The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-03-27
PLAN TO PENSION TEACHERS MEETS
 NO OPPOSITION
Justice, Not Charity, Is Argu- ment at Hearing Before
 Legislative Committee
Special to the FarmeO

Special to the Farmer)
 Hartford, March 27-One of the largest hearings of the session was that on the teachers pension bill before the committee on education in the hall of the House, yesterday af- ternoon Senator Christopher New man of Bridgeport presided. There was a, large representation of teachers from all parts of the state, many of the veterans of the service. Among those from Bridgeport were Supt- Deane, Miss Euphrosyne Bown and Lynn w. Wilson. Rep. Taylor of Danbury, and Judge Addis of New Milford were among those who spoke for the bill. The measure provides that teachers shall receive 40 per cent Of their annual pay per year, af ter they have been thirty years in the service. There is a strong pros pect that the House will pass the measure.
 Hon. George B. Chandler of Rocky Hill and Representative Lynn w Wilson in presenting their case split on one point MT Wilson spoke of teachers pensions and old age pen sions and voiced his approval of the former while he lauded the latter. MT. Chandler was quite in favor Of the pension for teachers but he charac- terized the old age pension as a pre- mium on incompetence.
 The principal idea was that the state is in danger Of losing it's teach CTS through neighboring states offer ing more favora ble conditions and that the award of a pension was only justice to those who devoted the best years of their life to training the children. It was also pointed out that there was nothing of charity in the proposition but that it was simply a reward for meritorious service. The sentiment was that the teacher, with the small income allowed by the schools, was never safe against the old age and that the system would benefit to allow those, who had pass ed their age of usefulness to retire.
 There were two bills considered at the same time both along the similar lines and the provision was to pen sion teachers who had served thirty years the last fifteen of which had to be on the basis Of 40 per cent of the last five years average salary with an increase of per cent for every additional year, the pension to be not more than $500, nor less than $200. It was estimated that the cost for the first year would be about $15,000. s ssz4ss s--tzs4
 Judge John F. Addis of New Mil ford said that the town school com mfttee of New Milford passed a vote in favor of the Johnson bill. He told of a teacher in New Milford who had taught TOT IlIIy-JnT00 years d1ld WHO was now penni1ees.
 Represen tive Wilson of Bridge port said he believed that all the peo- pie of the civilized world were com ing to the belief that not only old teachers should be pensIoned but all old people who had done their duty England, he said, had passed such an act and also New Zealand, which he described as the happiest country on Gods footstoo1.
 Professor B. c. Moore of Yale, for mer1y superintendent of schools in California, said there was nothing of more importance before the Legis- lature than the question of the pen sion. The average salary of the teacher, he said, was $561 and that the state last year.
 Miss Jennie M. ONei1 of Water bury repr resenting the Teachers Lea que, said that the teachers of today were not of the mental caliber of those of few years ago and this was due to the industrial world pro- viding better salaries and pensions To eliminate that she said the pen sion bill appeared as a necessity.
 Superintendent Deane of Bridgeport said the merit of the pension system had been demonstrated by corpora tions taking it up. He said men were needed in education as well as worn- en and inducements should be offer a provision against old age.