Too Old at Twenty-Nine (1934)

From the June 1934 issue of the Socialist Standard

At the season of annual conferences, it is the custom for the president or chairman to include in his remarks some apparently startling phrase, which is duly headlined in the next morning’s papers.

Recently Sir Thomas Oliver delivered his presidential address at the Institute of Hygiene, and his particular little tit-bit was: “I do not believe in the too-old-at-forty theory," and he added that there were more men now between 60 and 70 in good health and fit for work, if social, industrial, and trade union conditions allowed it, than there were 200 years ago.

It is a tribute to Sir Thomas's perspicacity that he added the rider: "if social, industrial, and trade union conditions allowed it."

Sir Thomas, however, did not stop to examine why it was that the economic conditions did not permit such a state of affairs. Whilst his views on medical matters may be worthy of attention, it would not do for him to enter into the realm of economics. A too close study of this subject, particularly if he gave expression to the views which would undoubtedly follow such a study on the right lines, might result in his losing some of his best customers.

However, to get back to. the “ too-old-at- forty" business; Sir Thomas says that he does not believe in this theory. The implication is that there is such a theory, but if so, it would be interesting to know who it was who first enunciated it, and whether anybody would actually advance such a theory, even at the present time. Sir Thomas appears to have been indulging in the familiar practice of knocking down his own Aunt Sallies. Nobody would dispute that there are men over forty capable of doing both hard and useful work.

It is, however, the fact that in industry to-day, the employing class do not merely draw the line at forty, but even at thirty or less. Witness this:— 

  “Shorthand-typists, typists, clerks, telephone operators, and juniors (girls and boys), and all office staff of good appearance, secondary education, and not over 28, invited to register at Birch's Agency, 1, Gt. Winchester Street, E.C.2."

The advertisers, and the capitalist class generally, are not actuated by any mere theory that a man is too old at either twenty-nine or forty. They know that there is a large surplus of labour available, and they merely take advantage of the fact to get as young, strong, and cheap workers as possible. They frequently prefer women and girls as being cheaper than men. No blame attaches to them for this, and we would not waste our breath telling them to employ older people. The conditions of the existing form of society are such that in order to produce most profitably, the capitalists get the most efficient labour at the cheapest price.

However, there is not merely the fact that men over a certain age find it practically impossible to get jobs; there is the fact that these men are forced to live upon a semi-starvation diet whilst they can walk down the street and see Rolls-Royces careering past; they can look in at shop windows displaying all manner of luxurious edibles; they can go in the free library and read in The Sketch how their betters are enjoying themselves; and, casting their eyes heavenwards, they, can see the boss class rushing about in space. They know, further, that in the midst of a superabundance of cotton, wheat, coffee, milk, butter and cheese, strenuous efforts are being made to cut down the production of these things.

These features are commonplaces of present-day society, and will remain so long as the basis of that system, namely, the private ownership of the means of production, continues. If the Workers do not like the effects of this system upon themselves, it is up to them to change it to one which is based upon the common ownership of the means of production, i.e., Socialism.

To return to Sir Thomas, however, there is one real gem of thought which deserves to be rescued from the obscurity of a daily newspaper.

He says:— ’

  “To age gracefully, there must be a happy and contented mind, and, while the possession of wealth alone will not bring these, it is a consolation if there is a sufficient financial competency to meet the physical needs of the body with a little surplus left to help others not so well off. For if we would ourselves be happy, we must give happiness to others."

In other words, in order that one lot of people may be happy, it is necessary that another lot shall lack a “sufficient financial competency." The first lot can then get a mental and psychical uplift by assisting the other lot. This other lot, apparently, will not be able to achieve "happiness," but that is not of much moment, so long as the first lot are all right!

Ramo.