Montana labor news., 1935-05-30
Montana Old
Age Pension
Provides Nothing

In the State Of Montana we have
had an old age pension law for some
time which never was much good as
it placed all the burden on the county
poor funds, and what the old people
were able to get out of it was, in most
eases, not enough to keep them from
actually starving. Whether the new
old age pension law, passed by the last
legislature, will be much better will de-
pend on the manner in which it is
handled. It has its merits and on other
points it is ridiculously bad.
The Montana Relief Commission is
the highest authority in the new set
up provided for in this pension bill
Next to them comes the county com
mission, consisting of the county COM
missioners and the county relief COM
mittee, both to serve as such without
any additional compensation"
Degrading Conditions
In order to be entitled to old age
pension, you must be 65 years old and
must have income which is inadequate
to provide a reasonable subsistence
compatible with decency and health"
You must be a citizen Of the United
States, who has lived in the state at
least five years during the past 10 years
and in the county one year prior to
application. If you are an inmate of
any public or private institution, ex-
cept hospital, you are put of luck in
getting a pension.
The law also says: Every person re
siding in the state Of Montana, if need
be, shall be entitled to old age PEN
sion" This need be" is supposed to
be determined in each case by the
county commission with due regard
to the conditions existing in each case"
The pension is to be paid out Of the
county poor fund. The county COM
%missioners are to make the proper levy
for that purpose, but the state will re-
imburse the county to the extent of
not exceeding rs per cent. A person
receiving pension is taken off the re-
lief but may get medical and surgical
assistance.
Wipes a Pensioner Clean
Where the especially bad part comes
in is, that what you receive in pension
stands as a preferred claim against
your property, if you have any, and
it is drawing five per cent interest.
Furthermore, if you have any property
the commission can if they shall deem
it necessary require that all and any
part Of the property be transferred to
the county. And again, if the com
mission "has reason to believe that any
spouse, son or daughter" is able to as
sist you, they can bring suit against
these relations and recover the amount
received.
Such are the pension bills that are
Igiven to us by the various political par
ties. Such pension measures make Of
us beggars and degrade US. We old
err people who have turned plenty OF
wealth over to the bankers during our
lifetime now find ourselves having to
go back and beg them to strip us clean
and give US a ridiculous p~ittance that
will hardly keep US going.
A Real Bill
This brings to my mind the Work
ers' Social Insurance Bill that was in
troduced into congress by Lundeen OF
Minnesota. This bill provides for old
age pensions that will be handled
through commissions from the farm
ers' and workers organizations and
will not only take care of old or aged
people, but also of those who are un-
employed or who lose wages because
Of sickness, accident or maternity, pay
ing not less than $40 per week per head
Of household and So per dependent.
Such a bill is a real bill and is worth
fighting for instead Of the jokes they
forced upon us in the state legisla-
lures. BY Hans Rasmussen