The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-11-28

Dollars a Week at Fifty" or Two
Hundred Month at sixty"-the
aims Of the Ham and Eggs plan
ners and Of DR.. Francis Z. Town
send--the average American sets
q figure In the neighborhood Of
$40 a month for single persons
and Sos . month for married
couples.
The Institute used q national
staff Of more than TOO interviewers
To reach = carefully selected cross
section Of the total adult popula-
ton - including business men.
farmers. southern field hands, pro-
fessionsl workers. people on relief
and others in all walks Of life.
After q series of questions on the
principle Of government old-age
pensions, voters In the survey were
asked: about how much per
month should be paid to q single
person? To husband and wife 2"
The average (median) figures set
by those favoring pensions In prin-
ciple were: For single persons. SGT
. month; for husband and wife,
500.
When the question Ii limited to
members of the U. s. voting popu-
lation, however--people who can
make their opinions felt at the
ballot boxes - the average sums
rise to s41 q month for single
persons and s65 for married
couples.
BASE PENSIONS
ON NEED ONLY
In m equally important do
parture from the principles Of
the more glittering pension
schemes, the average Ameri-
can win ten you that pensions
should Be paid 10 needy per-
sons only--and not TO all old
people willing to give mp their
Jobs and retire, the survey
shows.
With congress preparing to
tussle with the organized old-age
pension groups again In the 1910
campaign. today's Institute survey
gives q good picture Of the real
strength Of the pension movement
and OF the average Americans es-
sentially modest demands.
Approximately one person In
every three interviewed belonged
to what President Roosevelt has
called the ''ill-fed. ill-clothed and
I'LL housed" lower third Of the
population. Many of them had
spent the last ten years 20 close
to the subsistence level---or below
that level-that old-age security
has become an intensely vital
problem for them. And yet. with
the sky the limit, these men and
women time and again set the
desirable monthly pension figure
at thirty. forty or forty-five
dollars.
Less than one per cent
named the "HAm-and-Eggs"
figure Of approximately $40
. month or the Townsend
figures Of $500, . fact which
indicates that many nominal
supporters cf these two plans
are not welded to the large
sums proposed In the official
programs.
Interestingly enough. the figures
for single persons compare very
closely with the top figure Of $40
which win be available after Janu-
AIRY !. in those states which are
taking advantage OF the maximum
federal-state assistance provisions.
Maximums which averaged $50
last year were increased by the
action Of congress In August.
CRITICS OF DEMOCRACY
FEARED TREASURY RAIDS
Critics Of democracy have often
forecast that the application Of
the ordinary voters ideas to
government appropriations would
inevitably result in raiding the
public treasury for the benefit of
special groups.
When the Townsend movement
first began to apply pressure on
congress for the passage Of 5000
a month pensions. four years ago.
q number Of observers feared the
prophets were right. But an In
stitute survey conducted early in
1896 indicated that less than four
per cent OF the voters approved
pensions Of $500 q month, and the
present study confirms the moder-
ate character OF the average
Americans wishes.
Indeed. the survey shows that
the more wen-to-do groups in the
| population would set q somewhat
higher monthly pension sum than
those In the lower income levels.
Many southern Negroes set sums
a. low ~ $40.
Following are the average fig
ures for the principal economic
levels in the total adult popula-
ton:
For Single Persons
1 Upper Income Group. -. $40
Earning Over $40 . Week.
Middle Income Group. =. .$sS
Earning 80 10 $40 . Week.
Lower Income Group. -. .ssa
Earning Below go . Week.
PHI e