Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-04

cOrding to circumstances. The head of family.
for instance gets a larger pension than with
out any dependents. Fifty dollars is mere pit
tance from the American point of view, but in Den
mark the cost of living is very much lower thar
it is here
The old age pension system of Great Britain,
established in 1908 and revised in 1911, was the
result of twenty-five years of research during which
five parliamentary commissions investigated the
question from every angle and proposed many
markabla schemes. At the time the present sys-
tenn went Ito effect it estimated that one-ffth
of the wHUIe population of Great Britain over
seventy years of age were absolute paupers, so
that there question of social insurance
some other contributory plan The people needed
to be given, not loaned, assistance, and needed it
Immediately.
To be eligible for a British old-age pension,
man or woman must be seventy over; British
citizen or the offspring of British citizen;
have lived in Great Britain for twelve years before
his application for pension, and his income must
not exceed 1888 a year. Moreover, it must be
proved to the satisfaction of the pension officer
that the applicant has not been in the habit of
fusing work within his ability, that he has not been
the inmate of prison for period of over six
weeks that he is not inebriate and that he does
not live in institution where his board and lodg
ing amounts to an income above that of the pen
sion: The pension ranges from $1.22 a week up
ward, according to the individuals income being
regulated that his total income, including the
pension, will not be more than $165 year. Here,
too, it must be pointed that living is cheaper
in Great Britain than in America.
In Germany the government also maintains an
old-age pension system, but it is quite different
from that in vogue in Great Britain and Denmark.
The people compelled to contribute to their
pensions. From his sixteenth to his
tieth year, every German whose annual earnings
do not exceed S476 must contribute so much each
week towards his old age insurance. For those
earning less than $50 a year the weekly contribu-
tion is $.03S; less than $50 year, $.057; from
$3.50 to 5000, $.076, and up the scale. Hap
PLY, however, these payments also insure
against nvalidity, also, that he does not always
have live to be seventy before he can collect
his insurance. Otherwise, it is to be feared that
this compulsory insurance would be very unpopular.
Every employer is held responsible by the gov
eminent for the insurance of his employees He must
pay a certain portion of the premium, deduct the
rest from the employees wages, and give
ceipt for the employees payment a government
stamp which is affixed to the mans receipt card.
To the total of each persons insurance, the
government adds fixed sum every year.
In spite of all these various contributions the
German pension is very small, ranging from $500
premium is three cents week-to $54.79 for the
highest grade, whose premium is IL cents week.
Germany the first to establish this system
of compulsory insurance which went into effect as
early as 1888. Beginning with that year all pei
sons of seventy or over have been eligible to old
age pensions, though they paid insurance pre-
miums for but a few months. Since then, at least
eleven other countries have adopted practically the
same scheme of compulsory Insurance. including
France, Sweden, Austro-Hungary, Russia, Italy
Rumania, Netherlands, Greece, Luxembourg and
Iceland Australia and New Zealand, on the other
hand, have followed the non-contributory plans OF
Great Britain and Denmark