Evening star., 1934-01-06
PLEA FOR 0LD-ACE
PENSIONS IS MADE
BYMRS. ROOSEVELT
First Lady Urges Congress
to Give District Model
Legislation.
CONGRESSMEN PLEDGE
PASSAGE THIS SESSION
Senator Capper States America Is
Behind Other Countries in
Providing for Aged.

Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt. in SIM
pie and moving plea, called on Con-
gress to pass bill to provide old-age
pensions for residents of the District.
a model bill, which would serve as an
example to the 81 States which still
lack such legislation. Three Senators
and one Representative on the platform
with Mrs. Roosevelt pledged this would
be done at the present session.
This took place at a meeting spon-
sored by the Committee on Old-Age
Security for the District, and held In
the auditorium of the United States
Chamber of Commerce Building. Mrs.
RooSevelt'S speech was broadcast.
"I do not feel I have to discuss the
merits of old-age pensions" she said.
1t is many years since we accepted the
fact throughout the country that there
is a human right in old people, who
through no fault of their own have been
unable to save enough to support them
in their old age, to receive support from
the community in which they have
lived. We did this at first IN terrible
way-by the poorhouse, but we are be-
coming more human"
After a discussion Of the New York
State act, which was passed in her
husbands second administration as
Governor, Mrs. Roosevelt went on:
Holds Necessity Apparent.
1.-THE reason I haven't discussed the
necessity for these pensions is that
most of us have had 1t brought home
to US very vividly. I will never forget
how it was brought home to me:
There was family Of two old broth
erS and two old sisters who lived on a
farm close to us, as far back as can
remember. On election day either my
husband or I would drive them to the
polling places. We would talk of farm
ing conditions, of the things neighbors
talk about. I did not see them very
often and I had not seen them for two
or three years before my last call. l
went to the farm and found one old
woman in tears. One surviving brother
had that morning gone to the insane
asylum through worrying about where
the money was coming from to pay the
taxes and buy food. She herself was
going to the poorhouse. Her sister had
already gone there, ana the other
brother had died.
These people had all their lives done
for the community all that it could ex-
pect and more. They had paid their
taxes, had lived good lives. They were
never able to save. There was always
some younger relative to help, somebody
whose need took that which they had.
The whole community owed something
to these people, a debt which it was not
meeting.
IF I had needed any argument in
favor of old age pensions that would
have settled 1t for me.
Would Relieve Burdens.
"The old age pension will allow peo-
pie to end their days in happiness. 1t
will take the burden Of their support
from younger relatives, who want to
give in generosity and love, and often
find themselves, through the claims OF
still younger dependents, giving grudg-
ingly."
On the technical side of the ques-
ton, Mrs. Roosevelt said she hoped
the legislation would contain no age
limit. The New York law, she said.
restricted the pensions to persons OF
70 years of age or more. and there
were often cases of persons below this
limit that should be cared for. There
should be no cash limit to the pen
sion, she said because the amount
should be left to the decision OF
trained investigators and the burden
should be thrown on good admins
vision. She suggested that the pen
sions be financed through some inSur-
ance scheme on an actuarial basis,
rather than on yearly appropriations.
Senator Capper of Kansas, sponsor
of one of the pension bills in the Sen
ate, said, in part:
America does not realize that it is
far behind most Of the important ma
tions of the world in providing sYs-
TEN of old-age security for wage earn
erS. I am going to name for you the
countries which are doing their duty
by their old workers, because I think
this list will surprise you. The coun-
tries include the following: Australia,
Austria. Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bull
garia, Canada, Chile, Colombia. Cuba,
Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland,
France, Germany Great Britain, Greece,
Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Irish
Free State, Isle of Guernsey. Italy.
foundland New Zealand, Norway, Peru,
Poland, Portugal, Rumania, Russia,
Serbo-C -Croat, Slovene Kingdom. South
Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Uruguay.
Associated With Orient.
"Now let us name the large countries
which have no such plan of old-age Sc
curity. They are India, China and the
United States. In falling behind the
world in this important human move
ment, we find ourselves associated with
two great Oriental countries-countries
OF teeming millions, where human life
is one of the cheapest commodities and
where the standard of living is far be-
low our vaunted own"
Abraham FDStein eXecIltiVp secretary
of the American Association for Old
Age Security, said the nation has be-
come largely industrialized, placing
premium upon youth able to operate
machines, and at the same time the
life expectancy here in the past 30
years has increased from 81 to go years,
two trends which taken together
lengthen the period of cid age and at
the same time make it impossible for
the individual to support himself dur
ing that period.
Representative Black of New York,
sponsor Of a pension bill in the House,
said without qualification the bill would
pass the the present session.
Copeland Predicts Passage.
Senator Copeland Of New York, spon-
sor of another bill in the Senate joined
in the prediction. He said he favored
q bill on a national scale, so that any
one, no matter where he spent his de-
clning years, would be sure of being
supported by the community. He wanted
the pension based not on the question
of tndigence, but on the fact that any
person by a life of activity earns the
right to spend his cli age in comfort.
Senator Dill of '.ashington, another
proponent Of pensions on a national