The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-12-26
Citizens Emphasize
 Need For Pensions
Waterbury Woman Writes Letter to Committee for Old
 Age Security-Experience Cited

It is a pet idea among those who have had lucky breaks that everybody reaches old age without going broke except through his own shiftlessness or some other personal fault.
 Letters being received from hun dreds of writers to. the Connec- ticut Old Age Security committee show that this idea is an ll- fusion. There are plenty of old people without incomes, through no fault of their own.
 50 Years of Prudence
 The following letter is from a New Haven woman who has been a steady worker for a half century and yet at teh age of 72 finds her self almost helpless and with no income.
 "I graduated from Hillhouse high school in the class of 1881 and attended New Haven training school in 1882. I taught in tho New Haven public schools IT years. l was bookkeeper ana stenographer at Miner, Read and Tullock's for 1872 years. 1 was private secretary to Harry E. Net tleton, broker, for 71a years.
 II worked at the Security h. surance company for two years and at the American Bank and Trust company nearly seven years, which with a few other positions of shorter duration, made my working years count up to 50.
 II am now over 72 Years of age and have been crippled and laid up with shock 21a years. One limb is shortened so that l can not walk across the floor without assistance.
 "The small amount of money was able to save has been used for nurses and doctors bills, and other necessary expenses, and 1 have no income at all.
 "I have never asked for nor re- ceived any help"
 Pensions Free of Politics
 One of Waterbury's best known women makes contribution hop ing that the law will pass and be kept free of political influences.
 Her letetr speaks for that class of people who are always fearful that material comforts are going to undermine individual character
 She writes:
 q am not inclined toward so- cialism but toward the development of the individual, in idealyisn strongly combined with absolute rectitude, lapse of which would not be condoned, but rewar6 should be made for moral recti' tude and vicarious sacrifice. eve should aid the worthy more than we do and the unworthy less We are losing our standards if every class.
 will old age security remove the obligation of children toward their parents? Could such care Dc made partially compulsory? It is so in China and Japan. It cer. tainly preserves the integrity oi the family"
 old Age is Bar An old timer in Milford, elk ing out a living by collecting rents and other bills writes:
 Men and women 60 years olG cant get work on account of theil age. l hope the old age pension will be passed. l am in, favor o taxing every single person in thu state between 21 and 60 to hell l raise the money"
 A Groton grandmother eXpresse: her hope for an old age pension bill and says:
 ''I m 79 years old and have nc income, only living with my grand daughter, who has five small chil' dren."
 Enclosing a check, New Haver industrialist writes: Success to your efforts, as think it is real, good move ment."
 A prominent member of the ia culty of Yale sends good size6 check and says:
 "T am interested in this and thank you for bringing it to mS attention"
 Local Relief List A laboriously written note iron , married woman in New Londol expresses her resentment with tht present system of relief" and ex presses her joy at the prospect ol a pension
 II read the piece in the papei about old age pension law whicf made me happy to think that some one thought of poor old people and when 1 get old age pension will be glad to tell relief in greer st. 1 am threw for I am widow , and get AZ cents day for three meals and little wood for to keel me warm so you can see how the! use old People here" A Waterville clergyman writes Surely our social life cries ou for something to remove the feal of poverty in old age" He sug gests that an old age pension should be applicable to all, so tha there would be no sting of ac cepting charity" felt by those wh' | receive it
 A Washington Depot ma n zoe on record in favor of the old aG' pension but says he can't con tribute anything because his owi tiny income has been reduced t such a dribble that he can bare 1 ly get along. He asks that per sons over 65 or 70 and with in comes of less than $500 or $50 year receive exemptions on thei l taxable property as do soldiers an' blind persons. "A poor man get it in the neck every time. In ] come decreased. Expenses in