The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1902-05-24

Generally Recognised That Old
What becomes of all the old men
nowadays? You see very few in the
vocations of life. The stores and offices
are crowded with young men and girls,
but where are the old men, and where
do they go? 1 suppose they go where
all the old dogs 60. They have passed
time limit OH the old man. The rail-
roads will not employ any man over
IS. Its orders can't be broken except
line from the president says so. If
man past IS is too old and useless,
why tolerate him? Why make him
miserable? Why not at the same time
pass an order to take up his checks
and dump him at once into the ground,
so that he will not b~ an eyesore and
nuisance looking for work? They (the
railroads) have pinched the old man
past IS, and he can't holler to anybody,
for there is nobody to holler to; but
the young man not yet IS might do
we'll to commit to memory a few lines
from Mr.. Kingsley, and think of them
on his 35th birthday.
When all the world is young, lad,
And all the trees are green.
And every goose a swan, lad,
And every lass a queen,
Hey for boot and horse, lad,
And round the world away,
Young blood will have it's course, lad,
And every dog his day.
When all the world is old, lad,
And all the trees are brown,
And all the sport is stale. lad,
And all the world run down,
Creep home and take your place, lad,
The spent and manned among,
God grant you find one face, lad,
You loved when you were young
Shoe Trade Journal.
A delegate to the Chicago Federation
of Labor in a recent report states that
one of the railroads running into that
city had refused employment to 25
good mechanics simply because they
were As years of age.
At the conclusion of his report an
other delegate offered resolution,
that when work. . men reach the age
of As they be taken out and shot. This
resolution was telegraphed all over the
country and ridiculed, but here comes
nd thuugh tfuf .53u,a..rnar
and confirms these resolutions.
1t is generally recognized that this
old age question is serious problem.
In fact, it has become so great prob
lem in Europe and other ports of the
world that four nations have had pre-
sented old age pension bills introduced
in parliament. and one nation. France,
passed an old age pension bill on Dec.
81, 1896. Under this bill 202,206 persons
received pension. at cost to the
nation of $6,500,00o a year.
The old age pension bill, presented
in the British parliament by John
Burns, received considerable support.
Several municipalities, both in Amer
lea and Europe, pension their NUM-
cipal employees after long service.
We mention these facts to prove
that the question is worthy of consid-
Grafton and, moreover it is worldwide.
Other papers in discussing this ques-
ton contend that child labor and rapid
motion machinery is at the bottom of
this problem.
The curse of child labor was not
very serious problem when the men
of IS were children.
Ten years ago we heard little or
nothing of this old age question.
Is the race growing weaker, are we
old men at AZ?
II men who are IS today are consid-
cred by the railroads and other great
employers as old men-too old to work
for them-at what age shall we be-
come too old to work in the next gen.
Grafton? Will it be 40 or As? And if
each advancing generation lowers the
age, how long will it be before chill
dren only are considered as about the
right age?
Anyhow, we are quite sure on our
point that if the demand for labor was
great, that is, if there was no surplus
labor, this old age question would be a
very small one.