Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-08-25

terest on 100000 at four per cent.
Each month, HOO old folks receive
checks ranging from $40 to S25, de-
pending upon their needs. Anyone,
regardless of rae or creed, who Is
65 years or older, a citizen Of Della
ware and without means Of support
Is eligible for pension. Every man
or woman granted a pension by du
Pont has been thoroughly inyesti-
gated by a committee, which includ-
es 100 ministers and is headed by
Mrs. Laura c. Walls OF Lincoln CITY.
q teacher who resigned to do this
work.
Du Pont. with his $780, O0. 900 or
so, Is perfectly willing TO finance
the plan indefinitely. But he
staunchly maintains that 1t is an
opportunity Of the state Of Delaware
TO place itself In the vanguard of
states with a social conscience.
Therefore. based on the cost figures
his committee has tabulated, another
old age pension bill will be present.
ed TO the 1881 Legislature.
My feeling is that the State
should care for these old people.
which would permit every one in
Delaware TO feel that he or she was
personally responsible for the care
OF them" Mr.. du Pont told me.
Everybody then would share In
the pleasure which is accruing to
me. Personally, I am realizing much
happiness from this. But I feel, and
] think the people Of the state are
united in feeling that this is an op-
portunity for Delaware, and not an
individual. to discharge its RESPONSE
biity to its old folks. who are en-
titled until the day they die to a
small portion Of the wealth which
they have assisted in creating"
Bill May Be Passed
Since public sentiment for hu-
name legislation runs high in Della
ware now and since actual figures
are at hand on which to base an
adequate old age pension bill. IL
seems likely that Delaware NAV take
over du Points work in the future.
Moreover. Delaware's State Treas
urers report, issued last month.
shows a balance IN the treasury OF
more than sl2, 100000, a huge sum
considering the states slight popu-
lati0n, 230,0 GOO. Delaware's revenue
from the incorporation charter taxes
assures 1t a large annual income
and the inheritance tax also adds
millions. Incidentally, this inheri-
lance tax was passed in 1917, largely
through the efforts Of this same
Alfred I. du Pont, who, before his
retirement from political life, was
the genarally acknowledged lead
er OF the Republican party in Della
ware.
Du Pont himself has always been
interested IN the old age pension
idea. Twenty years ago his DOW
erful company inaugurated a zen
sion system for employees who had
worked there 10 years or longer:
an unique system in that the man
continued to draw his pension even
II he left the company for work
elsewhere. II is interesting, also.
TO know that not one OF the 100
pensioners under the present One
Man-Pension-Plan Is a former en-
ploye Of du Pont.
Most OF the old folks now draw
ing monthly checks are in the small
farmer class, the odd-iob workers
in small towns or other manual la
borers, mostly unskilled, though
some few are educated folk reduced
through no fault Of theirs to the
class Of the needy.
Made Many Happy
Man Of the cases are pitiful. Two
little old spinster sisters, left un-
supported when their bachelor car
penter brother died, now have a pit
lance to support themselves, their