Evening star., 1909-04-19
CARING FOR AGED PRINTERS
SUCCESS OF LABOR UNIONS NEW
PENSION SYSTEM.
OF Special Interest Here in View of
Prospective Legislation to Bene-
At Government Employees.

In view of prospective legislation for
the benefit of superannuated government
employees the operation of the old-age
pension law Of the International Typo
graphical Union Is of particular interest
In this city. Frank A. Kidd. president
Of Columbia Typographical Union. No.
101. Is in receipt Of a letter from James
NJ. Lynch, president OF the international
body, giving brief outline Of the. results
following the inauguration of an old-aee
pension law during the past year. Presi-
dent Lynch says:
THE International Typographical Union
has been foremost among labor organiza-
tions in the achievement OF legislation
for the care and relief of it's aged and
dependent members. The progressive
ness of the /. T. u. was demonstrated
in the establishment of the Union Print
ers' Home at Colorado Springs. Col, in
1892. and after sixteen years the home
In the world. monument to great
organization. its mission established and
its work constantly broadening.
"Recognizing that many aged and in
cause of family ties. to avail themselves
of the advantages OF the home, the In
ternational union decided on another ad-
vanced step and established the present
oldage pension fund.
1T was estimated by the committee
preparing the old-age pension law that
the assessment of one-half of l per cent
on the total earnings Of all members
would produce $168. 200 per year and the
annual disbursements OF pensions to pen
sioners would reach $104. 200.
This estimate was thought to be con-
servative. and the result of ten months
experience with the fund is therefore sur
prising. The receipts have been far In
= ~ xs,~,4 t1 n,Hl $hA avn AnAf
lures from the fund considerably less
than was anticipated. There was paid in
for the period from March to December.
1908, $155.944O6. and for the same period
the expenditures amounted to $39. .S41 .85.
leaving a balance in the fund of $116.-
1929.
In the period covered per capita tax
was received on an average OF 44,73O
members. Thus the pension assessment
has averaged "a As cents per member per
month. The pension is paid once every
four weeks, the idea being to give each
pensioner thirteen checks In twelve
months At the close of business January
81. 1909 six pension payments had been
ending January 16 1909. The amount
paid to ,344-is an average
OF 81 597 per week. Applications for the
pension to the number of 566 had been re-
1909 OF this number "A petitions were
disapproved, l was withdrawn and 521
were approved. Death invaded the ranks
OF the pensioners on seventeen occasions.
leaving 5O4 on the roll on the date named
above An analysis of the ages of the
pension applicants develops the fact that
the average age of the 568 applicants is
6S5 years. OF the total number 59.3 per
cent (336) are between sixty and seventy
years. 356 per cent (202) are septuage-
narians, Al per cent cd are Dctogenari-
ans, while one is a nonagenarian. There
is one woman on the pension roll. sixty
two years old. who has been a member OF
the International Union for thirty-two
consecutive years"