Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1918-03-22
Health and Old Age Insurance

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homes owned free of encumbrance
was 80.8 per cent of the total owned
homes. The percentage as between
city and country did not vary mate
rally in this regard.
A large percentage of the total
homes are owned in Ohio than in the
United States as a whole. When,
however, history of periods is COM
pared with the present, there are cir
cumstances which are not looked
upon so favorably. For instance, dur
ing 20 years, the number of homes
owned in Ohio has decreased 81 per
cent, OF in other words, 54.3 per cent
of the people owned their own homes
in 1890, and only 51.2 per cent in
1910. In the Uniter States as whole
the decrease was 2 per cent, showing
that the decline in Ohio has been
more rapid than that Of the United
States; however, it is recognized that
this may not in itself indicate an un-
| favorable economic condition, since
cities have grown, entailing a large
increase in the number of flat and
apartment dwellers, who, of necessity,
are renters.
Again, the fact that smaller per-
centage, decade by decade, of homes
are owned free, may also indicate the
growing habit of acquiring luXuries
| at the expense Of homecoming.
Non-ownership in the country has not
decreased quite so rapidly as in the
city. In ten years the number Of
rural homes owned free decreased 10
| per cent.
Of incidental interest, also, in con-
nection with, and bearing on the sub
ject of old age pensions, is the fact
that fewer persons now live on the
average in each dwelling than in the
past decade In 1890, the average
home had 81 persons; in 1900 At.
This points to the fact that if there
is an aged person to be supported in
| the home, the burden will be heavier
for each person in it, because falling
on smaller number, instead Of a
larger one, as formerly. 1t may be
also noted that families in Ohio are
smaller than in the United States as
whole.
Interesting also are data which
have been compiled with regard to
taxes and property, both of which are
| to be considered in connection with
old age pensions or insurance. In
1916, the total of the direct taxes col
lected in Ohio was $112,509,00, an
increase of 1919 per cent in 26 years.
Meanwhile, however, the grand dupli
cate of the state has increased more
| than 300 per cent. The per capita
, wealth of Ohio in 1912 was $1,817.00,
or slightly lower than in the United
States as a whole.
AS of last June, the postal savinge
in Ohio were almost $9,000,000 900,
with approximately 100000 deposit
ors, or one in every 1872 people. The
average depositor has $227.00 more
for Ohio than for the United States
as whole.
Another of the bright features
shown in the survey is the fact that
savings deposited in Ohio amounted
to $524,587,000, or an average of ap-
proximately $4,000 for every man,
woman and child in the state. In ad-
dition, there was $100,000,0 100000 de-
posted in the building and loan as
sociations, and $135, ,796, ,70952 amount
of running stock, and $44,530,232 of
paid-up stock. The number and
amount of depositors, as we'll as the
distribution of savings accounts, is
certain to be large factor in the
study of the necessity for old age pen
sions. The number of persons having
money in building and loan associa-
tions was 281, ,508.
Unfortunately, no information is at
hand as to the number of those saw
ings accounts which belong to people
more than 65 years of age, the period
generally accepted as the one when
dependency of those without accumu-
Ilation may be expected to begin.