Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-13
Attorney Gen. Wilson Hands
Down an Opinion
Relative to Teachers Pension
Act OF Last Legislature
Flood Of Primary Papers Received
By Secretary Of State
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR.
Regular Meeting of Governor and
Council Will Be Held at 10 A. M.
Friday, April "a.

H Frfoay, April "a.
superintendent of schools, who has
retired as a teacher, is entitled to a
pension by the teachers pension act
passed at the last session of the Leg
islature, according to the interpreta-
ton Of the law made Saturday by At
torney General Scott Wilson of Port
land. The decision was made in re-
Spouse to an inquiry made by Hon.
4 Payson Smith, State superintendent of
i schools
The opinion of Attorney General
Wilson is as follows:
Yours of recent date, relating to
the Interpretation of Chapter rs of the
public laws Of 1913, relative to teach
ers' pensions, duly received
In the matter to which you refer
as I understand it, the applicant is
! qualified as a teacher by reason of
| length of service to receive a pension.
the question being whether he is en-
| titled to receive one while acting as
a superintendent of schools, he having
retired from active service as a
| teacher.
AS ] understand ii, in the legisla-
tive discussion of this law, it was con-
cluded not to make it apply to super
intendents and from the language of
the act, 1t seems to me clear that it
was not intended to apply to super
| fntendents. The words employed as
| teacher in the first section, which is
one of the necessary qualifications of
| the pension, indicates that the act was
intended to apply to any in the en-
| ploy of the cities and towns as teach
ers in the ordinary acceptance of that
word, and no persons holding an of
flee as superintendent of schools,
! though as such official he may be en-
gagged in the general business of the
instruction and education Of the young.
1T is my opinion, therefore, that
the fact that the applicant having all
| the other qualifications required by
| the statute entities him to a pension,
namely, length of service and retire
! ment from the service of teaching, is
| not disqualified to receive a pension
| under the present statute because he
| has accepted the office of superintend-
emit Of schools. I could conceive of
conditions similar to the case in hand
where there might seem to be little
occasion in granting a pension, how
ever, that may be, such an applicant
seems to be entitled to one under our
present law"
The primary papers of William r.
Pattangall of Waterville as a Demo-
cratic candidate for Congress in the
Third Maine district were filed at the
Office of the secretary of State Satur-
day. Under the law Mr.. Pattangall
was obliged to file not less than 425
signatures or one per cent. of the to-
tai vote cast in the district in the last
State election for Governor and not
more than S4S signatures, or two per
cent. Of the total vote. Eight hundred
and twelve signatures were filed in all.
The petitions which were filed Sat-
urday in behalf of Mr.. Pattangall were
as follows:
Edgar F. Hanson of Belfast and SO
others; Eben F. Littlefield of Belfast
and 81 others; Warren B. Clark of
New Portland and % Others Adam
Simpson of Skowhegan and "a others;
Harvard c. Jordan of Ellsworth and
10 others: Fred v. Pickard of Calais
and so others; C. M. Douglass of Hal
lowell and A others; N. W. Coombs
of Castine and 80 others; Harry E.
Vose of Ellsworth and II others;
Howard w. Dodge of Clinton and IL
others; Cyrus w. Davis of Water
vile and SO others; 8. H. Bradstreet
of Albion and IA others; J. B. Cros-
by OF Dennysville and 10 others; Reg |
inald ingalls, of Eden and 3S others;
S. I. Lawry of Fairfield and 81 9TH |
ers; C. e. Mower Of East vassalboro |
and Is others; William r. Frost of |
Gardiner and 46 others; r. B. Harri- |!
man of Bucksport and is others;
Frederick Bogue of East Machias and |
eight others; J. E. Donovan of Win
throp and % others; M. E. Curran Of |
Madison and 10 others; z. +. Morrill, |
of .Readefied and 16 others; Charles
w. Dinsmore Of Machias and 20 9TH
ers: J. W Written of Steuben and IS
others; Willis H. Allen of Columbia
Falls and IL others; Frank w. Burn
ham Of Milbridge and IS others; Per-
ley Weber Of Hartland and 40 9TH
ers; F. w. Thurlow Of Cutler and
nine others and Arthur l.. Somes Of
Southwest Harbor and Is others.
For State Senator
The primary papers of William L.
Walker Of Skowhegan for the Repub-
lican nomination for State senator
from the county Of Somerset were also
received at the Office of the secretary
of State Saturday. The papers bear