Economics of Aging: Toward a Full Share in Abundance
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ECONOMICS OF AGING: TOWARD A FULL SHARE IN ABUNDANCE HEARINGS BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON CONSUMER INTERESTS OF THE ELDERLY OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON AGING UNITED STXTES SENATE NINETY-FIRST CONGRESS FIRST SESSION PART 2-CONSUMER ASPECTS ANN ARBOR, MICH. JUNE 9, 1969 n* Printed for the use of the Special Committee on Aging U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 32-346 WASHINGTON: 1969 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 -Price 60 cents SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON AGING HARRISON A. WILLIAMS, JR., New Jersey, Chairman ALAN BIBLE, Nevada EVERETT McKINLEY DIRKSEN, Illinois FRANK CHURCH, Idaho WINSTON L. PROUTY, Vermont JENNINGS RANDOLPH, West Virginia HIRAM L. FONG, Hawaii EDMUND S. MUSKIE, Maine JACK MILLER, Iowa FRANK E. MOSS, Utah CLIFFORD P. HANSEN, Wyoming EDWARD M. KENNEDY, Massachusetts GEORGE MURPHY, California RALPH YARBOROUGH, Texas PAUL J. FANNIN, Arizona STEPHEN M. YOUNG, Ohio EDWARD J. GURNEY, Florida WALTER F. MONDALE, Minnesota WILLIAM B. SAXBE, Ohio VANCE HARTKE, Indiana WILLIAM E. ORIOL, Staff Director JOHN GuT MILLER, Minority Staff Director CONSUMER INTERESTS OF THE ELDERLY FRANK CHURCH, Idaho, Chairman EDMUND S. MUSKIE, Maine HIRAM L. FONG, Hawaii EDWARD M. KENNEDY, Massachusetts EVERETT McKINLEY DIRKSEN, Illinois RALPH YARBOROUGH, Texas GEORGE MURPHY, California WALTER F. MONDALE, Minnesota . - EDWARD J. GURNEY, Florida VANCE HARTKE, Indiana WILLIAM B. SAXBE, Ohio Part 1. Survey Hearing, Washington, D.C., April 29-30, 1969 Part 2. Consumer Aspects, Ann Arbor, Mich., June 9, 1969 Part 3. Health Aspects, Washington, D.C., July 17-18, 1969 Part 4. Homeownership Aspects, Washington, D.C., July 31-August 1, 1969 Part 5. Central Urban Area, Paramus, N.J., July 14, 1969 Part 6. Retirement Community, Cape May, N.J., July 15, 1969 Part 7. International Perspectives, Washington, D.C., July 25, 1969 Part S. National Organizations, Washington, D.C., Oct. 29, 1969, (Additional hearings anticipated but not scheduled at time of this printing.l (II) CONTENTS Page Opening statement by Senator Frank Church, chairman -333 CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF WITNESSES MONDAY, JUNE 9, 1969 Knauer, Hon. Virginia H., Special Assistant to the President for Consumer Affairs; and Hon. John B. Martin, Commissioner, Administration on Aging, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare-343 Mrs. Knauer ------------------------------- 343 Mr. Martin -350 Steketee, Mrs. Marion; Mrs. Mabel Scoby; Mrs. Dorina Gamache; and Herbert Taylor; panel, "Older Consumers Speak"-362 Mrs. Steketee -362 Mrs. Scoby ---- ------------------------- 366 . Mrs. Gamache -368 Mr. Taylor -369 Lamale, Mrs. Helen, Chief, Division of Living Condition Studies, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor; and Miss Patricia Carter, Director, Consumer Information Project, Hudson Guild; and Sidney Margolius, columnist and author on consumer subjects -371 Mrs. Lamale -371 Miss Carter- : ------------------------------------- 376 Mr. Margolius ----------------------- 380 Morgan, James, Department of Social Research, University of Michigan; and Abram J. Jaffe, professor of economics, Bureau of Applied Social Research, Columbia University - 383 Mr. Morgan - 383 Mr. Jaffe -------------------------------------- 386 APPENDIXES Appendix 1. Addition question to witnesses: Item 1. Knauer, Hon. Virginia H., Special Assistant to the President for Consumer Affairs -411 Item 2. Martin, Hon. John B., Commissioner, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare -412 Exhibit A. Project Moneywise-Senior: Consumer Education for Older People-Administration of Aging, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Social and Rehabilitation Service-April 1968 -413 Item 3. Lamale, Mrs. Helen, Chief, Division of Living Condition Studies, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor- 421 Exhibit A. Report of the Advisory Committee on Standard Budg- et Research-U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Sta- tistics, Office of Prices and Living Conditions-June 1963- 424 Exhibit B. Cost of Living of Persons in Retirement-U.S. Depart- ment of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics -447 Item 4. Carter, Miss Patricia, Director, Consumer Information Proj- ect, Hudson Guild, Fulton Senior Citizen Center -452 Exhibit A. Sample menus and food list for one week based on USDA Economy Family Food Plan -454 Item 5. Margolius, Sidney -457 Exhibit A. Summary-Comments on Group Buying Potential for Older People -459 Item 6. Morgan, James, Ph. D., Department of Social Research, Uni- versity of Michigan -460 Item 7. Jaffe, Dr. A. J. director, Manpower and Population Program, Bureau of Applied Social Research, Columbia University- 462 (III) IV Appendix 2. Letters and statements from individuals and organizations: Item 1. Jeffreys, David, director of national affairs, American As- Page sociation of Retired Persons, National Retired Teachers Association 465 Item 2. American Podiatry Association, presented by Myron Bakst, D).S.C., Detroit, Mich ------------------------ 467 Item 3. Letter to Hon. Paul Rand Dixon, Chairman, Federal Trade Commission, from Senator Harrison Williams, re Packaging and Labeling Act -468 Exhibit A. Excerpt from Public Law 89-755, 89th Congress, S. 985, Nov. 3, 1966 -469 Item 4. Letter to Senator Harrison Williams from Hon. Paul Rand Dixon, Chairman, Federal Trade Commission, re Packaging and Labeling Act ---------------------------- 469 Item 5. Statement of the National Association of Retired Civil Employees 471 Item 6. Milliken, Hon. William G., Governor, State of Michigan ---- 472 Appendix 3. Statement submitted by the hearing audience: Albain, Clara H., Monroe, Mich -473 Anderson, M. M., Wilmington, Del -473 Bailey, Mrs. Katie, Highland Park, Mich -473 Backman, R. O., member, Florida Commission on Aging and Vintage Years Columnist, Miami, Fla -473 Benjamin, Samuel J., Ann Arbor, Mich -477 Bielby, Carl A., Ann Arbor, Mich -477 Burns, Mary Ellen, Detroit, Mich -477 Colguitt, Willie, Detroit, Mich 477 Devendorf, B. N., Battle Creek, Mich-- --- 477 Erinhes, Evelyn Leslie,' Altadena, Calif 477 Exhibit A. Older'Women: Difficulty Finding Fittable Clothing --- 478 Goossens, Harriette B., Detroit, Mich : 479 Haman, Mr. and-Mrs. Anton, Monroe, Mich - -479 Immucci, Charles, Monroe, Mich - -479 Kitchen, Charles G., et al --- 480 Lieto, Emanuel, -Monroe, Mich - - 480 Lohman, Mrs. Ben E., Monroe, Mich - - 480 Longworth, William, Monroe, Mich - -480 Miller, Lofton I., Detroit, Mich ' 480 Moore, Sidney W., Detroit, Mich -480 Morse, Dr. Richard L. D., department of Family Economics, and Chairman, Kansas Citizens Council on Aging, Inc., Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kans -480 Exhibit A. Kansas Older Citizens Views on Consumer Issues -481 Exhibit B. Consumer Interest-February 1969 -481 Newman, Mr. and Mrs., Battle Creek, Mich -483 Robinson, Hazel G., National Retired Teachers Association, director for Michigan, Southfield, Mich- 483 Roberts, Bob, Toledo, Ohio -484 Rohan, Nick J., Monroe, Mich -484 Romano, Carmen, chairman, Connecticut Committee on Services for Elderly Persons, North Haven, Conn -484 Schlichtemeier, Clara, Omaha, Nebr -484 Schmitz, Mrs. F.,.Monroe, Mich -485 Schuck, Philip and Rose, Monroe, Mich -485 Shapiro, Mrs. Theresa M., Monroe, Mich -485 Stadler, Alfred J., Monroe, Mich 485 Struger, Mary, Monroe, Mich - 485 Wakefield, Mary, Detroit, Mich -485 Watt, Wallace F., Detroit, Mich - 485 Wiess, Johanna, Ann Arbor, Mich -486 ECONOMICS OF AGING: TOWARD A FULL SHARE IN ABUNDANCE (Consumer Aspects) MONDAY, JUNE 9, 1969 U.S. SENATE, SUBCO-MMIIrTEE ON CONSUMER INTERESTS OF THE ELDERLY, SPECIAL CO31MITrTEE ON AGIN G. Ann Arbor, lich. The subcommittee met at 2 p.m., pursuant to notice, in Rackham Auditorium, University of Michigan, Senator Frank Church (chair- man of the subcommittee) presiding. Present: Senator Church. Staff members present: William E. Oriol, staff director; John Guy Miller, minority staff director; Michael E. Wetherell, legislative aide; and Margaret L. Brady, assistant clerk. OPENING STATEMENT OF THE CHAIRMANT Senator CHURCH. The committee will come to order. Our hearing in Ann Arbor today springs from a fortunate conflu- ence of mutual interests. For one thing, Wilma Donahue and the planmers of the 2-2d annual University of Michigan Conference on Aging have provided the Sub- committee on Consumer Interests of the Elderly with a large number of knowledgeable, distinguished experts on older Americans as con- sumers. We are assured of excellent witnesses, as well as aln informed audience. For another thing, your purpose during this 4-day conference-to work toward new and broader understanding of major consumer issues facing the elderly-comes at a most appropriate time for the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. A little over a month ago the committee began hearings on "The Economics of Aging: Towar.d a Full Share in Abundance." The pur- poses of that hearing, as expressed by the committee chairman, Sen- ator Harrison A. Williams, of-New Jersey, were to: Establish an overview of the many economic pressures that affect aged and aging Americans, and to Focus attention on the personal economics of individuals who-in the final decades of their lifetimes-discover that fixed incomes and lifetime savings are either totally inadequate or barely enough for marginal life. (333) 334 At those first 2 days of hearings, the committee heard from many witnesses. They confirmed the findings of a task force which had sub- mitted a report to the committee after months of 'hard work and in- tense analysis. Those witnesses made it clear- The