ADDITIONAL NOTES ON THE TEACHERS' PENSION SITUATION IN THE VARIOUS

STATES.

[Compiled from special reports by State officials.]

Arizona.-What we have is not a pension law in the true sense of the term; it is more of a direct payment out of the State school fund to a few of our worthy pioneer teachers in this State.

C. O. CASE, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Arkansas.-There is no law in this State authorizing a pension or retirement system for school-teachers, and no authority in the law whereby such system could be placed in operation in any of the cities or counties of the State.

GEO. B. COOK, State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Florida.-There is no law whatever in Florida granting pensions to teachers, nor do I know of any county or city in the State that grants such pensions. Two or three years ago a bill providing for teachers' pensions was introduced in our State legislature and received considerable support but did not pass.

W. N. SHEATS, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Georgia. There are no laws of State-wide force concerning this subject. Any local system, however, has the right to pension teachers if desired. In two or three places movements have been inaugurated for this purpose.

M. L. BRITTAIN, State Superintendent of Schools.

Idaho. We have no pension system for teachers in this State. This is to be attributed to the State's youth, and to the fact that the teachers of our State are young and have not felt the necessity of the pension system. Of course, as the State develops and our teachers serve long tenure in schools in this State, this question will undoubtedly arise. A large number of our teaching force are transient-with us two or three years, perhaps a little longer, and then they move on to the farther western States, to Alaska, and the Hawaiian Islands. From this it is evident that our teaching body is not a permanent one by any means. Consequently, the question of pensions has not become a problem with us at all.

BERNICE MCCOY, Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Illinois. The Illinois State teachers' pension and retirement fund was established by the forty-ninth general assembly and the law went into effect on July 1, 1915. It is still rather early to properly judge the sentiment in regard to change, extension, or alteration of the existing plan. As yet our efforts have been largely occupied in putting into operation the law and developing the system of administration.

D. F. NICKOLS, Secretary Teachers' Pension and Retirement Fund. Iowa. We do not have such a law [relating to teachers' pensions] in this State. An effort has been made at each session of the legislature for the past four years, but so far we have been unsuccessful.

A. M. DEYOE, Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Maine. The law provides that pensions shall be granted to teachers on three different bases: Those who have taught between 25 and 30 years receive $150; those who have taught between 30 and 35 years receive $200; and those who have taught more than 35 years receive $250. In addition to these there is also provision for the payment of one-half these amounts to teachers who otherwise meet the requirements of the law, but whose service ended prior to the school year next preceding the 30th day of September, 1913.

The form of administration is simple. Upon presentation of proper proof of age and service a certificate is granted to the applicant, and thereafter an application blank is filed by the pensioner at the end of each three-month period. Upon receipt

of this application the State superintendent of schools certifies to the governor and council the amount due each pensioner and payment is made directly by the treasurer of State. PAYSON SMITH, State Superintendent of Public Schools. Massachusetts. Most of the teachers seem to be entirely satisfied with the system. There is a feeling among some of the teachers, however, that a disability feature should be incorporated in the law. There are two disability bills before the legislature at the present time and also a bill which provides that the interest allowed on the contributions of the members be changed from 3 per cent to the amount actually earned.

CLAYTON L. LENT, Secretary Teachers' Retirement Board.

Minnesota. This is the first year of the operation of this law. It is giving quite general satisfaction. The young teachers object to the compulsory feature, and teach, ers who have served for many years, but who quit before the law was passed, complain because of ineligibility to membership. The only way such teachers can qualify is by returning to the service and teaching for five years in the State. It is too early to make any prediction as to the successful operation of the law as it stands, but thus far its provisions seem to meet with general satisfaction.

E. T. CRITCHETT, Secretary Teachers' Insurance and Retirement Fund. Missouri.-We have no law in Missouri on the subject of teachers' pensions. St. Louis has had a system of pensions for some years, but it is a private arrangement. Some years ago a bill was introduced and a hard fight made to pass a law providing for a retiring fund for teachers, but it failed of approval in both house and senate.. HOWARD A. GASS, State Superintendent of Education.

Montana.―The law has not yet been in force long enough to make it possible to give any report in regard to the operation of the law. It will not be possible for any one to be retired under the law for at least three years yet.

H. H. SWAIN, Secretary Retirement Salary Fund Board.

New Hampshire. One point in the law needs to be amended. Section 8, the last paragraph, states: "Preference being given to those certified as entitled in the order of their age." Every quarter there is a change made in the list of pensioners, inasmuch as the $10,000 is already more than taken up. This makes it necessary to drop off the youngest on our list if pensioners coming in since the last payment are older. This is a pretty trying situation, and in some way will have to be amended. We have on our list to-day 65 pensioners and 15 of these are under the age now when a pension can be allowed.

HARRIET L. HUNTRESS, Deputy State Superintendent.

New Mexico. This State has no arrangements whatever concerning pensions or retirement plans. It is just lately that an interest has been awakened in this matter, and it is possible that there may be some legislation looking toward the establishment of pensions for teachers in the not distant future.

FILADELFO BACA, Assistant State Superintendent of Education. New York. The teachers' retirement plan in this State is more than meeting the expectation, I think, of its most ardent advocates. One of the chief factors, if not the most important one, in such pension schemes is the administration of the fund, necessitating conservative, watchful care on the part of the board in considering persons for the annuitant list. Generally I believe the plan is meeting not only the needs, but is having the cheerful cooperation of the teachers, superintendents, and other school officials of the State.

E. G. LANTMAN, Secretary Teachers' Retirement Fund Board. North Carolina.-This State does not have a pension system to take care of its teachers. The city of Raleigh has adopted a pension system, however.

C. E. MCINTOSH, Chief Clerk, Department of Education.

Oklahoma.-We have no legislation providing for teachers' pensions in Oklahoma. I do not believe a law providing for the pensioning of teachers has ever been proposed by the legislature in this State. We know of no cities in Oklahoma in which pension or retirement plans are in operation.

R. H. WILSON, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Pennsylvania.-Under our constitution pensions can only be paid for service in the Army or Navy of the State or the United States. For this reason we have not been able to pass a general [teachers'] pension law for the entire State.

NATHAN C. SCHAEFFER, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. South Dakota. Thus far South Dakota has made no provision for teachers' pensions. The matter has been discussed in the State legislature at different times, but no act has been passed making any provision whatever for teachers who have devoted the best part of their lives to the State's service. We have, therefore, no pension system of any kind operating under State management.

C. H. LUGG, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Texas.-Texas has never enacted any laws relative to teachers' pensions or retirement funds. In so far as I know there are no school communities in this State that have in operation any such plan.

W. F. DOUGHTY, State Superintendent of Education. Utah.-While the law under which the teachers' retirement association was organized was passed in 1913, the actual organizing of the association did not take place until 1915. It is not possible, so soon after the organization, to say just how the law will be received.

E. G. GOWANS, State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Virginia. The investment of the permanent pension fund is placed in the hands of the State board of education. All money collected is turned over to the second auditor of Virginia and is deposited by him with the State treasurer. Bonds belonging to the permanent fund are deposited with the second auditor for safekeeping. All money is disbursed by warrant, drawn on second auditor and signed by the president and secretary of the State board of education.

Our system has proved quite satisfactory and has been of great benefit to those teachers who have been forced to retire from active service.

R. C. STEARNES, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Washington.-Our pension bill was voted down at the last session of the legislature; so that we have no law at all on school pensions. There is no city in our State that has a pension or retirement plan. We will continue our effort until we secure this legislation.

Mrs. JOSEPHINE C. PRESTON, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Wisconsin.-The law seems to be giving quite general satisfaction in the State and during the recent legislature there was a strong sentiment for retaining the law and strengthening it in such ways as were found necessary.

R. E. LOVELAND, Secretary Teachers' Insurance and Retirement Fund. Wyoming.-Wyoming has no system of teachers' pensions in force either as a State institution or established locally in any county or community. There has been some agitation for the past few years looking toward the passage of some legislation which would create such a retirement fund, but as yet nothing definite has been accomplished. EDITH K. O. CLARK, State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

ALLEN, ELIZABETH A. Birth of the teachers' pension movement in the United States. In Connecticut. Board of education. Report. [Hartford] Cass, Lockwood and Brainerd company, 1903. p. 291-303. (Connecticut. Public document no. 8) Review of reviews, 15: 700, June, 1897. ANGIER, E. M. New plan of teachers' annuities; savings bank insurance in Massachusetts. Education, 30: 229-33, December 1909.

The story of a women's campaign.

The annuity movement. A partial list of the cities in the United States which have some form of teachers' retirement fund. American primary teacher, 31: 163, January 1913.

Also in Northwest journal of education, 23: 344-46, April 1912. BECHT, J. G. Teachers' pensions. Pennsylvania State educational association. Proceedings of the sixty-fourth meeting, session at Pittsburgh, December 30, 1913-January 1, 1914. Pennsylvania school journal, 62: 345–50, February 1914. BEST, LYMAN A. Teachers' retirement fund . . . Address given at Washington, January 16, 1909, before the College women's club . . . [Washington, Government printing office, 1910] 9 p. 8°. (U. S. 61st Congress, 2d session. Senate. Document 541)

1911.

Teachers' retirement funds. Pittsburgh school bulletin, 4: 4-23, January

Laws, in 6 States and 30 cities of the United States: p. (20-21).

BINFORD, J. H. Some facts concerning the retired teachers' fund. Virginia journal of education, 4: 593–95, June 1911.

BORDEN, J. B. The problem of teachers' pensions in Wisconsin. Wisconsin journal of education, 43: 35-37, 64-66, February, March 1911.

1911.

Teachers' pensions. American school board journal, 42: 5-6, 19, January CARNEGIE FOUNDATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF TEACHING. A feasible pension system for public schools. In its Annual report, 1912. New York city, 1912. p. 70-77.

Pension systems. In its Annual report, 1912 New York city, 1912. p.

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Pensions for public school teachers. In its Annual report, 1914. New York city, 1914. p. 28-44.

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A system of pensions for college teachers. Bulletin No. 9. New York city, 1916.

CHANCELLOR, WILLIAM ESTABROOK. Pensions. In his Our city schools, their direc-
tion and management. Boston, D. C. Heath and co., 1908. p. 322-33.
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CRATER, GEORGIA BEERS. Teachers' pensions. In New Jersey state teachers' association. Annual report and proceedings, 1900. p. 147-58.

CROSSFIELD, R. H. Pensions for teachers. Kentucky educational association. Proceedings . . . forty-second annual session, Louisville, Ky., April 30 to May 3, 1913. p. 52-59.