The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-12-05

anything that would force them to
become direct competitors Of those
who received no pension. In the
first place the pension was granted
so they could quit work and let some
younger person take their place.
Sometimes we think that II there
could only be q way by which we
could remove the old people from in
terfering in our national affairs We
would be q lot better off. Did you
ever stop to think that the great
world war was planned and carried
out by old people? How many Of
them are still with us? Practically
every man who ruled his country
then Is dead and gone. But we are
still paying for their mistakes and
must continue paying for years.
Il we could pension every old per-
son and remove them and their in
fluence from our affairs we believe
there would be less talk Of war and
more moves toward pace. And by
that we do not mean to infer old
folks are trobule makers but It has
always been so that youth IS liberal
and age conservative and 1t appears
more and more that this is the age
Of youth and high ideals for the fu-
ture, and not Of old age and its ever
turning to the past.
Today we are spending millions Of
dollars on various relief projects,
not one of which would continue .
day were government relief funds re-
moved. We have been doing this
for months, and this will have to
continue indefinitely the way it looks
at the present time. We continually
find fault with private industry for
not employing more men while all
the time we are not putting the
necessary funds In the hands Of the
people with which to purchase what
industry has already provided.
We have forced the farmer to cur
tail production and we are paying
him millions Of dollars for restrict
ing his acreage. We must also re-
move millions from the pay roll be-
fore We can put everybody to work,
queer as 1t sounds. We can only do
this by pensioning off those who have
grown old in years as well as In SER
vice.
Mr.. Hickle says that before long
those advocating the old age pensions
under the Townsend plan will want
to set the age at so or even less. Has
not private industry set such an ex-
ample? How true it Is that q man
past so is not wanted In many es-
Establishments because Of his age. and
as for the man past so, who will give
him employment?
The average age OF the American
gangster and racketeer Is below -.
We are spending millions Of dollars
to curb crime, but, while we have
SO many unemployed among our
younger people We cannot stem the
tide Of crime. They take to wrong
doing as . duck takes to water.
It seems to us that the time has
come for US to ask ourselves In all
sincerity whether the Townsend plan,
or one similar to it, should not be
enacted into law even though 1t did
nothing else but offer employment to
millions who are now out Of work.
But, embodying Is it does the pro-
viding for the aged, the giving Of
employment as well as the means Of
carrying out the plan through . sales
tax, we can see no reason why any
sensible person should oppose it or
set stones In its path.
Personally, we would rather pay .
good sized sales tax to support such
. measure, II thereby we could have
steady employment, than have mat
tiers continue as they are with 90
many on relief rolls while our
younger generation Is busily prov
ing the truth Of the old adage: "For
Satan finds some mischief still for
Idle hands to do"
A FARMER.