The book examines the socioeconomic plight of elderly people unable to support themselves, documenting living conditions, industrial displacement after middle age, and the financial and social costs of ignoring old-age dependency. It analyzes individual and structural causes—declining earning power, accidents, unemployment, insufficient wages, and weakened family support—then reviews existing relief: private savings, employer and public pensions, fraternal and union benefits. It explains pension types (voluntary, contributory, non-contributory), surveys domestic reform efforts, and compares international and state systems to assess policy options, arguing for constructive social action and presenting legislative proposals and practical considerations for implementing old-age pensions.