Evening star., 1934-04-15
0LD-AGE PENSION
PROPOSALS COME
BEFORE CONGRESS
Senate Group Will Begin
Hearings on Two Bills
Tuesday.
NORTON BILL Is NOW
PENDING IN HOUSE
Senator Reynolds Sees Eventual
Enactment of National
Law.

With an old-age pension bill for
the District already favorably re-
ported from the House District Com
mittee, and a Senate subcommittee
ready to begin hearings on the sub
Ject at 10 O'Clock Tuesday morning,
the question promises to be one of
the important local measures that
will claim the attention of Congress
during the remainder of this session.
Senator Robert R. Reynolds, Demo-
crat, OF North Carolina, chairman of
the Senate subcommittee, said yes
terday he will approach the forth
coming hearings with an open mind
as to the type of bill and detailed
provisions that should be adopted
here, but as a believer in the gen
eral principle of old-age pension legis-
lation. He also emphasized that the
subcommittee will welcome an ex-
preston OF all points of view on the
question. The hearings are to be held
in the Senate District Committee
room in the Capitol
Two Bills Pending.
There are two bills pending in the
Senate committee, one by Senator
Capper, Republican, of Kansas, and
the other by Senator Copeland, Demo-
crat. of New York. differing in age
limits and in a number of other par
ticulars. The Norton bill pending in
the House follows the general struc-
ture of the Capper bill. but with
amendments changing the age limit
and several other provisions
The Copeland-Black bill fixes the
age for receiving assistance at SO,
while the Capper measure would make
an applicant eligible at CO. The
House District Committee. in max
ing its report to the House, COM
promised on S.
The Capper bill provides that the
aged person must have no child or
other person who is legally RESPONSE
BILE and able to support him or her.
This clause has been stricken from
the House bill.
Differ in Weekly Payments.
The Capper bill provided for a
payment which, when added to any
other income of the applicant, would
make the total income not more than
SO a week. The. Norton bill as re-
ported to the House changed this to
$35 per month. Both of these bills
provide that the income Of the claim
ant when application is made for
aid could not exceed $468 year. and
the value of property owned could not
exceed $4,000.
The Copeland bill would have the
old-age plan administered by the
Board of Public Welfare, under super
vision Of the Commissioners, who
would make necessary rules and regu-
lations. The amount of assistance to
be granted would be determined by
the welfare Board, with due regard to
the conditions existing in each case,
in accordance with the Commission
ers' rules. The Copeland bill also
provides for burial expenses when
the recipient of old-age assistance
dies. Ten years of residence in the
District is required by all pending
bills.
There is provision in the Capper-
Norton bill that when a recipient of
old-age assistance dies, or the last
survivor Of married couple dies, the
total amount of the security since the
first grant, with 3 per cent interest,
could be allowed by the courts out of
the proceeds of any property left, as
a preferred claim on the estate.
Only Question of Time.
Senator Reynolds said yesterday
that number Of countries have tried
old-age pension laws, and they have
been generally successful. He said
he believed it Is only a question of
time until the United States has a
national old-age pension system. The
other members Of the subcommittee
presided over by Senator Reynolds
are Senators Copeland Of New York
and Kean of New Jersey Senator
Capper has a national old-age pen
sion bill pending now in the Senate
Committee on Education and Labor,
under which needy persons who have
reached the age of IS, who have been
citizens for 20 years and who are not
in receipt of income from any source
in excess of $3.50 a year would be en-
titled to a pension from the Govern
ment of $50 a month. The national
plan would be financed by levy of
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