The Washington herald., 1914-01-18
OLD Age PENSION
BILL INTERESTS
Congress May Give SABBATH
Measure Serious Con-
sideration.
FIRST PROPOSED In 1875
Success Met with n 0thsr Countries
g. Is Bringing Matter to tke
Front Again.

Since Representative SABBATH, of Chi
cago. has introduced in the House n bilJ
providing for Joint Congressional COM
mission to report on plans for an old-axe
pension system In 1916. attention ia
drawn to the fact that a similar measure
was offered four years ago by Represent
ative Lundin, Of the same city.
w. b. Wilson. then Representative
from Pennsylvania, and now Secretary
OF Labor. introduced the first general
old-age pension bill on December IA, 1893,
Victor Berger, the lone Socialist. from
Milwaukee. brought In his plan July 81.
1911. Since then Representative Kelly. of
Pennsylvania, a Progressive. has intro
duced a bill. which is now before the
House Invalid Pensions Committee. Pre-.
vious agitation OF the same question in
this country goes back to I796, when
Thomas Paine proposed that the govern
ment levy tax Of 10 per cent on the
estate of each person at death and nav
from the fund so acquired $50 a year to
every one past fifty years OF age: pay
ment of SIS as a gift to each person AT
twenty-one years Of age was also pro-
vided. The scheme was to be adopted
by all nations
Plan I'm Germany.
When Germany claimed her Industrial
troubles in Bismarck's day by providing
old-age pensions based on the rate of
wages received and compelled all with a
less income than $500 a year to contribute
to their own pension fund, there was
some talk in this country of following
the example. But when IL was seen that
German pensions ranged from 275o to
$3.50 a year, while an American war
veteran wants that much every month,
the talk died out German pensions to
the aged begin at 20 years Those TO the
disabled and sick may start at any time
after the pensioner has contributed to
the fund for 30 weeks InvalidIty pen-
sion payment in Germany in 1896 had
reached s2s,5oo.0Oo as compared with
H.sOo.0oo for old age solely
The success OF this system in the Ger
man Empire and the results Of similar
insurance against old-age poverty in Den
mark. Belgium, New Zealand, and sew
eral OF the Australian states led to a
demand by the American Federation of
Labor Ave yeans ago that Congress pro-
vide pensions for the veterans Of the
industrial battlefields'' in America. Ac-
cordingly. there was drafted a bill en-
titled an act to organize the old age home
guard Of the United States army, which
was introduced by Representative VIII
son in the Sixty-first Congress
FoNhucu AIO hOntn.
This bill provided pensions of SO a
month to all persons over sixty-five years
OF age who shall have been citizens fif-
teen years and residents OF this coun-
try at least twenty-five years consecu-
lively. In cases where man and wife
live together only one of the couple can
draw the pension. For each 800 worth
OF property above sSoo and for each SO
OF income over $40 a year SO is to be
deducted annually from the $40 peension.
The army character of Wilson's scheme
was simply device to avoid the claim
or unconstitutionality. All pensioners
were to be legally enrolled as members
OF the home guard. whose only duty
was to report annually. IL convenient,
upon the condition OF military and pa
'rouc sentiment in their respective
Socialist Congressman Berger fol-
lowed the lines of British and Aus
tralian pension schemes in his bill.
He asked for pensions of 81 a week,
Or s2OS year. to all persons over sixty
years OF age who have been sixteen
years citizens of the United States
and have not been convicted of a fell
ony, and who have not willingly failed
TO provide for their families. PEN
'ioners having additional means
to more than IS a week
we're to get only such pensions as
should. added to this separate income,
make total of so a week. Married
persons would get three-fourth PEN
'ions each.
The British pensions act was passed
n 1905. ten years later than that of
Sew Zealand. The maximum pension
n Great Britain is Sl.e5 a week, be-
ytnning at seventy years of age. I'm
ike the German pension, IL is all con-
ributed by the state. New Zealand
las paid $3.50 a week since 1908 to
Ill persons of good character, twenty
i've years resident in the country and
ixty-five years of age. Deductions are
made where the Independent income is
If any extent; income and pension
must not exceed $4,000 a year. In
australia the pensioning age is sixty
or those incapacitated for earning
livelihood. otherwise II is sixty-five |
ears. Australia pays $3.50 a week.