Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-01-19

; groups. but old age pensions are
= urgently necessary If justice is TO be
done them
And so, during the last week in
April. a national conference viii be
held in Chicago for the purpose of
crystalizing the conscience OF church
men on this matter.
The Methodists desire an endow-
ment fund of $4,000. 900 that old min
listers and the widows and orphans of
others may be provided for fairly.
Pension Experts Coming.
To the conference will come pen
sion experts from many fields.
Some Of the agents of the govern
ment Will be present. Others in power
viii describe the workings of the Chi
cago and Northwestern Railroad plan,
the Pennsylvania Railroad plan and
! the system followed by the First Ma
! tional bank. Then representatives OF
many other great religious bodies VIII
detail their various schemes for Sc
curing comfort to workers who by
! long years OF service have earned the
right TO honorable retirement.
The Methodists have themselves
worked out a comprehensive system of
old-age pensions. DR.. Joseph B. Hinge
Icy is chairman OF the board of con
ference claimants. which has the work
In charge.
At the end OF 50 years service every
Methodist minister is entitled to a
pension amounting TO one-half OF the
average salary paid in his conference.
That means a pension of S665 in Chi
cage inasmuch as the average salary
of ministers in this jurisdiction is
1880.
Active Period Factor.
II man has worked less than 80
years he IS retired on a pension pro
portionate to the number OF years ne
has been active. Each year OF work is
suppose to count SIG on his pension, .
although as a matter OF history the
board has been able 10 pay only about
two-thirds OF the amounts due up 10 .
the present.
The ratio holds good for the coun- .
try. In every conference at the end of .
% years the ministers are supposed .
20 be given an annuity OF half OF the
average salary of his district. Some
times this IS very small. as in the Ala
bama region in which the average sal
airy is only S1S7. Wherever the pen
sion would be too small for a decent
maintenance. however. it is supple
me1ted by the board.
Fund TO Meet Obligation.
The jubilee fund which IS being
sought is not for the purpose of pro
viding a benevOience or of doing char
table work. according TO DR.. Hingeley.
1T is simply the effort OF the Meth
odist church 70 meet its honest obliga-
tons" he said Existing obligations
OF the church make necessary an an
nuaI expenditure Of $1,000, 600. OF that {
amount Sl.10O.OOO was actually paid
out last year. Z
"If IL was a question OF charity a
quarter would DO. Since it means the
meeting OF an honest obligation. one
hundred cents on the dollar must be
raised. Already the church has large
funds TO draw On. One OF these en-
iowments, the Chartered Fund. is
among the oldest in the United States.
Il dates back $50 years. II is not '
arge. but its age has given it a sort
IF sanctity.
Book Concern Big Aid. +
The Methodist Book Concern, (
which incidentally is the largest pub y
ishing house IN the world. devotes all Z
Is profits to pension fund. These II
mounted TO 100000 last year. The
churches contributed directly S55O,OO0 b
Turing the same year and in addition o
he dividends from about $500. 600 held I
n endoWments by conferences u
throughout the nation made the actual n
ayments possible.
ITO meet the full debt another S10,-
OO. 900 is essential This invested at
per cent would yield the yearly half to
iillion now lacking" A
Collection OF this fund is consid- II
-able job. but upon it the entire body :
as concentrated attention.
LIT Is the supreme claim of the
hurch and the attitude of church lead
rs toward it certainly eyokes admira- G
on.
Homes" In OisfaVor.
Again quoting DIR. Hingeley:
The question has been asked, Why
mt we establish homes for old
-eachers? The answer is that we
e not engaged in a charitable enter 4
Use.
1--WE have inherited che or two old
mes. / was asking a retired minister
,out one of them. He didn't like IL
3 said to me: I've been going TO
d when / aiked and praying when
liked all my life I'm not going TO
We any matron telling me when TO
TO bed AID when 10 pray at this re-
ne. I can trust myself for that. trl
against homes for retired preach tai
!. Homes for old soldiers may be ali no
mt. because you have a thousand or sal
at one place. The old ministers are san
, few. Twenty OF thirty OF US would
herded together. and in about two for
=. a,a-.-hodv knows evervbodv ST.