Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-04-11
~Assembyman DEVICES Bill
Passed by Senate. Will Go to
Governor for Signature
By Special Correspondent.

By Special Correspondent
TRENTON. April 11:-Teacher's
Day seemed to rule here yesterday
in the legislative whirl incident to the
near approach of final adjournment
today. The series Of three bills de-
signed to reorganlze n teachers
pension system in this state were
signed by Governor Edge last night,
thus putting them on the statute
books as laws. They were the pro-
duct of investigation done during the
past two years by Speaker OF h
House Arthur ~. Pierson, of Union
county, and in his opinion they Will
save the present pension system from
going to financial ruin. A total Of
II, 900 teachers in the state are az
fected by this legislation. A number
of public hearings were given and
some of the original features were
eliminated as a result, but the under
lying principles of the bills retained.
All annuities and pensions now being
paid under the old teachers retire.
ment fund system are protected by
the new legislation.
Pass Devoe Measure
After q temporary setback. earlier
in the week. the senate yesterday
gave its sanction to the bill which
Assemblyman DeVoe, Democrat, Of
Middiesex. has been fighting through
the legislature to fix the minimum
salary of school teachers in the state
at not less than 800 a year. The
i~scandalous disregard of the interest
of the teachers. particularly in some
of the rural districts of New Jersey,
brought about the introduction of
this bill, which passed the house and
has now gone through the senate. 1t
l. -. L--N IT1Un for his
approval.
State Commissioner of Education
Kendall for a long time has been
calling attention to the low salaries
paid some OF the state teachers. par
ticularly in the one-room schools. 1t
had been found that in some of these
country districts they were given as
low as $500 per year., not enough to
live on properly. This resulted in a
campaign for increased compensa-
ton. This basis of the argument was
that teachers had to be encouraged
and given enough money to live upon
so that they would not desert the
calling to which they were rendering
service of great Importance to the
state, namely, educating its future
/ citizens.
The only setback of the day with
reference to teacher legislation came
| when the senate defeated the bill in
/ troduced by Assemblyman Donovan.
| of Hudson, prohibiting boards of edu-
| cation from inquiring into the reiig-
ious beliefs of teachers applying for
positions. This measure went down
to the tune of eight to five. Senator
| Edwards, of Hudson, as is the GUS
tom in the senate, handled this bill
for his colleague from the other side
| of the lawmaking body. He declared
he personally knew of cases where
young women nae been refused posi-
tons as teachers because of their re-
| ligious belief, and he declared 1t a
| bad policy for the state to a for the
training of young women for this call
ing and then have them deprived OF
an opportunity to work because OF
| discrimination.
I'm these enlightened days this
| practice is i~ntolerable." he declared"
and the action is entirely unfair and
for. especially i'm this eouH-
try"
bill, but their objections were mainly
technical in character. Case, of SOM
erset, said the measur might pro-
hibit a board of education inquiring
as to whether a teacher believed in
God. Senator Hammond. of Mercer,
said the bill was good in principle,
but 1t was too drastic and might con-
vict a member of a board who dis
cussed the religion of q teacher APP
plicant In a conversational way and
without any malicious intent.
Senator Pilgrim, of Essex. declared
a Mohammedan or Buddhist might
gain entrance to the teaching force
under the Donovan bill. He said II
might prevent the exclusion of China
man born in this country and educat-
ed here who applied to teach.
Senator Barber. Edwards. Mackay
Martens and Senate President Run
yon, voted for the bill. Those VINE
voted in the negative were: Bright
Case. Conrad, Fithian. Hammond
S~turgess, Wells. and Whitney.