1460 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE FEBRUARY 5 bill or other like legislation which will prevent the punish­ SWEARING IN OF MEMBER ment or destruction of persons accused or suspected of crime The SPEAKER laid before the House the following com­ in any other way or by any other authority than by due munication, which was read by the Clerk: process of law and by a duly constituted court of justice; to HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, the Committee on the Judiciary. CLERK'S OFFICE, 776. Also, petition of the Legislature of New York State, Washington, D. C., February 5, 1935. memorializing the Congress of the United States to enact The SPEAKER THE HOUSE OF REPRESE.NTATIVES, with all convenient speed such legislation as may be neces­ Washington, D . C. Sm: There is on fl.le in this office a certificate of election in due sary to abolish the Federal gasoline sales tax and to sur­ form of law showing the election of Hon. CHARLES A. HALLECK as a render to the States exclusively the power to tax such sales Representative to the Seventy-fourth Congress from the Second in the future; to the Committee on Ways and Means. Congressional District of the State of Indiana to fill the vacancy in that district. 777. By Mr. SNYDER: Petition of H. C. Stickel and 30 Yours very truly, residents of Dawson, Fayette County, Pa., and vicinity, SOUTH TRIMBLE, favoring old-age pensions; to the Committee on Ways and Clerk of the House of Representatives. Means. Mr. SNELL. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from the Second 778. By Mr. TABER: Petitions of A. Peters and 19 other Congressional District of the State of Indiana, Mr. CHARLES citizens of Catoosa County, Ga., favoring old-age pensions; A. HALLECK, is present and desires to take the oath of offi.ce. to the Committee on Ways and Means. Mr. HALLECK appeared at the bar of the House and took 779. Also, petitions of J. A. Massey and 15 other citizens the oath of offi.ce. of Dade County; Omer Peter Roberson and 14 other citizens OLD-AGE PENSIONS ARE NOT YET A REALITY of Floyd County; Sarah Pace and 19 other citizens of Floyd Mr. ELLENBOGEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous con- County; Margaret Jenkins and 14 other citizens of Dade sent to extend my own remarks in the RECORD. County; Kiggie Nelson and 6 other citizens of Bartow The SPEAKER. Without objection, it is so ordered. County; Ella Cash and 15 other citizens of Haralson County, There was no objection. Ga., favoring old-age pensions; to the Committee on Ways Mr. ELLENBOGEN. Mr. Speaker, there is a tremendous and Means. and well-nigh unanimous sentiment today in every section of 780. Also, petitions of Mary M. Edwards and 17 other citi­ the country for genuine old-age pensions. Therefore I want zens of Chattooga County; Emma Smith and 6 other citizens to examine how much that sentiment has been able to crys­ of Floyd County; Walter L. Rogers and 16- other citizens of tallize itself into laws. Mw·ray County; Mrs. Malley Rich and 9 other citizens of What old-age pension laws do we have today? What are Murray count~ J. F. McDonald and 14 other citizens of their provisions? Do they provide old-age pensions? Are Haralson County; D. W. Long and 2 other citizens of Gordon they genuine? Or do they exist in name only? County; Mrs. J. A. Beaver and 10 other citizens of Walker With this information before us we can then establish County, Ga., favoring old-age .pensions; to the Committee on what old-age-pension laws we should have and what the Ways and Means. prospects for obtaining them are. 781. By Mr. TURNER: Petitions (56) from National Old STATE OLD-AGE PENSIONS AS THEY EXIST TODAY DO NOT PROVIDE REAL Age Pension Association and the Non-Partisan Voters' Secret SECURITY FOR THE AGED League, regarding House bill 2856; to the Committee on There are 28 States in the Union and 2 Territories, Alaska Ways and Means. and Hawaii, which have old-age-pension laws. In 8 of these 782. By Mr. WALLGREN: Memorial from the Legislature 28 States the laws exist only on the statute books. No old­ of the State of Washington, approving immediate payment age pensions whatever are being paid. In 10 other States of the adjusted-service certificates; to the Committee on very little is paid out on old-age pensions, so that in 18 States Ways and Means. out of the 28 old-age-pension laws exist only on paper and 783. By Mr. WIGGLESWORTH: Petition of mayor and not in reality. city council of the city of Brockton, Mass., urging the im­ Even in the other States the old-age-pension laws are mediate reopening of the shoe code in justice to shoe workers; inadequate. In these 10 States, 6 provide for an age limit to the Committee on Ways and Means. of 70 years and 4 for an age limit of 65 years. And note this: There is not a single State or Territory in the Union which provides for old-age pensions at 60 years. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The best old-age-pension laws in the Nation are those of the States of New York and Massachusetts. These States do TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1935 not establish a specific maximum pension, thus permitting The House met at 12 o'clock noon. persons to receive as much as is needed for a decent and The Chaplain, Rev. James Shera Montgomery, D. D., healthy life. For instance, in the city of New York the pen­ offered the fallowing prayer: sion is higher than elsewhere in the State, because the cost of living is higher in larger cities. The average pension for Blessed Lord God, Thou who art the abiding reality of the State of New York as a whole for 1933 was $22.16; for the universe, we wait at Thy mercy seat in prayer. Every­ thing that is best is here: the supreme pattern of character New York City the average probably amounts to around $40. EVEN THE BEST OF THE STATE OLD-AGE-PENSION LAWS HAVE SERIOUS and where is inspired the essential principle of a good life. DEFECTS Send us forth with the ideal that we shall help the world But even the old-age-pension laws of New York State and while in the world we stay. May we never allow our con­ of Massachusetts have serious defects. They do not give a science to be dulled or our affections chilled toward our pension until a person is 70 years of age and provide that the fellow men where the lamp of happiness glows dim and gray. pensioner must have resided in the State for at least 10 Do Thou enable us to hold to the realities of power, great­ years. ness, anq everlasting joy by avoiding the false and fiat­ According to the census figures of 1930 New York State had tering things of life. O Father of Light, 0 Spirit Divine, 373,878 persons 70 years of age and over, and therefore eli­ touch ow· souls that we may breathe the ampler air of medi­ gible. Of these only 51,228, or 13.7 percent, were receiving tation and devotion; delight the inner eye with constant pensions in 1933. The total amount of old-age pensions paid vision of the pure and beautiful; lead us to drink afresh of out by the State of New York in 1933 amounted to $13,592,080. the eternal fountain and rejoice in the glory of a golden Let me give some more figures: Of the 28 States I have sun and a purple sky. In our Redeemer's name. Amen. mentioned, 14 States provide a minimum age limit of 70 The Journal of the proceedings of yesterday was read and years, 13 a minimum age limit of 65 years, and 1 a minimum approved. age limit of 68 years; 15 States provide for a maximum pay- 1935 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE 1461 ment of $30, 6 States for a maximum of $25, 2 States for a That, I say, must be changed. I am willing to give the maximum of $20, and 3 States provide for less than $20 per States sufficient time to change their laws and to adopt new aged person. ones, but we do not need to wait until 1940 in order to re~ PENNSYLVANIA HAS NO OLD-AGE-PENSION LAW IN ANY REAL SENSE duce the limits of the present laws from 70 to 65 years. Now, what about my own State, Pennsylvania? Pennsyl­ I propase that the act of Congress shall give the States vania does have an old-age-pension law, because our supreme 1 or 2 years to reduce their age limit. That age limit should court said we could not have one. It will therefore be neces­ be 60 years and not 65. As now drafted, the law of Con­ saxy to amend the constitution of the State of Pennsylvania gress would prohibit Federal contributions to those who are before it can have a real old-age-pension law. between 60 and 65 years. That must be changed. Pennsylvania does have an old-age-assistance law. It was If the Federal law does not compel the States to have passed in January 1934, but did not take effect until Decem­ their payments begin at 60, it should at least permit the ber 1, 1934. To be eligible for o-ld-age assistance in Pennsyl­ States to do so.