The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-03-18
This Is Legal Interpretation
Handed Down At Meeting
of School Board Yesterday
Afternoon.
RAMSEY SAYS MEET
ING WILL BE HELD
Jordan and Johnston State
Opinions on LaW-Teach-
ers Determined to See Lo-
cal Application.

AS result of meeting of the city
! board CT education yesterday after
noon, at which time legal interpreta-
ton was secured on divers clauses in
the teachers pension law, the question
as to whether the teachers or the
school board will have the authority
to state whether the law shall be plac-
ed in operation here, must be answer
ed by city council.
The school board maintains that the
law has such a large number of
"jokers" in it that it should not be
applied to this city. The teachers de
! clare that this law is no more than
! fair and are determined to see that it
| is placed in practical operation in
Richmond.
IA. M. Gardner, former city attorney,
| was consulted about this matter yes
| terday afternoon and he advised the
board to attempt to force the city
council to settle the difficulty.
Up to Council.
"The city council is the governing
body in the municipality and with that
body the power shall rest" said Mr.
Gardner. The law must be accepted
or discarded by next Saturday accord
| ing to a provision in the act. Unless
a special session of council is called
before that time the law will be ruled
out.
One Of the most prominent teachers
| in the city who was active at India,
napolis lobbying for the bill asked
Charles Jordan, treasurer of the school
board to act favorab!v toward the law.
Mr. Jordan was frank with the repre-
sentative of the pedagogues and told
him that "a big husky man ought to
be ashamed of himself for asking a
pension when at the time he would
start receiving the pension he would
be in the prime of life and capable OF
rendering his most valuable services
| to the community, as an instructor"
Endowment Policy?
"I am favorable to a disability pen.
sion law" said Mr.. Jordan, land when
the Commercial Club went on record
as favoring the pension bill that is
what We believed we were to get
This law is merely paid up endow'
ment life insurance policy which the
I teachers may collect after they have
taught for a certain period Of years.
| DR. M. F. Johnston president of the
school board, refused to openly say he
would vote against the law if the
| board was given the power of accept
ing it. DR.. Johnston did, however, say
that the bill was all wrong and does
not agree with the teachers that they
should be given the power of accept
ing it
| 1.-THE teachers already have the
power of saying who shall receive a
pension and | do not believe it would
be fair that they should have the
power to distribute the pension or say
whether it shall be accepted here as
the tax payers pay five-sevenths of the
fund.-" DR. Johnston said.
| Complain In Time.
! The board members say that there
are many people who are not opposing
| it at this time who would oppose il
and criticise it when they are assess
ed two and one half cents per hundred
dollars for maintaining the fund.
DR.. Johnston does not believe th<
school teacher is more deserving ;
pension than other people who dt
public service work and believes tn.
time will come when an old age pen
sion law will be passed giving a pen
sion to every person unable to worl
because of their advanced age. "A
near as can make out, the law il
merely a plan to give an annuity t.
persons who are able to perform &C
tive duties of life," said the presiden
of the board.
Teachers to Meet.
Prof. D. d. Ramsey of the White
water school. stated that the teacher
would probably hold a meeting mex
Saturday at which time the law has t,
be accepted here. The teachers ar,
all favorable toward the law and if i
is refused here serious remonstrance
will be made.