The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-20
Old Men Unemployed.

An interview which a philanthropist had
with one OF the employees of jail in New
York not long ago throws light on one
phase Of the eyer-present problem OF the
submerged tenth" The visitor found that
among the habitues OF the jail were many
grey-haired men who did not appear TO be
vicious and we're committed for drunken
ness or vagrancy. He was told by the vet
eran driver OF the Jail van that such men
drifted into the police court primarily from
their inability to get work. The driver
said:
when a man is over fifty nowadays it's hard
for hiu to catch on to job They too cd
TO compete with The Italians and other husky
chaps that come TO this country by the ship
load. Business men nowad9ys don't seem TO
have any for old men. II you don't believe
it, you go olt and Try TO get JOB for man
who is fifty or over. SO. ] suppose, when one
Of these old fellows goes out and can't get any
thing to do, he goes for the price OF few
drinks-you know chap can get that from
people who won't give him a lOb-then he
loads UP and lands down here again. where
he is sure Of warm quarters and a square meal"
The FEASIBILITY of this explanation will
be recognized by everyone. The difficulty
which men past fifty experience in obtain
ing work is a fruitful cause of complica-
lions in the labor problem. There are rea-
sons for this phenomenon, OF course. In
most trades nowadays men of strength,
skill, and endurance are needed and the
old man loses something OF these qualities
year by year. Besides, there are plenty o.
strong young fellows ready to fill all vacan-
cies So IL happens that the man past
middle life who loses his place finds It hard
TO slip into another one; he becomes de-
pendent on his relatives, IL he has any,
and II he has not, becomes an aimless va
grant.
II this tendency continues. 1t may easily
happen that In many trades no man over
fifty will be employed at ALL This VIII
make it necessary for the workman to pro-
vide for twenty idle years at the end OF his
life, instead OF for shorter period, and 1t
is scarcely possible for man on mechan-
les wages TO bring up family and save
enough money to provide for himself and
his wife when both become too old TO
work. The result will be an increased
burden thrown upon young people who are
able and willing TO support their parents
Some will repudiate this duty; others more
conscientious, VIII accept IL, and give UP
their own plans for life. Marriages will be
delayed or made Impossible for the very
class whose homes are most valuable to the
Commonwealth. and whose children grow
up to be the best citizens; there will be an
increase OF suicide and pauperism among
the older workers who see dependence or
homelessness staring them in the face
after lifetime Of tell. These consequences
are dangerous to the general welfare. They
are also unprecedented. In other ages OF
the world there has been a chance for old
people to earn at least their living ex-
penses at some light work, but with the
specialization of all industries this has be-
come less and less possible. II 1t Is hard
for an old man to obtain work much
harder is it for a woman. The upshot OF