Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1911-08-10
THE VETERANS
OF INDUSTRY
Victor L. Berger Introduces Old
Age Bill Pension in
Congress.

pensions. IL Is because soldiers rend :
er service on the field OF battle whic n
is considered dangerous to life and
limb. But very few people realize
that the number OF men killed and
mained every year on the railroads,
in the mines. factories and other in
dustries in our country is approx
mately equal to the number killed and
wounded in any one year of our great
Ciyii war. with all its terrific battles.
Moreover the work OF the soldier OF
industry is infinitely more necessary
than the bloody work OF the soldier on
the battle field Most OF the labor
performed must be performed every
day and every hour. or our civilization
would stop.
The old-age pension bill which
introduce is therefore a measure OF
simple justice. II is also an expression
of The growing demand for the taking
care of the veterans of industry-many
OF whom have become invalids
through occupationaf diseases which
were the inevitable consequences OF
their toll
My bill does not so into the admin
istrative details and does not try to
provide for the many complex sit
uations that may arise in the opera
ton of such law.
The details will have to be settled
by a commission to be appointed for
that purpose I am introducing at
the same time a bill for the creation
OF such a commission.
Four dollars a week is TO be the
basic figure Of the pension for every
mar and roman.
The ratio of persons more than 60
years old in the 1900 census. when
applied to the 1910 census, would give
about 5.Soo.o00 persons.
II is assumed that 100000 OF these
are foreign born or have not been
citizens sixteen years.
1t is further assumed that $500. 900
OF these. either by the ownership or
use OF property. OF the receipt OF in
comes above the limit designated, or
because they are already in receipt OF
civil. military, or naval pensions, or
because they are in some way dis
qualified, will not come under the
terms OF the act.
Approximately 100000 OF the re-
mainder are married and living to-
gether. and as such married couple
counts only as one peson and a half,
there would be a further reduction Of
625 900 persons. This would leave a
remainder OF 2,s75.o0o persons to be
pensioned.
As the average pension would range
somwhere about $3.50 week. the cost
of the pension scheme would be about
s3i7. 900, 900 yearly.
This sum may be staggering to some
good folk who believe in cheap gov
ernment and in everybody taking care
OF himself. But II our nation can
pay yearly s131 100000 for a navy,
s95, 900. 900 for an army and s15s, 900,
900 for pensionlng war veterans.--a
total OF 1881 .OO0. .0Oo-it should GER
tainiy be able TO pay an equal sum
to pension Its veterans OF Industry.
As n matter OF fact, we pay great
deal more than this sum for this pur"
pose now The total expenditures
made in a thousand complex ways by
nation, state, county. municipality and
pivate agency In relieving the des-
tltutIon of the aged. would. II properly
computed. show an enormously great
er amount than what this bill asks.
only we do the thing at present in an
Inefficient. expensive and cruel way
II Is time now that we met the pro-
blcm in n scientific and economical
way.
Remember that these dcstitude aged
men and women have, from their
childhood. aided in creating the wealth
which makes possible the payment OF
such huge appropriations for the navy
the army and the war pensions.
or course there are also some other