The Daily Alaska empire., 1949-03-11
TEA(HER 5 BILL VOTED
 DOWN TODAY
Senate Disapproves Re-
 firement Act Amendment Hospital Bill Passed
By BOB DeARMOND

An amendment to the Teachers Retirement Act which, if adopted, would have permitted teachers to draw the Alaska pension while teaching in the states was killed by the Senate this morning by a 4-12 vote after Dr. James 0. Ryan, Con- missioner of Education, described it as "a bad bill"
 Making clear that this was his personal view of that bill, and that it is contrary to the views of a number of teachers and at least three members of the Board of Education, Dr. Ryan told the Sena- tors that the proposed amendment
 to the present law would tend to
 take teachers out of Alaska at the age of 55.
 This, he felt, would not only be a loss to the Territory in the matter of teaching personnel, but might eventually break down the entire retirement system.
 Dr. Ryan, who first outlined the point of view of the teachers, read letter from A. B. Phillips, former Superintendent of Scnoc.s Tn Jul neau.
 Phillips pointed ouo iii his letter that teachers cannot live on the $lO0 monthly pension and have to find other employment. They can- not, however, take teaching jobs-- the jons for which they are best qualiiied-without forfeiting the
 pension.
 Senators Barr, Collins, Lyng and Engebreth voted for the bill.
 Hospital Assistance
 Senator Anita Garnick's bill to appropriate s2O0,OOo for assistance to community hospitals was passed
 unanimously. Senator Butrovich pointed out that a $165,000 appro-
 priation for the same purpose was made two years ago and the money has not been spent, would bring the total to $365,00
 A statement of policy" bill in- troduced by Senator McCutcheon to give veterans preference in Terri torial employment was rather un- expectedly attacked as special legislation" when it came before the Senate this morning. Senator Rivers fired the opening guns, asserting that the bill sets up
 special and preferential class o1 persons who, under the terms o1 the bill need not even have served in a war. He added that he be- lieyes in giving every consideration to veterans who were disabled oi otherwise handicapped by war ser vice but felt that able bodied vet erans should be on an equal basis with non veterans.
 Handicaps Others
 Senator Garnick pointed to the handicap the hill would create foi veterans who may seek terri
 torial employment. Many of them
 she said, were willing and even eager to enter the service, but were
 prevented by physical disabilities or for other reasons. Senators Jones and Peratrovicf felt that it would be impossible tt give the veterans too big an edgt in readjustment to civilian life" Senator McCutcheon said that ht personally lost sl1,O0O in salary by reason of being drafted into tht
 service, and felt that veteran! should be given special considera. tion and compensation. Senators Rivers and Butrovicf voted against the bill. A bill to amend the fire contro 
 Act was passed unanimously after clause described by Senator Col Ilins and Senator Butrovich as con- trary to the entire theory of Ameri- can jurisprudence that a man IS innocent until proved guilty" was amended out.
 Senator McCutcheon's bill to keeE polling places open until 8 p. m. or election days, instead of p. m. a' at present, passed unanimously. With the pressure of bills con. stantly mounting. the Senate knocked off for only one hour al noon today. and went back intt session at l p. m.
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