South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-04-09

State Legislatures have made very
thorough studies OF the situation in
their respective states. and have rem
dered very instructive reports.
Though they have worked independ-
entity their findings have been re-
markably similar. and exceedingly
suggestive. both as 20 cause and as TO
remedies.
They nave found that one IL every
i've persons past the age Of SO is
classed as a paUper, and that one in
every three IS dependent on public
or private charity Two out Of every
five. passing their fiftieth years.
have no property or income other
than their daily earnings. BY the
age Of 60 their earning power dis
appears, and they must. If without
relatives or near-friends 10 all
them. fall back upon public charity.
Only younger working men, whose
energy is exhaustless and whose
nerves are steady, are desired in
modern industry, with its intricate.
swiftly moving machines and crowd
ing productivity. The old men, who
in primitive and patriarchal ages en-
joyed so great an esteem, have now
10 hear themselves described call
lousy by a society mechanically eff
ficient. as "scrapped.' Il is a harsh
and ugly word. but it is none the less
accurate. For not only is the aged
working man disqualified by his
infirmities from taking any part in
the work in this world, but. IN this
country he is almost disqualified
from living. Experience has shown
that from the small compensation
paid the unskiIed-and a very great
percentage OF our millions OF work
ers are unskiued-it IS utterly i'm
possible for the individual in his
working years. granting him the
usual share Of misfortunes, to lay
by enough 10 keep him decently
even for a short period Of non-pro-
ductiveness.
The wealth OF nation does
not consist entirely in its ma
terial resources-its fertile soil
its noble forests, its abundant
minerals. and It's powerful
waterfalls. These are. indeed, q.
basis; but IL is not until they are
developed and utilized by the genius
and the hand OF man that they are
Of practical value. The generations
which with purposeful planning.
patient toll, and steadfast ambition.
convert these crude resources into
cultivated farms, magnificent cities.
busy industrial establishments. great
systems of transportation, and the
myraid conveniences and adorn-
ments of civilized life-these gen
eratOns Of men and women are the
real sources Of a nations wealth.
Not only this but the mem bers OF
each generation. often at great per
/ soral sacrifice, rear and train their
children to take their places and
carry on their work
These men and women have been
industrious faithful, and efficient
toilers in their prime They have
helped 10 build up the greatness Of
the Nation A just return fair
/ share of the product of their indus
try in the period Of their economic
usefulness,-would surely have been
an amount sufficient 10 enable them
10 live in frugal comfort during the
entire term of their lives.
When a machine wears out II IS
: thrown into the scrap heap" and
another is taken in its place. Quite
similar is the situation. in our pres
ont industrial system, of the man
who tends" the machine. When
his hearing, or eyesight. or skill Of
hand begins To fail, his efficiency is
/ lessened and business economy de-
mands that he also be "scrapped. -
It was not always so But in the
great industries Of the present day.
with their swift-moving, power
driven machinery, very few can play
any part after the age Of sixty.
/ There is a two-fold reason Cor this.
In the first place, the requirements
of keen eyesight, skilled hand, and
steady nerve are imperative. In the
second place, the constant strain
/ from working with delicate, swift
machinery tends permaturely TO en-
/ feeble these necessary faculties.
/ Then, 10 aggravate the situation,
/ the cheaper production by machin-
cry. makes II impossible for those
/ discharged elderly wOrkmen TO COM
pete in any line Of work.
The consequence is that the num-
Der of unemployed beyond q certain
age is constantly increasing This
I is shown by census statistics. In
1890 the unemployed above So years
of age were 1 3 percent, in 1900 they
were 10 percent Of men over Go.
The unemployed were 26 percent in
. 1890 and 80 percent in 1900. BY
analogy. at the present time the
gainfulIy employed over 50 years o.
+ age are not more than So percent
even under normal working condi-
tions In the present depression It
( is probably less than so per cent. IN
other words. full half Of the work
men over 60 years of age are
strapped
( The sad thing Of course IS that
many industrial workers have not
( accumulated enough TO support
,them after their earnings cease
II may be asked why they have not.
in tho years Of employment saved
/ something for their support IN old
age? Why have they not token out
. insurance with endowment provis-
!cns or Joined some society giving
old age benefits? The answer IS
that their compensation has been
entirely toe small 10 permit this. In
flush times, wages are the sIowest
10 rise: while. in periods Of depres-
sion they are the first 10 fall. stu
further, their rise" iS the first TO
halt. Tables furnished by the L..
: department OF labor show that
from 1907 to 1919, wages increased
/ 81 percent. while in the same period
the cost OF essential FOODS increase
/ I27 percent-more than two 20 one.