Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-12-28
MISS MCCOY To
CONTINUE FIGHT
CONTINUED from First Page

Continued from tFst rage
Jersey, and we do not propose that
he shall work any more, if we can
help It, Will you be so good as to
give us your assistance by publish
ing this article which ] enclose?"
The enclosed article, in part, is as
follows:
II am going to keep right on talk
ing about this retirement fund and
its management until l have stronger
proof than anything yet offered us,
that it is a safe investment for the
teachers of New Jersey. The promo
ters of this fund are now calling it
'di bility insurance. It was not so
called when we were all fighting for
its existence during the years 1895
1907. Before the compulsory clause
went into effect $500 the fund was
practically in a bankrupt condition.
Since then the compulsory phase of
the law has caused the fund to grow,
together with the very conservative
action OF the trustees in granting
annuities. In fact, 1t has become
public gossip that the trustees are
so conservative that only teachers
with money or influence can secure
the annuity. What kind of philan
thropy Is that? l tried my best to
find out whether there was any truth
in these rumors when I sent my
QUESTIONABLE on the managem INT
and promoters of the New Jersey
teachers retirement fund to the So
called investigating committee last
January. Did l get any satisfaction?
Not a bit. That investigation was a
remarkable one in more ways than
one.
1.-THE chairman of the committee
sent to me for names of persons who
! could give them some information.
promptly replied by sending them
| the name of Otto H Schultz. princl-
pal Of Morton Street School. Newark.
They already knew my name, and
now they had two names, and not
once did they invite either Mr..
Schultz OF myself to appear before
that committee to furnish any tntor-
nation we might possess. But after
telling us how long and arduous had
been their work with Miss Elizabeth
A Allen and Arthur W. Milbury,
the promoters of the retirement fund,
they came out with the verdict
| Your committee rests confident i'll
the perpetuity of the fund Unfor-
tunately. not all OF the teachers of
the State are resting so confidently in
the say So of Arthur w. Milbury
and few school teachers who know
no more about the real stability of
the fund than we do. ] have been
urged to keep on talking about this
matter, and ] shall do so. Miss Allen,
Mr.. Milbury and their followers have
done everything they can think of
doing to discredit my right to ask
any questions concerning this fund
and its management.
"They are now trying to get the
retirement fund department out of
the State Teachers Association.
Whether they will succeed do not
| know.
"Personally, l believed in the COM
pulsory clause; without 1t the fund
could not exist. But 1t was with the
distinct understanding that the Stare
Teachers Association would fight to
make the law more just and equable
law for all its contributors that / took
up cudgels for the compulsory clause
in 1906 before the clause became a
law. In all these seven or eight years
not thing has been done by the
State association to keep the prom
Uses made the teachers at that time.
There is much dissatisfaction among
the higher-paid principals and teach
ers over the compulsory clause. be-
cause, as the law now stands, teach
ers may contribute for ten, fifteen or
nineteen years and never recover one
cent that has been taken forcioIy
from their salaries This is not per-
sonal grievance of mine at all, as l
have already taught over twenty
years in New Jersey the time required
in the present law upon the teacher
becoming incapacitated to teach. But
/ promised many teachers When ] in
duced them to join the fund way back
there in 1906-19O7 that 1 would do
everything in my power to make the
law more just for all the 'contribu-
tors of the fund. / am now merely
keeping my promises to those teach
ers. / tried to make changes in the
law by privately reminding the pro
moters that they should keep their
promises made the teachers before
feet, but l might as well have talked
to the four winds. Their whole atti-
tude has been, Who are you! We've
got our machine; we've got our
steam rolleri What can you do?'
Now why are Miss Allen and Mr.. Mil
bury so determined not to keep their
promises? And why are they 80 de-
termined that the fund shall not be
investigated by a thoroughly impair
tial committee?
"I hear that Mr.. Mllbury has been
spreading the information that he has
won the suit ] instituted against him
last spring and won in the Somerset
County Court, the verdict being set
aside by the Supreme Court last
month. but he has failed to state that
the suit is not ended yet, as 1t will
be carried on to the Court of Errors
and Appeals, and nobody knows il
better than Mr.. Milbury. The point
now at issue Is whether the agree
ment' which Mr.. Milbury induced me
to sign on April s, 1914, relieves Mr.
Milbury of any further obligation tC
me. / am not a lawyer, but l have
perfect faith in Judge Woodbridge
Interpretation of the law who viii
carry the case to the Court of Errors
and Appeals. Mr.. Milbury is apt t.
be too previous in his statements.
know Mr.. Milbury. Nothing could in
duce me to take his advice or sign
any more papers for him. Do yol
wonder that l question the retiremen
fund.-" $1,000.