Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1915-08-14
Teachers cocktail
DID NOT BAR PENSION
New York Teacher Retired
For Nervous Insuificency'
After Using Liquor
ONE DISABLED AFTER
PROMOTION; MARRIED

NEW YORK, Aug. l4.-Cocktalls
are not a remedy for nervous in
suaiciency." Neither is a flask of IL
quor tucked away in school teach
er's desk, according to Comptroller
Prendergast
The comptroller left the city es-
lterday for a weeks vacation. AS he
quit his office he made public a state
ment on the bankruptcy Of the
Teachers Pension Fund which he
brought TO notice a week ago. he
quoted from the records of the Pen
sion Commission, which has long
been studying the pension funds OF
various city departments.
zone of the cases the comptroller
said, referring 10 the Teachers
Fund, was that of a teacher retired
February l, 1905, who admitted TO the
Board OF Retirement that she not
only bought cocktails in o drug store
near the school but carried a nask OF
liquor into the school so she could
have II on tap Her retirement was
recommended by the Board of Re
tirement and was authorized by the
Board of Education after she had
been moved from school ~ school
four times in less than four years
-notwithstanding the following rec
ord taken from the minutes OF the
Retirement Board:
Questioned by Supt. William H.
Maxwell she said:
Il had a pain around the heart and
was suffering great pain one day, so
! went TO this place and had q cock
tail in a drug store. The man who
keeps the drugstore was a pupil Of
mine His wife makes these cock
tails
= @Nervous Insuiiciency.7
"'Would it have been known by
the people in the school II you had
been drunk?" questioned DR.. Max
= we'll
eyes, she replied.
{. In reply 10 a question from Eyer
, ton /. Winthroph then president OF
g the board. she admitted she had tax
e en- a flask Of liquor into the school
! She was retired on the ground OF
nervous insuficieney" on a pension
g Of S606.66 a year.
o., "In June, 1914, a first year prin-
cipal's application for disability re-
tirement. after she had served TWEEN
= ty-one years and nine months, was
?. approved by the Board OF Retirement
e Under the rules of the Board of Edu.
D cation the principal would have beer
!. placed on the pension roll Sept. !
y 1911, and would be now receiving az
o annual pension of S6343S. On thu
e advice OF Supt Maxwell. however, he
retirement was postponed until Feb
q /. 1912.
o In the interval. January /, her sal
airy was increased, and when her re
IT tirement became effective. Februar
! l, the pension allowed was s93s.3t
n The aggregate loss TO .he city wa
J. about $1,000.
IS This is the record as II appears o.
+ the minutes of the Retirement Board
II BY Mr.. Maxwell: Miss -, yo
n are applying too soon fer retirement
what is the reason?
/ I have lost my hearing entirely Il
ie this left ear, and ! have dry catarr
I IN the other which IS progressive
d Gould you not remain on unit
. February II
sc I could. / suppose, but tried nov
because ! though this was the lime I
- do so. LAST winter, with the colds
AAAf NANAN was q lOoc Y
|. hearing on account Of them. Anothe
u. thing ask for retirement on a pen
sion OF S2,010, and II that cannot b
~. granted will have to stay longer, 70
s. ! cannot get along on a smaller pen
sion, as do not propose TO go into an
q. other business
\. II do not think you can get III
m benefit Of the increase, ecause IL
AS not due until September I, and unde
M the law your retirement must take ei
he feet September /. II you can renal
d. over until the first Of February. VIII
is you could get it.
Of March II. 1912, this teacher AZ
knowledged before a notary IN Lc
"a Angeles, Cal, that she had been MAJ
n ried February ? and sent the motto
&c 10 New York so she would be sur
70 10 get her pension under her ne
M name"
- Says Board Acted Illegally.
A The Comptroller declared unequiv,
e. cally that the Board of Education ha
en- acted illegally in retiring any teach
or ers since September /, 1913
on The law requires" he said, "ths
no the number of teachers retired sha
! be so limited that the entire amour
us Of the annuities shall not exceed III
income Of the retirement fund. TIL
has been disregaFded; hence n
bankruptcy OF the pension fund.
"The Pension Commission, takiu
Is the same point OF view, holds thi
o. 6S4 retirements made by the Boar
" Of Education since 1910, when u
annual income fund fell below the al
- nual disbursements. are subject
~ serious legal doubt. As COR the q
pensions granted since September
~ 1918, the Pension Commission SAY
these were indisputably illegal.
p "Ihe Pension Commissions memora
ed dun shows one teacher was continuous
ry absent six years and four months pr
I'd 10 retirement. Her eighteen years a
seven months Of actual service we
r credited at twenty-four years and elev
N months. Another vas absent contin
ously four years and four months, a
so was pushed over the twenty.year il
which the law sets for legal retiremei
Thus retired teachers are receiving pc
III sions figured on more years than tn
n served"