The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-01-23

whether a clerk, stenographer, hired
Fir. or washerwoman, or railroad
engineer, typesetter or bookkeepe-.
Under our plan there will be not
quite q million men and women re-
ceiving a pension. of $144 year,
That would amount to about $144,-
100000 year--a mere bagetelle for
Uncle Sam, who spent $155,911 roc
for the army In 1910 and $I23, 17S,717
for the navy, not figuring the new
battleships.
Moreover, the United States paid
I o166, $50, 416 In 1910 to the veterans
Of the civil war and their dependents
There were still In 1910 quite = mum
her Of pensioners OF the war of 1872.
And II the bill which has just passed
the house should pass the senate,
that will add about $50, 600, 900 next
year TO the pension list.
Other countries have been paying
/. old age pensions to the workingmen
(, for long time. Germany enacted
!, oick benefit law in 1883, and an old
age pension law In 1889.
(; BY the three kinds of insurance
/; sick benefit, accident and old age
/, ponEion, every wage worker in Ger
many earning not over $467 year
- insured--a total OF over 100000
frcrsons.
Austria established compulsory In
surance for sickness and accident in
1858. and 1898 plan for old age
pensions. France has had compul-
sorry accident insurance for miners
since 1884. The government Ii now
working on a bill to give old age pen
oions TO every working man and wo-
man In France. A bill Of the same
kind was adopted by the English par
lament
Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden
AMI Norway are all now considering
i various forms of compulsory acct.
Z dent insurance and ola age pensions.
Marcus A. Hanna. the brightest
Statesman Of the Republican party Of
the latter days, forced an old age
pension plan into the Republican ma.
tional platform of 1900 But the
plank was quietly dropped by those
who succeeded Hanna in the leader
ship OF the Republican party.
II Is ridiculous to claim that such
system would encourage Incidence
and make paupers Of the workers.
The average wage Of the American
Workman is less than $3.50 year.
lHis earning ability begins to decline
with the age OF As. Some railroads
lpet even lower limit And, as a rule
the capacity for earning livelihood,
ceases at the age OF 60.
How IL man, especially IL he has
large family-and workingmen
usually serve their country also by
\ bringing up family--to save a com.
petence for his old age out OF an
average wage OF $3.50 per annum?
Moreover, we have TO take care o;
our old disabled workmen, anyway
either through charity OF the poor.
( house. both OF which are degrading
and costly--or by means OF an hon
orable pension, which is the cheap.
est method I'm the end.
Furthermore, the fifework OF the
wage Garner In the factory, mine OF
sreamship and so forth, is more dan
ccrous than that or soldier-and is
Infinitely more useful.
There are more men killed and dis
abIed In the mines and factories and
the railroads every year than were
+ killed and disabled during any yea:
81 the civil war.
Therefore, even from the stand
point or risk, the workman. the sol
der of the common veal. who works
and dies for the country. ought to b.
fully az much entitled to a pension
- the soldier OF the common foe.