Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1921-01-21
PLAN LAW FOR
TEACHERS FUND
Changes to Be Made by LegisIa-
ture Following Investiga-
ton of Committee.
TO Be PUT ON SOUND BASIS
New Plan Provides That Every Teach
er Who Has Contributed Will Re-
ceive All the Benefits
Promised.

Madison.-That the Wisconsin teach
ers' retirement fund law must undergo
many changes at this session of the leg
islature to develop it "from financial
hazard to a sound institution" is the
statement of Senator Anton kuckuk,
who, as chairman of the legislative
committee, spent the year making a
complete investigation. The report of
the committee is now being tentatively
formulated and will soon be ready for
presentation TO the legislature.
The legislative committee which
made this investigation is composed of
Senator Anton Kuckuk, Shawano, and
Senator George B. Skogmo, River
Falls, and Assemblymen Riley S.
Yong, Walworth county; r. M. Hansen
Waupaca county, and John T. VIII
liams, Iowa county.
"The present Wisconsin teachers re-
tirement fund is in such a straitened
financial condition that some action
must be taken by the legislature to
pU< it on sound and permanent finan-
cial footing" said Senator Anton kuc-
kuk, chairman. with the cooperation
Of the teachers and interested people
of the state a new plan has been
worked out, which greatly changes the
scope Of the present law.
'First of all, every teacher who has
made contributions to the present
teachers fund law will receive all Of
the benefits that were promised. Their
every right and privilege has been sa-
credly guarded in working out the new
plan.
''The tentative plan which we are
developing will not only be open to the
teachers outside of Milwaukee, but
normal school teachers and the univer-
sity staff may be brought within its
provisions if the legislature so desires.
The essential care of the new plan is
that it is designed to aid, in old age,
the teacher who desires to dedicate her
life to the state Under the present
law each teacher is contributing from
1 per cent to per cent Of her salary
to the support of the fund. In round
numbers 1900 of these teachers, &C
cording to the statistics gathered, never
intend to follow the teaching profess
sion and seldom follow it for longer
period than five years Out of 100
teachers entering the profession IL are
in the service at the end Of % years
To meet the objection of teachers VINO
do not intend to continue as such, the
suggested plan asks for no contribu-
ton from a teacher under twenty-five
years of age.
"This Immediately brings the plan
down to a basis of aiding those who
have a likelihood of following the pro-
fession. All teachers in the state over
the age Of twenty-five years must make
contributions to the teachers retire
ment fund. 1t is proposed to take a
contribution out of the teachers salary
of 5 per cent. At the end of each year
the state will make a contribution de-
termined by the amount of the teach
ers' deposits and increasing with the
length of service. The sums paid by
the state and the teacher are credited
to q separate account kept by the state
"Under the present law, to draw the
annuity a teacher can only withdraw
at the end of % years Of service-not
before. Under the plan now proposed
the teacher is permitted to retire at
any time, but the amount Of the annu-
ity viii be determined by the amount
of contributions which the state and
teacher has made to the fund through
the years of service rendered. Since
the contributions of the teacher are
based on salary, the amounts of the
annuity vary, but the general princi-
pie is applicable to all cases. Annui-
ties are only paid upon retirement and
not while the individual is still teach
ing.
"For example, under the new plan
teacher whose service has brought her
an average annual income of 5000 will,
by the states and her contributions.
have built up at the age of fifty a
fund of $4,951 and will be entitled to
an annual annuity of 1886 while she
lives. The same teacher at the same
salary retiring at the age of fifty-fve
years would have an annual annuity of
$518; at the age of sixty years $791,
and at the age of sixty-five years, ST.
2O7. Instead of encouraging teacher
to retire at the end of % years, as the
old law, this suggested law offers the
encouragement of a larger annuity by
remaining longer in the service.
Changes Shown by Census.
Interesting facts are shown in a
compilation of the recent census re-
port of the United States government.
The figures for Wisconsin show that
n considerable shakeup has occurred
within the last ten years. Milwaukee.
of course. holds its own in rank, but
Racine and Kenosha have passed Su-
perior. The latter city, in fact, ac-
tualIy lost in total. Wisconsin now
has nine cities with a population of