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Show The Proper Thluo. A bill has been Introduced In tho Colorado legldaturo providing pensions pen-sions for school teachers. 'The ineasiro provides that any teacher in tho publlo schools of this stato who shall havo taught twenty-five twenty-five years in tho publlo schools of tho United States anil twenty years of such service shaU. have been pcrfovmM In Colorado, sue! teacher shall bo entitled en-titled to a llfo pension In a sum equal to one-half buch tcachor's annual salary sal-ary during tho last year of such sor- vice. Payment Is to bo mado at tho same time and in samo manner as teachers' salaries aro paid". That Colorado legislature may have disgraced Itself and tho state by its recent actions, but we feel that this should and will go far to make amends. It shows a degrco of intelligence and capability of grasping the eternal fitness fit-ness of things a capacity not yet evidenced by the older states In the Union. If there Is a class of public servants In tho United States that receives re-ceives as poor pay and as llttlo of tho right kind of attention as docs the teacher's profession as a whole, wo do not 'know of It, anil tho attitude of the people and legislatures In this respect re-spect Is so ridiculous as to bo sympathetic. sym-pathetic. Think of tho porson to whom you entrust the Intellectual welfare of your children receiving less, In many Instances, than that person could earn as a d ay laborer. How can It be expected that tho really bright man or woman will remain In tho teacher's profession, when that same mind employed In another capacity will earn twice, threo times the money paid him as a teacher. How can It bo expected that the average teacher receiving re-ceiving from $35 to $.T to $75 a month can and will keep up with the progress of education by attending the higher schools for learning. They can not afford to do It. It is also truo that a man or woman who has devoted any great number of years to teaching Is seldom fitted to carry on life's battle In another channel, nor at the present pre-sent wages paid teachers In general, Is he or she able to lay aside a sufficient suffi-cient amount to bring comfort to their declining years therefore we say that the Colorado legislature is on the right track In trying to mako what amends It can. |