South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-05-03
Herring DISCUSSES
OLD AGE PENSIONS
AT CLUB MEETING
South Bend Orator and Bust
ness Man Makes Decided I'm
preston on Local Club.

Frank L Herring. weIr known
South Bend orator. in an ardent ap-
peal for "Old Age Pensions" made
decided impression upon the Fore
mans club Of this city at their
monthly meeting IN the auditorium
OF the Mishawaka Wooden Mills Co.
last night.
Termed by his listeners as a live
wire. whose words were formed by
a true feeling towards the interest
of his topic. Mr.. Herring. was said to
be the most pleasing speaker to ad-
dress the local organization this
year.
Mr. Herring said i'm part:
THE first consideration in the
solution Of the problem Of oId-age
dependency is the discovery of its
cause. 1t is very evident that the
wages paid during the working years
are not sufficient TO provide for the
entire life. Is this the fault of the
wage receiver or of the wage?
Our nation may be compared to
a great industrial plant engaging the
activities of a hundred million peo-
ple-at the forge. loom. spindle: in
the field, shop. factory: along the
lines of manufacture trade. COM
MERGE, upon land and water-a plant
designued for the general welfare
and growing more and more extend
ed and involved as the resources of
the country develop and the popula-
ton increases-a plant in which
each individual of the hundred mill
lions has his place. designated by
choice or circumstance. all as oper-
ators, producing and consuming.
In this plant many are prosper
Gus, happy, and contented: some are
restless, moody. and impatient:
while the large mass perform their
allotted tasks with a logged appli-
cation, neither prosperous nor overly
happy, nor yet moody or impatient.
But when these survive the actively
producing period. tnen they. too.
learn what II is to be bitter and de-
spairing. For TO Outlive their eco
nomic usefulness; is to find them
selves driftwood in the social stream
hurled hither and yon by their
acute necessities, until they sink
from sight in death or the aims
house.
Not Their Fault
us this their fault? Or IS II a
fault inherent in the Industrial sys-
tenn? So far as the workmen are
concerned careful investigation
tends TO the conclusion that their
poverty In old age is not their fault,
but rather the result of their mis-
-.
sional unemployment, and other
emergencies reduce their income and
increase the outgo TO an extent that
makes accumulation impossible.
Hence any remedy through thrift
and saving becomes for most of
them impracticable and. in many
cases, impossible. Likewise, insur-
ance, voluntary or compulsory. even
when state-aided. proves unsatisfac-
tory. There are classes to whom il
cannot be applied and in any case
the present income OF the individual
makes its application a hardship II
not an impossibility.
There remain, then. only the
employers and the State to furnish
a remedy. The employers can do il
in only one Of two ways-either by
Increasing the compensation OF the
employees so that all the persons
employed shall receive a wage SUI
ficient TO enable them 10 LAY by
for old age. or else by themselves
providing for the old age of those
who outlive their usefulness in their
employ. The former would be by
far the more expensive. as a large
proportion do not survive 10 the age
OF 65-and only the survivors would
need the old age provision.
Many manufacturing and trans
portation employers are already
adopting this alternative and max
ing needed provision for the survi-
vors among their employees. The ma
tional, state and municipal govern
ments are doing the same thing.
This provision Is term ed a pension
and IS granted on the employees re-
tirement from active service. 1t
brings comfort in old age TO large
numbers of our citizens.
But there is a difficulty here In
that there is still large class which
industrial benefits do not reach.
1uETt are NlllllUHS WHO are not reg
ular employees of any stated en-
ployer. private or public. Their ac-
tivities are diverse. They are small
farmers, day-labOrers, mechanics.
artisans. professional men. bucks
ters. teamsters. clerks, walters. and
extra help" in large establishments.
For these more or less transient en-
ployes the pension systems OF the
manufacturers and the government
civil service do not provide and
cannot.
Deserve Comfort.
yet. these. during their active
years. have all. in their lines,
worked faithfully and diligently,
promoting the welfare OF the COM
munity and the state. Like the spe-
cially favored few employees re-
ferred 10. they. too, deserve a COM
Portable old age. undistressed By
want or the stigma Of pauperism.
Since the state at large has had
the benefit OF their productive years,
the state owes them a comfortable
livelihood. And just as a retiring
pension has been found 20 be the
most efficscious method for doing
Justice 70 a corporations longtime
employees. so a state-paid old age
pension seems 10 be the most feast