Smyrna times., 1929-11-06
PENSIONING OF AGED STARTS
Alfred /. DUPONT Sends Out Checks
to Those Who Are in Need

Alfred /. DUPONT Sends Out Checks
to Those Who Are in Need
The actual pensioning of the
aged needy in the State by Alfred
l. DUPONT began Friday, according
to an open letter that Mr.. DUPONT
has sent to Mrs. Laura G. Walls,
of Lincoln City. Under Mr.. du-
Points instructions Mrs. Walls
made a survey of the State during
the summer and compiled a list of
those over sixty-fve years of age
who were urgently in financial
need and were worthy cases. She
completed the survey in September
and made her report to Mr.. DUPONT
upon his return to Delaware from
his vacation abroad, and in a letter
to her Mr.. DUPONT announced
checks would be sent out Novem-
ber /. Mr.. DUPONT stresses the
point that the amount expended
must not exceed what the state
will be willing to appropriate at
the meeting of the next legislature.
Mr.. DUPONT did not state how
much money would be expended
for this cause. Mr.. DUPONT states
that he has been investigating the
manner European countries care
for their aged needy, and says we
are spending here twice as much
as we should and not giving them
the comforts that they have in
other countries. A portion of his
letters follows: II wish to an
nounce that the checks for the"Old
Age Pension" vii be sent out on
November first. We shall carry
this pension plan on conservative
lines, and every precaution will be
taken to pension only the neediest
poor, and in no respect encourage
idleness. 1t is also very important
that the amount appropriated will
not exceed what the State will be
willing to appropriate at the meet
ng of the next Legislature. The
State, no doubt, would put q spe-
cific limit on the amount to be dis
tributed to pensioners, and it
would have to be divided the best
possible way, to meet the actual
needs of each beneficiary. 1t is
surprising the amount of comfort
that can be derived from even S100
per year for each pensioner, if
properly expended. A plan will be
worked out, however, by an inves-
tigator in the field, to try to meet
the urgent needs of those who are
actually suffering for the necessi-
ties of life. l am very much in
terested indeed in looking to the
improvement in conditions of what
we call the Poor Houses in the
state. Surely, some more appro-
pirate name for these homes
should be devised. In any event,
from what I have been able to
gather from my Investigations
abroad, particularly in Germany as
to the cost of caring for the needy
aged persons, we are spending
here at least twice as much as we
should and not nearly giving them
the comforts which they have in
other countries. l had an excellent
opportunity to study the German
way of handling this matter and it
is really remarkable what they can
accomplish in the way of caring
for elderly men and women on the
sum of 25 cents a day. This in
cludes food, clothing, care of their
rooms and everything that is need
full for anybody to be comfortable.
Their meals are wholesome, nour-
ishing, and there is enough for
anyone The institutions are clean,
bright, we'll heated, well lighted,
and every comfort possible is furn-
ished. There are two chapels in
each institutions, one Catholic and
one Protestant. They have every
physical comfort that anyone could
possibly desire; and some of the
rooms are leased by such as can
pay, say, SO month, in which
case they have private room;
where they are unable to furnish
anything, three and sometimes five
sleep in the same room, but the
rooms are light, airy, clean, well
heated, and the beds comfortable
and all that one could wish. /
spent the better part of day in
Munich, a city of 100000 inhabi-
tants, going over one institution
alone. / have a complete state
ment of the cost of all the insti-
tutions kept up by the city of
Munich for the old people, for the
orphans, for the sick, for the in
sane, etc, and / am afraid we are
very much behind, at least in Del
aware, in looking after the old
people"