Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1915-02-10
REPEAL OF STATUTE
PROTESTED BY MANY
Bill Hits State Teachers Retire.
ment Fund.
IN OPERATION THREE YEARS
Measure for One Days Rest in Seven
Presented to the Legislature by
Assemblyman Smith of
Milwaukee.

Madison. - Petitions from all sec
tons of the state are coming to the
legislature protesting against the re-
| peal of the teachers retirement fund
law. which is proposed in a bill by
| Senator Henry Bennett of ViroQua.
| The law has been in operation about
| three years, and the 5000 teachers of
the state who are contributing to 1t
are generally opposed to its repeal.
The law itself provides that after a
teacher has rendered 25 years of serv-
ice, is OF which shall have been in
Wisconsin. the teacher is then entitled
to a pension ranging between 1920
and $3.50. The teacher, however, must
have contributed l per cent of her
wages as a teacher annually for the
first ten years and per cent for the
following Is years. In no case, how
ever, shall the payment for the first
ten years exceed $15 annually and $50
annually for the following Is years
Teachers who have been in the serv-
ice the required number of years, but
have not made the payments. must
make them up before they can partici-
pate in the fund
The report of the board of trustees
which has just been sent to the leg
islature shows that the state contrib
utes toward this fund ABOUT $4,000
annually. This would be saved by the
Bennett repeal bill. 1t also shows that
the fund has on hand or invested
over 100000; that nearly two hun
bred teachers are now receiving pen
sions, of which the Oldest, John p.
Bird of La Crosse, has been a teacher
for 30 years.
This state should never go into the
pension business" said Senator Ben
nett. Unless we put a stop to this
now. there will be bills for pensioning
every class of citizens within the next
half century and the bulk of our taxes
will ultimately be pension"
Many of the first petitions received
were from school teachers who are
contributors to the fund.
The bill for one days rest in seven
has been presented to the legislature
this year by Assemblyman w. l..
Smith of Milwaukee. This measure
passed both houses Of the legislature
two years ago. was deadlocked in the
senate fer three days, and finally
killed. The measure provides that
every employer of labor shall so ar
range his schedule as to give a man
one days rest every week, not neces-
sarily Sunday. The plan of the bill
is to rotate the days so that a man
will have one Sunday off every seven
weeks.
While this bill lays down the hard
and fast rule of one day off in seven,
a substitute measure is being drafted
giving the industrial commission
power to suspend this regulation in
case of necessity. 1t is pointed out
that in case of a severe storm men
might be required to work for three
weeks, Sundays and all, in order to
restore conditions. The labor com
mittee will probably recommend the
latter substitute.
A bill will be presented TO the leg
islature making 1t unlawful for any
nonpolitical organization to spend
money in a political campaign in this
state unless it files a complete ac-
count of all receipts and expeditures
This measure is drawn to meet con.
ditions that existed in the state last
fall when the Home Rule and Taxpay-
ers' league conducted a campaign and
did not report. There is some am
biguity in the law and to make a test
case of the existing act one member
of the Home Rule league will be tried
on an indictment, to which he had
agreed, that has been returned by a
grand jury in Dane county. The bin
will be presented, nevertheless, so
that the act may be strengthened
where It may now be weak.
The 30 farmer members OF the leg.
islature are bent on economy. They
have formed a little organization of
their own to consider legislation of
interest to the rural districts. Assem-
blyman w. C. Bradley of Hudson. for
many years conductor of farmers
institutes. has been selected as chair
man. and he will appoint regular com.
mittees of farmer members to con-
slider proposed rural legislation. At
meeting just held the organization
took UP the subjects of the benefits
Of the board of immigration to deter.
mine whether the work should be con-
tinued or the board abolished Assem-.
blyman W. Woodward of Bloomer said