The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-21
FOR OLD-AdE PENSIONS
BOOTH TUCKER, OF SALVATION
ARMY, HAS FIGURED OUT PLAN.
He Recommends Ia to Railroads and
other Large Corporations
Colonies Proposed.
New York Evening Post.


rious railroad companies and other large
corporations. setting forth in detail plan
for an old-age pension system. which. he
says would do away with all difficulties on
that question.
His idea is that the money now expended
in old-age pension by the great corpora
tons and in military pensions by the gov
eminent would bring far greater income
to the pensioners and would impose Tar
less burden on the payers il expended In
scientific colonization of the benefciaries.
He is led to this conclusion by the results
of the last four years in the three farm
colonies of the army-Fort Amity in Colo
rado.. Fort Romie in California, and Fort
Herrick in Ohio.
The land at Amity, valued at $4,000.
when the army purchased and resold IL TO
the colonists in 1899. has now market value
of 100000. Individual colonists have sold for
500 an acre land which they bought in 1893
from the army for $40. The. land at Ronie
has increased from $4,000 to $1,000. and that
at Herrick from $4,000 to $4,000.
The first colonists reached Amity in the
spring of 1899. The increased value which
their residence and labor has given the
land has already insured the army against
other payment Ii has only TO TAXI back
the land and sell il at Its increased valua-
ton to more than recodp itself for all o1t-
lay. But there is no necessity for doing
anything OF the kind. Colonists who arrived
penniless at Amity four years ago. without
any property except their household goods.
are to-day occupying little farms of their
own, free from incumbrance, having dis
charged their entire debt to the army. One
man has twenty-acre farm, with a neat
stone cottage erected by himself. lie PAID
his debt TO the army amounting TO 500. in
three years, besides supporting himself. a
wife and three children and building his
house. The Business Mems Club at Amity
last year turned over 10000 and paid $4,000
in freight. This fact alone demonstrates to
Commander Booth Tucker how the railroads
could build up communities of freight pay
ers along their lines out of their own PEN
soners.
These colonists were supplied with rail-
road fare for themselves and families to the
colony. They were given the land. the inn
plements TO work IL, the seed to plant and
the animals TO stock Ii and roof to cover
their heads until they could build their own
houses without dollar of payment down.
But every cent of il a charge against
them. The army had borrowed the capital.
and was under strict necessity OF getting
its money back. although at no time did it
desire TO make any money out OF the col
onists.
THE AVERAGE COST $500.
The Army has found the average cost
to be $500 apiece to settle these families
and put the breadwinner in a position TO
cultivate his land. 1t is on this basis Of
$500 apiece that Commander Booth Tucker
figures out his pension plan.
1.-The subject of old-age pensions" said
he, speaking on the subject, ''is one that
is increasingly agitating large employers
of labor. BY some of the large railroad
and industrial corporations as much as
100000 annually is devoted to this purpose
Mr.. Carnegie recently gave several MIL
lions for a permanent pension fund in the
Carnegie Steel Company, The justice OF the
provision appeals to employers. But the diff
hculties OF the present system are sucn
as to prevent any adequate application of it.
The leading objections TO it may be sum-
married as follows:
1.-The gigantic outlay involved If relief Is
TO be afforded that will be in any sense
coextensive with the need.
1.-The paltry pittances at present distrib-
uted. where any pensioning at all Is un-
dertaken, and yet the enormous brrden
| involved in providing these small am0tnts.
1.-The fact that the pension necessarily
| ceases on the death of the pensioners. al
| though IL is often then that IL Is most
needed by his family.
1.-The fact that as regards the large en-
| ployer of labor ii reduces the often small
| and decreasing margin OF his pronts, ana
| is liable to be brought to an abrupt termi-
nation III case of the failure or the COM
pany.
| sible on the German plan of taxing the en-
| ployer and here il is liable to work hard
| ship upon him, artificially increasing the
amount of wages he has to pay. and com.
| pelling him either to reduce the number or
| his employees or 10 go elsewhere In search
of cheaper labor, or to throw up his ousi-
ness altogether.
gard to employing elderly persons for fear
| they may be thrown upon their hands for
support This is already great and In
| oressing evil. From forty years Ola and
| upward il is becoming increasingly DIM
| cult for an able-bodied man TO get employ
ment. The appearance of a few gray nairs
soU 11,eh In me one case man who had thus
| been rejected, had his hair dyed and I'M
mediately secured a position In some
cases employers mp by nIas wl e nnd Sn
ITO tax the already slender means OF an
| employee with view TO creating pension
| fund is liable to fnfiict upon him stii
| greater hardship.
| OBJECTIONS ILLUSTRATED.
These objections are strikingly illus
trated by an examination OF the pension
statistics of the United States. The total
number of pensioners in the United States
Oh June 90, 1902, was sss.44s. say 100000.
The payments of these pensioners amounted
last year Qso2) to s1ss. 4s1. s22. As. Reckoning
the pensioners at 100000. this would give
an average of sl3s per annura per pensioner.
| or, say, I'll per fnOntii, WLith 10 ditoecinrt
| inadequate from a family point of view
| and vet totals up to very big figure. II
| will be obvious TO every reader that while
| the amount paid out is enormous. the relief
| afforded is quite inadequate. Eleven dol
| lars a month does not afford a luxurious
| support for an old soldier and his wife.
| IAN interesting comparison might be
| made here with the military. naval. and
1 civil pensions OF Great britain. The fig
| ures OF 1896 give the military pensions at
about 100000 divided between 5000 Of
| fcers, and 100000 divided between 5000
| soldiers also $5.0000o divided between &c.
| 500 naval pensioners These figures aver
| age about 900 a year per family to the
/ officers pensions $40 per family 10 the
| soldiers, and about Sl25 TO the naval pen
sioners. Probably the last OF these comes
| high owing to the officers being included.
| "Among governments Germany has led
| the way in this important social reform.
| arrangements having teen made for en-
| forced contributions from employers. en-
4 ployes. and the government with a view 20
| providing a small cash allowance for the
| workingman when he has reached a certain
| age. The plan has been admirably con-
| ceived and nobly carried out. and has at
| tracted the attention OF all the leading
! governments OF the world. and yet IL Is
| open TO the same objections OF the immensi-
~ of the outlay and the inadeQuacy Of the
| relief
'The experience OF New Zealand in turn
ing tramps into taxpayers ought 10 be SUI
| fcent to insure success when rot tramps.
| but able and trusted employees are in cues
ton. All civilized countries have at times