The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-03-20
MEETING NOT
To Be CALLED
BY THE BOARD
Johnston and Jordan, At
Meeting With School Prin-
cipals State Opposition to
Teachers Pension Law.
CONTINUED from Page One,

lieve it just law. Many of the princi-
pals assured the board there would be
very few teachers if any who would
take advantage of the law and none
would probably retire for the first few
years One member of the board said
there should be no reason then, for the
teachers not allowing the matter to
drop until after the next session of
the legislature.
Supt. T. A. Mott told the board the
salary of the teachers was very small
and the requirements to be a teacher
were great 1--WE would rather have
seen a state wide law passed but this
is better than no pension law at ALL"
he said. This is the first step taken to-
ward pensioning all laboring classes
and group by group will gradually be
pensioned.
After all the principals had express
ed their views the board was called up
on to state why they were opposed to
the law. DR.. NJ. F. Johnston, president
of the board said. 81 am opposed to
the law because it is unjust. You peo-
pie are asking us to support you in the
prime Of your life when you should be
rendering your most valuable services
to the community"
Was Misrepresented.
Chas. Jordan told the teachers the
bill had been misrepresented to him
Ia MI har 0f hn
Commercial Club as we'll as the other
members of the board who telephoned
and telegraphed to Indianapolis advo-
eating the bill have been deceived"
said the treasurer of the board. 1--WE
asked for one law and got different
one. If this teachers pension law was
one which would encourage teachers
of ability to take UP the profession and
follow it l would favor it. This one
does not. 1t has just the opposite eff
feet 1t will pension teachers when
they have taught twenty or twenty-five
years or when they are from forty to
forty five years old If teacher after
teaching here for twenty-five years can
60 to another county and receive
salary there and pension here they
will do it, and can do it, according to
this law.
Couldn't Pay In Full.
Mr.. Jordan then submitted figures
to show how the law would fail to
work financially. There are AZ teach
ers who can retire. At the end of the
second year only seventy cents on the
dollar could be paid. At the end of the
third year only thirty three cents on
the dollar could be paid"
Former City Attorney Gardner at
tended the meeting and answered
many questions for the teachers. Mr..
Gardner could not state positively who
has the power of having the law ap-
piled here. The board Of education be-
lieves the privilege is with the board
while the teachers maintain they have
the right to say whether it shall apply
here.
Because of the large tax which will
be imposed on the tax payers, Mr.
Gardner believes it would be the right
of the city council as is the case in the
firemen and police pension law.
Boards Refusal.
The board was urged to help the
principals and teachers to the extent
that they call a meeting of the teach
ers Saturday The board refused to do
this believing if they did it would be
the first act on their part toward in
dorsing the bill which they oppose.
The meeting Saturday will be held by
the teachers to elect a principal and
two teachers to act as their represen-
tatives in the commission which will
have charge of the distribution of the
funds.
A meeting will be held tomorrow at
the high school at which time the mat
ter will be taken up with the teachers
Of the schools with the school board.
The meeting will be held in room 20
at three O'Clock. s.<
Those Benefited.
Appended is a list of the teachers
who would be entitled to pensions
and the amount they would draw per