Show Big Business Anxious to See Workman Help Himself By James C. C Young Have old age pensions come to stay What Is their effect on the employs and American Industry B lJ E T undoubtedly Is la S growing In ta favor or of ot pensions according to Ralph BL M. Easloy EMley chairman of ot the executive council of ot the National Civic federation an organization made up of ot some of ot the principal manufacturers labor leaders lenders a and d economists of ot tho the United States But the opinion still sun Is divided dl as to the application of ot tho Idea In tho the thoI I view w of ot Mr r. r Easle Easley After Alter studying Industrial pension plans now In operation operation opera opera- tion It would appear that the majority of or such plans are maintained at the expense of at the t employer and that pensions pensions pen pen- are generally granted for tor long and satisfactory service In only a comparatively few cases Is there nn any provision for contribution b by the tho em em- and In almost every ono one of or such In Instances an any contributions ho may have made are arc returned If It he leaves the employ of at the company Thero There are always some fome plans In which more than satisfactory service Is required but they are In a notable minority Here an Interesting question arises i What hat guarantee has the wage earner that he will wilt receive th the pension So long 38 as his employer is not Insolvent ent I he no doubt will be paid but what happens If It th employer Is no longer able to continue In business I In some lines particularly If It the I enterprise is sufficiently large there I is little danger of at any permanent discontinuance discontinuance dis dis- dis continuance of or the business and consequently consequently con con- no danger to tho the pension plan In any case the employers employer's In Interest Interest interest In- In terest in his business Is IR a bond for tor hi his I best to make It successful an effort In which he will vill be ably aided by those around him who will Ill at al some sometime I time lime be eligible to retirement on pen pen- I stun Hun i Tho experience of oC many manufacturers turere would seem seem to Indicate that an on annual pension pa pay roll ron should bo be somewhere somewhere somewhere some some- where under one half of 01 1 per cent of or ortho tho the total annual pa pay roll of ot the business business business busi busi- ness affected II Old age pensions are another step stepin in welfare work the tho importance of or which has come to be recognized b by employers the country over o Perhaps It may be well wen to define detine what is meant by welfare work I would sn say that It ItIs Itis Itis is improving of ot working and living conditions of ot b by employers The first essentials are lre stead steady work an equitable wage and reasonable hours of ot labor But nut It Is of at high importance that we do not adopt a paternalistic attitude attitude attitude atti atti- tude toward the tho American workman who always alays has shown abundant ability to take care of oC himself A doctrine that has ban gained Jt consid- consid crable headway In this country Is that the efficiency of ot Germany German has been largely due to the tho humanitarian Interest Inter Inter- est st of or tho the government o In tho the working classes evidenced b by old a age e pensions sickness and unemployment Insurance death benefits accident compensation model housing schemes and ani so forth Claim has hns been made that these measures measures meas mess ures have eliminated poverty and pauI pauperism pau pau- I and produced a contentment of ot mind mimI unknown In this country But the official spokesmen of ot the great reat labor organizations organization of or the United States oppose these schemes because of at what the they term the tho evil effects of paternalistic government o upon the moral fiber of ot the people The fallacy of at comparing comparin th the conditions con con- of oC working people In Germany with tho the condition of or wage earners In Inthis Inthis inthis this country Is too apparent to m merit serious consideration It is 1 asserted that the official figures In 1914 for Cor Instance in instance In- In stance showed that Berlin had moro more paupers per thousand than Now ew York CIt City while it I Is stated on good authority authority author author- It ity that more than 50 60 per cent of ot the families In Berlin ive I In two-room two apartments a kitchen and a living room room not not a er very wholesome housing situation Even if it the measures referred to succeed in abolishing poverty and Increasing Increasing in increasing In- In creasing the contentment of ot working workingmen men Is there not a larger arger question In Inthe inthe the background which would impel the tho American people to pause before adopting th the same N policies It is Important that we wc help the tho workman to help himself but hut he should have hayo a big hand in the helpIn helpIng helping help- help In Ing to I |