Newark post., 1915-05-12
PEOPLES COLUMN
Providing For Old Age
St. Petersburg, FL;

tol. L SIeI L Id.
Editor of Post:
| was interested in the article
of last weeks Post, the subject of
which was, Shall it be home or
the PoorhOuse." | enclose you a
small check for this poor woman
in need. At the same time think .
it might have been better for the !
writer to have signed his own
name to the appeal. This brings !
to my mind a conversation that :
had few days ago with Doctor
Sampson of Canada and as it is
so applicable to this case | take
pleasure in relating it as it might
be seed sown that would spring
up in the distant future and bring
forth good fruit, DR.. Sampson has
represented the Canadian Govern
ment in travelling through the diff
ferent provinces of Canada and
delivering speeches in the interest
o ia saving fund established by
the Canadian government which
if carried into effect by every one,
would mean no need for a poor
house, and every one would have
a competency in old age. He says
that if a boy at the age of sixteen
would pay into this fund ten cents
a day till he arrived at the age of
seventeen years, and then never
paid any more, that when he ar
rived at the age Of sixty-nine years
he would receive from the govern
ment one hundred and two dol
lars a year as long as he lived.
should he die the money does not
revert to the government but goes
to his heirs. The government pays
all the clerical expenses out of the
national fund-the investor being
at no expense whatever. The age
limit to receive the interest from
the governmnt is from ffty-fve
years to SiXty-nine years. Instead
of paying ten cents day you can
step into the Post Office and pay
a smaller amount and it goes to
the credit Of the depositor. Once
depositored it cannot be with
drawn until the age limit is reach
ed. If person wished to have an
income of four hundred dollars a
year for life when he reaches the
age of fifty-fve, he can pay all of
it in advance, and then when he
arrives at the age of fifty-fve if
he does not need the money, the
government will keep it ten years
longer and then he will receive
six hundred dollars year for life
Now if this woman had been living
in country where such law was
in effect, and had deposited ten
cents a day when she was sixteen
years old till she was seventeen
years old she would be drawing
today one hundred and two dollars
year from the government. AT
that early date no such laws exist
ed to my knowledge. This law has
to be enacted by the government
states cannot do it. Doctor
: Sampson said it would be we'll il
the law was compulsory if it coult
: be done, as then we could do away
: with the Poorhouses. He spoke o.
= the ten cents a day that was spen
for segars and extra street ca,
rides. He also told me that ninet,
!. per cent of the people at the ag'
Of sixty years had no fixed incom
for support, but depended on sal
!, ary or business of some kind. H
= also told me that about eighty pc
cent of people lost their entire for
\ tunes between the ages Of forty
eight and sixty-two and have t.
commence life over again. He re
: sembles Secy. Bryan very much
+, being larger man with full face
: While he was sitting in the hote
here, | addressed him as MI
: Bryan, and told him | was in tn
: Convention when he delivered hi
famous speech "Cross of Gold.
S He laughed and said he had bee,