that
she would not be eligible to a pension
should the bill become a law While
f the teachers are the poorest paid OF
{: wage earners the demands upon them
: are constantly increasing. Benefits To
5 the children from Improved systems
e must come through the teachers who
v need food for the mind as well as for
q the body To do their pest work they
g must have books and periodicals, at
n tend summer schools and travel
! Poor board and shabby clothes are
n certainly not the Incentives for best