The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-06-25
Charity or Pensions?
crazy.

The army of those unemployed because OF their
age-be it 40 or 70-is growing constantly. Shall we
depend upon the uncertain charity OF the rich TO
meet this steadily mounting burden? Or shall we
recognize it as social responsibility and make syste-
matte provision to handle it through federal and
state pension systems?
Is it unwise and 'un- American" to adopt state
responsibility? Or is it American" to take up the
best possible method of handling the situation, IT.
respective of what has been done before?
William Clifford in the Atlantic Monthly and
Samuel Crowther in Forbes Magazine have attacked
state pensions for the aged unemployed as unsound
and contrary to American principles. Such argu-
ments are answered ably by DR.. Alice Hamilton IN
the Atlantic Monthly in an article State Pensions
or Charity"
She disposes quickly and completely of the
hackneyed argument that state action is I'M
American If one we're to appeal to the past TO
find out what is "un-American," it would appear
that cities railroads. automobiles electric lights air.
anes and the like are "un-American." once upon
a time we did not have them
It once was thoroughly American" to do nothing
for most of the maladjusted. We did not care for
the insane the feeble minded the blind, the deaf,
and the like Now we have assumed complete state
responsibility for these classes without losing whit
of orr Americanism In fact, the state now PROVIDES
about all the aid that even the aged poor actually
receive
To ask the state to take over responsibility for
the aged and poor is new proposal 1t has been
Embedded firmly in Anglo-Saxon tradition since the
Tudor days State pensions present no new principle
1t is nothing more than suggestion that the state
finally do adequately what itshaS been assuming 10
do very imperfectly for centuries.
New conditions are making private charity ever
more inadequate to the task of caring for those
rivofe
been able to care the really old what can it do
now. when it has to deal with the great army of
middle-aged who are being thrown out of work in a
system which demands young blood and is able to get
what it demands because of our excess number Of
workers?
God sooner or later takes of most of the aged
unemployed beyond so through death. but the unem-
poyed between 40 and 60 have to depend upon char
ity pensions or suicide.
8 Finally it is said that pensions humiliating
as compared to voluntary charity They are me-
chanical and impersonal. DR.. Hamilton shows that
the mechanical and inpersonal aspects of pensions
are Just what the worker wants He does not desire
to be recipient of charity. He wants his dues from
society," to which he already has made his contri-
button
Would generous gifts to organized charity rem
edv this lack of protection to the worker? Well, let
him who asks this question imagine for a moment
that he is himself faced at IS with alternatives OF
private charity administered with the greatest tact
and understanding, and state pension administered
as a matter of Office routine think there can be
no doubt of his choice
1T is said that state pensions viii be given I'M
personally and mechanically. That is exactly what
the proud man wants. He feels that he has done
his share of the hard work of the world. maybe
bit more than his share. and that he has right
10 a minimum of comfort in his old age without
being forced to accept charity.
THE changes that robbed him of his job-hls
property. in his own eyes-have resulted In gains 10
society," and he feels that he should not be the one to
hear all the losses that came with them"