Ham and Eggs Movement
Encyclopedia
The Ham and Eggs movement was an old-age pension movement in California
during the 1930s. It was originally founded by Robert Noble, a controversial radio personality, and William Allen. It grew out of a pension
movement similar to the one advocated by Francis Townsend
. The Ham and Eggs lobby wanted a massive state pension apparatus and inundated the State Legislature with mail. At one time, their movement had almost one million members. However, their movement was narrowly defeated in an initiative election
in 1938.
Robert Noble was later arrested on charges of pro-Nazism
during World War II. Willis and Lawrence Allen, brothers who owned a radio station south of the Mexican border, took over the movement. The brothers' adviser and spokesman was Gertrude Coogan, an economic conspiracy theorist. They were proponents of proposition 25, 1938, which was the idea of Irving Fisher
.
It was assumed that to avoid paying the weekly taxes on the money, the tender would be spent immediately, thus boosting the depressed economy
. While it may not have had an effect on the economy, similar plans gave Social Security
a more moderate face.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
during the 1930s. It was originally founded by Robert Noble, a controversial radio personality, and William Allen. It grew out of a pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
movement similar to the one advocated by Francis Townsend
Francis Townsend
Dr. Francis Everett Townsend was an American physician who was best known for his revolving old-age pension proposal during the Great Depression. Known as the "Townsend Plan," this proposal influenced the establishment of the Roosevelt administration's Social Security system...
. The Ham and Eggs lobby wanted a massive state pension apparatus and inundated the State Legislature with mail. At one time, their movement had almost one million members. However, their movement was narrowly defeated in an initiative election
Initiative and referendum
In the politics of the United States, initiative and referendum is a process that allows citizens of many U.S. states to place new legislation on a popular ballot, or place laws recently passed by the legislature on the ballot, and vote on it....
in 1938.
Robert Noble was later arrested on charges of pro-Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
during World War II. Willis and Lawrence Allen, brothers who owned a radio station south of the Mexican border, took over the movement. The brothers' adviser and spokesman was Gertrude Coogan, an economic conspiracy theorist. They were proponents of proposition 25, 1938, which was the idea of Irving Fisher
Irving Fisher
Irving Fisher was an American economist, inventor, and health campaigner, and one of the earliest American neoclassical economists, though his later work on debt deflation often regarded as belonging instead to the Post-Keynesian school.Fisher made important contributions to utility theory and...
.
...anyone qualified to vote in California and aged fifty or older without a job would receive $30 of "warrants" every week. Each $1 warrant would require a two-cent tax paid weekly to keep the note valid until redeemed. The warrants would be legal tender for payment of state taxes.
It was assumed that to avoid paying the weekly taxes on the money, the tender would be spent immediately, thus boosting the depressed economy
Great Depression in the United States
The Great Depression began with the Wall Street Crash of October, 1929 and rapidly spread worldwide. The market crash marked the beginning of a decade of high unemployment, poverty, low profits, deflation, plunging farm incomes, and lost opportunities for economic growth and personal advancement...
. While it may not have had an effect on the economy, similar plans gave Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
a more moderate face.