PENSIONS IN IRELAND.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13363, 3 March 1909, Page 6

PENSIONS IN IRELAND.

It will ho seen from our cable news this morning that complaints have been made in the House of Commons that Ireland has been exceptionally well treated in tho matter of old age pensions. The proportion of pensioners in England, it is said, is 1 in. 88 persons, but the proportion in Ireland is 1 in 25. The experiences of an expension officer, narrated in tho "Daily Telegraph," throw an interesting light on the question. "Though claims from "the crowded districts of the great "cities in England and Scotland reachI ' ed us in thousands," ho writes, '"Ire- '' land was the cock-pit of the struggle "Of the pension dffioers." The authorities, who had quite underestimated the size of the Irish pension problem, found it necessary to hurry reinforcements to tho front. The poverty of parts of rural Ireland! is notorious, so it was not surprising that claims were very numerous. Tho difficulties in the way of investigating claims were much greater than in England. Compulsory registration of births, which became operative in England in 1837, was not instituted in Ireland until lons after that date, so not a single Irish claimant was able to produce a certificate of birth. In the absence of definite proof of age/ discretion had to be exercised, and some latitude and leniency shown. The officers had to test the' statements of claimants as best they could, while working -under the higbest pressure. Land-marks in life often provided data; for instance, many of the old folk wero born in tho year before "the night of the big wind"—a terrible visitation of 1839. Priests gave the investigators very valuable assistance, a certificate from a priest as ,to a claimant's age being accepted! as proof in many cases. Such being the circumstances, it is easy to understand why the Irish pension lists have become so swollen. The news that "the night of the big wind!" could be used to furnish proof of ago may have travelled with amazing swiftness. But for some reason not yet adequately explained, the authorities seem, in other respects also, to have administered the Act with greater leniency in Ireland than elsewhere. For instance, a. stay of even a night in a workhouse infirmary -was held to bo a bar in England and Scotland', but was passed over in Ireland". Perhaps tlie poverty and comparative helplessness of the rural Irish worked on the feelings of the pensions officers; perhaps the Government, with an eye to future political contingencies, preferred to grant too many pensions than too few. The Government entered into this pension business with a light heart, but it is ominous that on tho same day.that brings us news of. this * debate, wo are told that the announcement of the naval estimates has been postponed for a week.