The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-02-15
OLD AGE PENSION
 TO BE PASSED
(Contirued from Page 1.)

designed to provide a state system of old age pensions and unemploy-
 ment insurance pending the adop-
 tion of the Lundeen bill now pend-
 ing before congress.
 It was the bill first mentioned
 that MT Harris supported while Mr Campbell supported the plan in- volving the Lundeen bill. The
 committee of which MT Harris is a member, known as the joint com- mittee, provides for an appropria-
 tion of $2,00O,00O from the gen.
 eral funds. The Costello -McGar-
 ry bill sets up a $2 poll tax. The Lundeen bill provides for raising the money by inheritance levies and income taxes. A fourth bill
 figured but briefly in the discus sion. It was introduced by Peter Larson of Portland who ran for congress on the old age pension
 party tickete last November. He would legalize a state lottery.
 There was also one speaker for the Townsend system. Manufacturers Quiet
 Reluctantly the Connecticut
 Manufacturers association re-
 trained, for the first time, from | opposing old age pension legisla- tion. Charles L. Eyanson, ap-
 bearing for the association, said that the group is convinced that such legislation should not be en- acted but is reconciled to probable adoption this session. He warned that $2,000,000 would not be enough to take care of the old age pensions for next two years. The sum of $4,O00,000 would be more nearly correct, he said.
 Mir Harris attacked Mir Eyanson stating, Ut sounded like a voice from the past, a voice from the dark ages," he declared. "The rep-
 resentative of the Manufacturers
 association has sought to clutter up the situation in your minds with
 a lot of bunk. We don't need to go to the Manufacturers association for figures. We have our figures prepared by skilled actuaries." Square Deal to Aged
 Rev Dr Oscar Maurer of New Haven, a member of the joint old age committee, presented several speakers in behalf of the measure
 calling for the appropriation of | $2,000,0O0 out of the general funds.
 among them Mayor Jasper McLevy
 of Bridgeport who received the | greatest ovation of the afternoon. He declared that he did not believe | that persons who have been frugal should be penaliZed. Pensions should be a matter of social justice
 and should not penalize those who have been frugal" he declared. "A | el,1 Ia Syt,y oil A | aged and their pensions should be
 based not on charity but social jus tice," he added. Mayor Joseph w. | dorsing the joint committees bill. Local Legislators Back It Waterbury's legislators went on
 record as favoring the joint bill as | did the Waterbury aerie of Eagles, | which had large delegation pres
 ert at the hearing. The group in- 1 cluded President William Moher, | Secretary Lester Brennan, John E.
 Graham, Matthew J. Smith, Ar
 thur J. Lunny, Stephen Mitchell
 and Harold Boyce. The United
 Italian Republican club of Water bury registered in favor of the
 joint bill through Peter DeCicco,
 Anthony Petrillo and Louis Grasso.
 Speaker of the House William | Hanna was among those support
 ing the CostelloMcGarry bill. The | poll tax would be levied on each person between the ages of 21 and
 50 years. The state grange also went on record as favoring a con-
 tributory pension plan.
 | Senator Costello, speaking in
 behalf of his own bill, said that his
 bill would give pensions at the age | Of GO to citizens who have been res idents of the state for 10 years and l who have incomes of less than $1
 a day. He said that if the personal
 tax were repealed the new poll tax
 would be no added burden. He es-
 timated that the tax would ralse i $1,500,000 annually.
 Pioneer Presided
 Senator Julius c. Stremlau of
 Meriden, pioneer old age pension
 agitator. introduced the speakers
 in behalf of the joint committee's
 bill. Mayor John W. Murphy of New Haven expressed approval of | the joint committees bill.
 The joint bill would pay pensions to persons over 65 years of age, the maximum weekly to be $7 with $10 in extraordinary cases. The | Costello -McGary bill makes the minimum age 60 years and pro-
 vides flat maximum rate of $30 q month. Persons would have to live in the state 10 years to ben eft by either measure.
 The judiciary committee is not expected to report out a bill for a while yet.