Evening star., 1946-08-08

Act Liberolizes
Annuities; Other
Measures Aid D. G.
President Truman has signed the
bill to liberalize the retirement an
nuitieS of public school teachers
and encourage retirement at an
earlier age, it was announced today.
The act makes mandatory retire.
ment Of teachers at the age Of 10.
except on written recommendation
Of the superintendent Of schools and
two thirds vote Of the Board Of
Education.
DR.. Hobart M. Corning, superin-
tendent of schools, said today it was
gratifying, indeed" to hear the
President signed the retirement bill.
THE amount Of the annuities now
paid" he said, "is so small that
people on retirement couldn't exist
with the cost Of living as high as
it is.
They are so low that teachers
who want to retire and feel that
they should, cannot afford to do so.
Other Measures Signed.
THE act is for the good of the
school system, the community as a
whole and the teachers themselves
he said.
Several other measures of vital
concern to the District were signed
into law by the President. They
would:
Authorize establishment of tho
new hospital center.
Authorize health facilities In all
Government establishments. Present
when Mr.. Truman signed the mea-
sure were Surgeon Gen. Thomas
Parran of the Public Health Sery-
ice, Federal Security Administrator
Watson B. Miller, and Harry B.
Mitchell, president OF the Civil
Service Commission. The act auth
orizes continuance of present clinic
facilities, and would provide for
establishment of additional ones by
the agencies, with primary medical
responsibility for their supervision
resting with the Public Health Serv-
Ice. The measure was introduced
by Representative Randolph, Demo-
crat, of West Virginia.
Authorize appointment of three
additional deputies for the Office Of
Register of Wills.
Permit payment Of compensation
to teachers in the day-care schools
for children of working mothers for
services rendered after June 30 and
prior to enactment of the new law
extending the schools.
Bridge to Be Renamed.
Rename the bridge located on
New Hampshire avenue, over the
Baltimore d Ohio Railroad tracks,
the Charles A. Langley Bridge.
1 Authorize the award of a special
medal to Gen. of the Armies of the
United States John j. Pershing for
his services in both world wars.
Permit members and stockholders
OF charitable, educational and re-
igious associations incorporated in
the District to vote by proxy or by
mail.
Purchase Approved.
To direct the purchase by the
War Department of the home of
Joseph l.. Bockovac at 199 Chesa-
peake street S.W., near Boiling
Field, despite earlier opposition by
the Secretary of War to such a
purchase. No provision has been
made yet for finding a new home
for the family.
To establish a Veterans Canteen
Service in the Veterans Admin.
istration which would direct the
operation OF canteens in VA facili-
ties throughout the country.
The higher annuities provided in
the Teachers Retirement Act are
effective July l this year. The
annuities OF all teachers retired prior
to that date will be recomputed
on a straight life insurance basis,
without insurance or death bene-
fits of any kind"
Two different kinds of annuities
are provided in the act. The first
is automatic. to be paid for BY S
per cent deductions from teachers
pay. TIE second is optional. and
permits those who can afford 1t to
purchase higher annuities at rates
which may not exceed 10 per cent
OF the teachers income.
Objection Removed.
The new act removes one of the
chief objections of the Board of
Education to the old law, which flxed
the ceiling salary above which
teachers could not purchase annui-
ties at only $4,000.
Briefly analyZing the act. the
House District Committee in its re-
port to the House declared:
THE purpose Of this bill is to es-
tablish In the public school system
OF the District of Columbia modern
retirement system substantially sim
liar to that now in existence for the
classified employees of the United
States and the District of Columbia
governments. The present Teachers
Retirement Act was passed In 1926,
and denies to teachers the retire.
ment benefits to which other en-
ployes of the District of Columbia
earning similar salaries are entitled.
The only material difference be-
tween the system proposed by this
bill for the public school employees