Facing old age

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.