Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-02-23


some adequate insurance provision
should be made for teachers
against disability and old age has
awakened considerable interest. at
least among teachers. and merits
very careful consideration On their
part. As a result Of a somewhat SUI
perficial examination Of the subject, ]
venture to submit the following out
line plan. as my modest contribution
10 a very important matter:
/. Term Of Service.
The term Of service shall be twenty
five l25l years, aggregating two hun
dred fifty $500 months. Of which one
hundred Q00l months shall have been
served in the territory.
On the mainland the average term
OF service required is thirty 900 years
instead Of twenty-five (25l. but there
the year ordinarily consists Of nine
months inStead Of ten, as here. In
many states there is no provision rer
curing any fixed proportion OF service
in the state But here, where We ars
liable to a more unstable or even no
madic service a provision Of this kind
would be necessary to protect our in
terests. .,.--- .v~ =
H. Disability. s,,.
After fifteen (15l years Of service,
ten 10l of which shall have been
completed in the territory, a disabil.
ity allowance shall be given of four
Der cent f49t) of the total annuity.
for each year OF actual service. 70 =
In the states. even in the case oil
disability, annuity allowance Is made
only after fifteen (15l or twenty (20l
years of service. This Is manifestly
unjust, as the annuitant has contrib
uted in good faith and should be entt.
tied to some return on the basis OF a
surrender value"
III. Amount Of Annuity.
Full annuity shall be six hundred
dollars ($600) per year. In the states
there is good deal Of range in the
amount of the annuity. In many cases
it is the pronortion to the amount paid
in. or to the salary received. An
average Of the fiat rate annuities
would be about five hundred dollars
($500), but the higher cost Of living
here would seem to warrant some.
what larger annuity.
It is an open question whether a
sliding scale annuity should not be
adopted, instead Of fat rate. Mani
testify some teachers are more valu-
able than others. are entitled to larger
salaries and will contribute larger az
gregate amounts toward the insurance
funds-should they not be entitled to
a larger participation in the benefits?
To this end perhaps they should re-
ceive an annuity equal to one-half the
final annual salary, when that salary
exceeded twelve hundred dollars
$4,000 year. -.
". Premiums Payable by Teachers.
The annual premiums payable by
teachers shall be as follows:
one-half per cent Of salary for first
five years Of service.
One per cent Of salary for five to
ten years Of service.
Two per cent Of salary for ten to if
teen years OF service,
Three per cent of salary for fifteen
to twenty-five years Of service
These payments are considerably
higher than those current In the states
where commonly / per cent only n re.
.quired. But on the other hand. the
period Of service is longer there.
Though, on the face, these percent
ages, as given above, will average
nearly 2 per cent, it should not be for
gotten that the one-haH per cent con-
tributions will be in excess, because
many young teachers will drop out In
the first period. 49,. - hi =.
1t may be well to point out that
these high percentages of premium
will practically insure the financial
independence and self sufficiency Of
the scheme. State aid, If required at
all, would be reduced to a minimum,
and in any case would not be needed
for many years. Any such amount OF
state aid as might be required could
readily be forecast a year or two In
advance and such special provision
made as might be necessary. Perhaps
some assistance might be expected
from special gifts and requests. e.
". Refunds. H.. -. LIS
ne-half of total amount paid in t..
be returned to any teacher on resig.
nation or dismissal before expiration
of 25-year term. ~. ..:.-....
vi. Participatlon Optional.
1t shall be optional for any teacher
to- participate In this insurance
scheme, option being open for one
year. Having once adopted the
scheme, continuance to be compul-
sorry. III :. F
VII. Board OF Management.
There shall be an insurance board
to consist OF two members of the
board of education. four principals Of
public schools, one from each of the
islands, Hawaii, Maui. Oahu. and
Kauai, which board shall have charge
of the funds and transact the business
involved in the plan. 49,
In conclusion ! would like to voice
what | believe Is very general salts.
faction On the part of the teachers in
the prospect Of such insurance and a
large measure of gratitude to Mr.
Brandt for developing the proposition
YOURS X. x.