TEACHERS' PENSIONS, the grant ing of pensions to teachers after super annuation by the state, municipality or by a combination of either of these two and a professional organization of the teachers themselves. Teachers may be divided into two classes: contributory and non-contributory. Contributory pen sions are granted from a fund partly made up of donations or subscriptions, by the teachers and in part by the state or municipality. Non-contributory pensions are granted outright by the state or mu nicipality. The latter system is practiced in Germany, while the former is prac ticed in England and France. Germany and France also provide for the widows, orphans and other dependents of teach ers as well.
It was not till about 1895 that the duty of providing pensions for teachers was taken up in the United States. Previous to that pensions had been granted through the medium of mutual aid asso ciations, all the funds being contributed by the teachers themselves. Since then state aid has been granted in Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, Ver mont, Virginia and Wisconsin. Of these
the non-contributory system is practiced only in Arizona, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Virginia. Of the contributory system that in Mass achusetts is most typical.
There the teachers are required to con tribute from three to seven per cent. of their salaries toward the pension fund, to which the state adds an equal amount. Thirty years service, or a minimum age of sixty years entitles the recipient to re tirement on a pension in proportion to his contributions. Of the municipalities in this country which have been foremost in providing retirement pensions are New York, Detroit, Mich., and St. Louis, Mo. In Brooklyn, N. Y., a contributory system was adopted by which only a cent a year was deducted from the salaries of the teachers. In 1905 the state legislatures amended the city charter which enabled both Brooklyn and New York to adopt a contributory system, which was at the time supposed to be the most advanced of its kind. In 1915 the pension fund was declared to be bankrupt, since which time a new system has been adopted.