The Poverty Bay Herald AND East Coast News Letter. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. Monday, December 8, 1879.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 970, 8 December 1879, Page 2

The Poverty Bay Herald AND East Coast News Letter. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. Monday, December 8, 1879.

"What is to become of our public school teachers when old age and infirmity coines upon them, and they at© no longer fit for their arduous, wort. Editors and cab-horses no doubt go down hill more rapidly than a; goveiniment school-master. An editor deserves no sympathy, because he enters tipon his thankless and never-ceasing duties wilfully with his eyes open. Ho could in most cases have raised as much money as would have purchased himself a horse and dray to work for hire. He would have been, independent then ; and wonld have been able to criticise and abuse any editor he thought proper. Cab-horses, when they have served their purpose, are considerately and humanly shot; but we have not yet arrived at that stage of civilization as to Rhoot a worn out school-master or But all this has nothing to do with the question which;: is. v now being asked. It is -a- recognised principal that. Government officials whose scale of remuneration does not admit of provision being made out of it for old

uge should have a retiring allowance. About eighteen months ago, when i the Education Office called for statistics as to age, health, and family of, all teachers, it was expected thai } some scheme of this kind was aboul to be established ; but as yet nothing has been done. We still hope thai it is intended, and that in due course < it will be accomplished. Meantime we would suggest to teachers the advisability of taking counsel together and; agreeing upon some concerted action. Their claim to some consideration in this direction is so clear that a united appeal could not fail of some result ; all the more if, as we believe, the' question has been entertained ,/already. Some plan of mutual insf«i;ance, entitling to an annuity after a certain period of service, and under specified conditions, would sufficiently meet the case, and would entail little or no burden on the country. To make any such scheme feasible, what is needed is a regulation enacted by a due authority, and making the annual payment of a certain snm, or a certain percentage of salary, to the annuity fund compulsory on. all teachers. The contributions of the schoolmasters, subsidised to a certain extent by the Government, would meet ths case without any appreciable burden to the country, and with immense benefit to the profession. So reasonable and so feasibleVii plan, if heartily adopted by the profession, and unitedly urged upon the authorities, could not fail of a favourable response* We would advise teachers to show more of a disposition to help themselves. Let them consider the matter, and mature a scheme. Let the Educational Institutes throughout the country take it up, and prepare the way for some definite action being taken at, the ,next great .annual meeting. Let them avoid delay, and secure unanimity among themselves ; .then make their representation, and the thing, is done. To simplify matters, and to ensure arid expedite success, it might be well to take but one step at the time. ->■ Leave out the subsidy meantime— as a sine qua oion at least — and ask unanimously for a i*egulation compelling all teachers to pay at a given rate into such a fund. Such a request could not fail to be entertained favourably, and the l'esult would be a very great boon to the profession. We have the best interests of the schoolmasters sincerely at heart ; we are sure that what we advise is for their good ; and we are confident that they will take the matter into consideration to good purpose,