Evening star., 1947-06-27

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colorfuI hats, badges and ribbons.
They were Townsendites, followers
of the proponent of the old-age PEN
sion plan of DR.. Francis E. Town
send, who sat in the shade in the
front of the Capitol and watched
their coming and going with evident
satisfaction.
The Townsendites were devoting
the second day of three-day ma
tional convention here to pursuing
House members for signatures on a
petition to bring H. r. 16-"sweet
sixteen" they call it-out OF commit
tee for a vote on the floor. n. r. Is
provides 500 monthly pensions for
all persons over so, disabled persons
of all ages and mothers OF depend
ent children.
The Californians wore bright red
paper party hats. The Kansans
wore life-size sunhower badges.
Others wore a white overseas type
of hat with Townsend Plan" in
large letters on the side.
Attend Committee Sessions.
House members on their way from
the House office buildings to the
| Capitol had to run gauntlet OF
handshakes and solitations. Town
send groups attended dull committee
sessions awaiting a talk with their
Representatives Smaller numbers
were deployed to the Senate Office
Building.
| A. T. Russell Gladstone, Mich,
farmer, talked to group of 3o-year-
old men he encountered in cor
ridor. He said:
ITS your generation we are doing
this for. When you get to be go, II
you agree to do no more work, you
will be paid monthly pension. You
will pay your postmaster Is cents to
check up on you and see If you have
spent your pension during the
month. If you have, you will get the
pension coming to you in the next
month.
"You will be creating jobs by the
demand for goods caused by your
spending. There is no reason why
there should be SO many millions
unemployed today"
A bystander observed to Mr.. Rus
sell that creation of demand for
goods was defation or depression
cure and that the plan would in
crease imitation and cause prices to
go higher, and there is apparently a
labor shortage today rather than
large unemployment. Others de-
INJURED. They said there was plenty
of unemployment where they came
from-in Camden, N. j.
Townsend's Son Speaks.
Yesterday afternoons session Of
the convention at Uline Arena heard
speeches by Representative Nc
Donough, Republican, of California;
Robert c. Townsend, son of the
leader Of the movement, and Sen
ator Taylor, Democrat, Of Idaho.
The afternoon session opened with
cheer from the California delega-
ton to the convention:
who are, who are, who are we?
We're California Townsendites, don't
you see? There never is a minute,
when we aren't in it. With hee
and a haw and haw, haw haw!
California;! California! Rah, rah,
rah!"
Then came a repeat of the song
which stole the show at yesterdays
morning session-"Open the door,
Truman Open the door and let
us in. Open the door, Harry. Come
on, Harry, won't you open up that
door? We can hear that old piano,
playing the Missouri Waltz and
oh, Suzanna.' We want to teach
you about the Townsend plan
We're not foolin' Coin to give you
a regular schoolin'."
Sample Of Song Routine.
Senator Taylor told delegates he
was a Townsend Club member be-
fore he was a Senator. He said
he wants to "see a decent living
for our senior citizens"
He gave the Townsendites sam
pie of the song routine that helped
elect him, accompanied by his wife
Dora and son Arod dora spelled
BACKWARD.
DR.. Norman w. Pendleton, con-
vention director, said the House is
more sympathetic toward old-age
pensions than he had ever seen it.