Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1930-10-02
WHOSE FAULTs

Following appears another of a
series of articles on old age pensions
submitted for publication by Gust
Ristrom of Kingsdale:
The county house may be a palace
to look at from the outside and may
be clean inside, but it is not home.
| know many of the readers will say,
IF they had lived more economically
or had not drunk or gambled their
means in earlier life, they would not
be in want in old age"
Here lies our greatest mistake. The
boozers and fast livers seldom reach
the stone that marks the high peak
of life. 1t is the industrious and tenn
perate that pass the line of 60 and 70.
| have two friends whom | will
mention-a man and a woman. The
man friend for many years was a min
er and a quartz mill man, Industrious,
saving, did not drink or gamble, or
even use tobacco in any form, saved
several thousand dollars against old
age. He had his money in one of the
leading banks of Butte which went
under in the panic of 1925 and 1926
This man is nearing 20 years of age,
has no family or relations. The prob
abilities are that he will not receive
more than 10 percent of his deposit.
Should he live few years the chances
are 10 to 1 that it is the county house
for him.
The lady | mentioned above was
married; likewise they both were fru-
gal and industrious. The husband
carried a few thousand dollars worth
of life insurance besides some money
they had saved. The husband died
of the flu in the awful epidemic of a
few years ago. She also had her mon
ey in bank that went broke, losing
all.
This lady is in poor health and is
getting along in years. 1t is apparent
that if she lives beyond her usefulness
that it is the poorhouse for her. We
are all sailing swiftly down Iife's
stream meath the sunshine and shad-
ows, we know not where the anchors
may be cast Let us, by the help of
God, the Father of all, do to those
aboard as we wish done to ourselves,
to see to it that the aged ones be
pensioned that they may spend their
last days in home of their own.-J.
S., Mont.
When l received Successful Farm
ing for February and read the arti-
Gle by j. l.. of Illinois | was very
much interested
| have thought so much on this SUBJ
ject and I wish | could do something
to hasten the day when we could
pension the aged not exactly bestow
charity but pay a debt to those who
have labored hard and practiced rigid
economy to make this country what
it is. The wealthiest country in the
world should not fall behind in so
important matter.
Then, too we call ourselves Chris
tian nation. We are commanded to
honor our father an mother We Ger
tainly do not honor them by neglect
ing them and sending them to the
poor house where they are invariably
forsaken by their friends.
Then let all the readers of Success
full Farming join and use our influ-
ence in favor of pensioning the aged.
M. M. E. Indiana
Assurance through a pension, con-
tributory or otherwise, that ones last
days would be spent in peace and COM
fort, with no fear of poverty and want,
would have a strengthening influence
upon the individual, enabling him to
go to his daily task with a calm and
contented mind, and would tend to
increase the sense of personal re-
sponsibility and independence.