The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-04-20
PENSION OR PooRHoUsE /?

Shall the poorhouse, with Its stig-
ma of pauperization, its life sentence
of humiliation and mental torture,
continue to represent the best we
can offer to our INDECENT aged men
and women of Maryland?
Shall we compel honorable old
men and women to spend the sunset
of their lives amidst such inhuman,
unsanitary and depressing environ
ment of Maryland's poorhouses,
where the lowest ebb of mankind is
herded?
Shall we permit this pointed in
dictment against the enlightened cit
liens of Maryland to continue in
spite of what 26 states have done to
correctthis abuse of human de-
cency?
Shall we taxpayers continue this
cruel, spirit method of car
ing for our aged, with it's exorbitant
casts?
Or shall we arrange plan by
which our deserving aged will re-
ceive small income from the State
to keep them from starvation, save
their own self-respect and that of
their children who otherwise must
suffer the humiliation Of permitting
their parents to be branded inmates
of the poorhouse?
This is what the Old Age Pension
Committee of Maryland asks it's fell
low citizens. The Old Age Pension
Committee of Maryland has crganiz-
ed for the sole purpose of establish
ing mandatory old age pension law
that will forever Danish the need of
sending deserving aged Marylanders
TO the poorhouse, and rescue as
many as possible from the horrible
spectre of spending the balance of
their days in such misery, and still
effect tremendous savings for tax
payers.
| Pennsylvania Department of
Welfare declares that of every dollar
spent for operating it's poorhouses in
1925, 695 per cent was spent for adj
ministrative and plant operating
costs, and only 30.5 per cent for ac-
tual maintenance of inmates, where
as in 1881 only 20 1-3 cents remain.
ed for inmates-77 2-3 being spent
for operation.
New York, with it's old age pen
sion system, paid out to its pension
ers 94c out of every dollar appro-
priated and &c for operation of the
system.
Canada turned over 80 cents of
every dollar appropriated to Its pen
sioners, requiring only l cent for OPP
Grafton.
The insecurity of old age is caus-
ing no end of concern for greater
numbers than ever, and rightfully
so, since we have been compelled to
realize that no one is immune to the
vicissitudes of this rapid changing
mechanical age
Statistics reveal that 100000
persons above IS years are entirely
dependent upon public and private
charities; that 100000 was
spent to care for our aged in 1880.
1t is estimated, based upon the ex-
perience of the U. S. Department of
Labor, that it costs $43.39 per
month to keep an inmate in a poor
house, in contrast to $2235 per
month per pensioner, that approx
mately 5000, 10000 year could be
saved.
Thirty-eight foreign nations. thru
national PENSION laws, alleviate the
fears of old age for CSC, 00O,O 900 PEG
pie. China, India and America are
the only populous countries who
still lag behind.
Mandatory old age pensions offer
the most enlightened humane and
economic method of caring for our
deserving needy and will serve to
abolish that grim spectre tina; how
ers overhead and haunts the hearts
and souls of millions of Americans.
|
- &c. a.