The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-03-02
REILLY CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION OF
 OLD AGE PENSIONS Commission of Five Named By President May Exam
 inc Merits of Plan
FUND OF $25, 900
 TO BE APPOPRIATED
Commission to Have One Year to Complete It's Tn.
 vestigations and Report
Especial to the Farnner.o

Especial to the EArmefJ Washington. March 2-The question
 of old age pensions will be thoroughly considered by a board representing the United States government, if the bill just introduced by Congressman Thos. l.. Reilly of Meriden, is adopted. It calls for the appointment, by the Pres ident, of a commission of i've mem Ebers, to whom a year shall be allowed ! for their investigations and the filing l of report and recommendations. Mr Reilly feels that the question 1 of old age pensions is so vital that it should receive expert attention He regards the system of pensioning old age as not socialistic, but rather as Humanitarian.
 Said he, today:
 ..The purpose of the resolution is to get the best possible information in
 regard to old age pension systems of
 importance of the subject demand the
 best possible attention and I figure that the way to obtain proper 1nfor- nation in regard thereto is to have | the President appoint commission to study the matter and fully consider every angle of the proposition.
 CT have long favored the pension I ing Of Civil Service employees, and, the more I study the question the more
 am convinced that all worthy citi-
 zens should. after they have reached l a certain age say 65 or TO, be pension ed at a moderate rate-enough to take
 care Of them and prevent their going l to the poor house or depending on charity. This is a great and g1ori- ous nation, the richest and most re- sourcefuI in the world. and the enact
 ment of legislation such as I suggest would be a great step forward. Some might say this is Socialistic
 doctrine, but it is not. it is humand- tarian. .In matters of this kind, the United
 States should lead, not follow If a EgeneraI pension system is adopted in this country, and I am sure one wiIl be eventually, nothing would be lost as the aged, who are unable to take
 care of themselves, have to be taken Ecare of one way or another, by either
 public or private charitable institu- tions. I5 .It would solve the problem of paul perism to "a great extent, and I have often wondered, if such a plan were Eadopted if it would not be good idea
 ito permit our phiIanthropists to con tribute toward the maintenance of a fund for this purpose.
 ttGovernmenf employees appearing be-
 fore the Committee on Reform in the | Civil Service favor a general old age pension, but until Congress sees iii
 to put such a plan into effect, they are | anX1OuS that the SupeTanQaC6d 6ln-
 ployes now in the government service should be taken care of after giving the best years of their lives to Uncle lSam-'
 .sThe adoption of my resolution
 would be the first and most important I step in a matter that is of vital inn iportance and interest to the rank and
 file of the people of this great na- tion.''
 Here is Congressman Reilly's reso- 1 lution:
 Resolved. By the Senate ana House of Representatives of the United States
 of America in Congress assembled
 That the President of the.Unfted States is hereby authorized to appoint com mission consisting of five, whose duty I it shall be- to consider the old age l pension systems of other countries and report their findings and recomm enda- | tions in regard thereto not later than lone year after the passage of this res
 ollltion.
 i Sec. 2. That members of said com
 mission shall have authority to em- pioys a secretary and to make such investigations in regard to old age
 pension systems of other countries as they deem best, the entire expense of the commission not to exceed the sum of $25,00e.
 I Sec. 3. That the sum of s25 900. o4 las much thereof as may be necessary be. and the same is hereby ,appropriat. ed out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated to meet the expenses of said commission.