Original Correspondence

Cromwell Argus, Volume XXVIII, Issue 1435, 27 October 1896, Page 4

Original Correspondence

(I Pc do not indenlijy ourselves with the opinions expressed by oar correspondents.) OLD AGE PENSIONS, ETC. TO THE EDITOH. Sut, —Owing to the rain there was no tennis on Saturday, so 1 spent the afternoon trying to work out Air George’s scheme of pensioning off the aged, and his ideas of the qualifications necessary to earn such a pension. 1 intended to ask a question or two myself, but one eleetor, who asked a question, received such an inconsequential answer, aud Mr George’s extraordinary political economy was evidently so palatable to his party that I saw there was no use of my raising any further points. This candidate for legislative honors, publicly propounds th“ alarming and astonishing doctrine that thrift is a vice, and profligacy and extravagance are virtues to be rewarded by a State pension—a doctrine wholly subversive of society, a doctrine, which, if brought in*o operation, would reduce this wealthy and flourishing country to ruin nnd bankruptcy, a doctrine which is an open avowal of the plundering of those who have earned wealth by those who are too lazy to win it, or too foolish to keep it ; iu short, a plain aud open announcement of a policy of robbery and spoliation—a policy that values the good, careful and provident citizen only in so far as he can be milked of his hard earned savings to keep the forlish and extravagant in an old age of State supported ease. And New Zealand—Cromwell—supplies an audience to applaud such teachings ! Let us sec how it works out. The thrifty man sees that he is simply laying up a store for another man’s rainv day, so he becomes lazy and thriftless like that other. Soon the whole people become 1 >zy aud thriftless. “ But the Government will pay everyone a pension,” says the L'beral triumphantly. Says Mr George with an innocence child like aud bland, “ Seddou will fix it up somehow.” 1 admire Air Seddou for many things and have a good opinion of his powers, hut 1 cannot bring myself to believe that he can perform miracles and take out of the revenue of a country, money not put iuto it by the people, and unless he can do so, even his gigantic intellect cannot cope with the dilhculties of the scheme as propounded by some of his followers. Mr Seddou himself admits as much in his speech on the pension question. Tlieu let us work it out another way. A mau earning, say £IOO a year, reaches the age of 60 unprovided for. The State pays him a pension of 10s a week. Beusou, the 'jubilee plunger, squanders a quarter of a million in two years and confers incalculable bcnclits on the StateShould Benson reach the age of 60, aud, as would be the ease, was unprovided for, the State, which must act fairly aud squarely to all rakes, spendthrifts, prodigal sons, aud drunkards who arc the props aud pillars of the State according to the new Gospel of St. George, the State must pay the jubilee plunger a pension of £I2OO a week, that is if it treats so distinguished a benefactor of his kind according to his many merits. The thing is a simple calculation. 1 daresay many Liberals think that this enlightened and thoughtful scheme is new. Well, iu the dress it wears at present it is, for I don’t think that the world has ever yet had the honor of producing a man to put it iu that form, or of a party of the people who preferred to take it iu that way. But much the same sort of thing was brought forward by Jack Cade, a Liberal who lived—of coarse Air George knows when, so there is no need to say -and who raised up a Liberal Caucus, armed with hedgeknives, butchers’ cleavers and barbers’ poles, which did excellently good work iu knocking Tories aud rich people on the head. Jack promised his party that “In England a penny loaf shall be sold for a farthing, and every pint pot shall hold a quart,” Oue feels sorry for poor old Jack. He lived 500 years too soon. Au aristocratic, hide-hound, mummified, Tory, tennis-playing Government hanged him. Had he lived in these days he would have been Premier. One hardly knows which to lament most: that good old Jack did uot live in our day, or that Air George did not live in his ? Had the latter said last Friday : “If returned 1 shall endeavor to legislate so that the sixpenny loaf shall be sold for twopence, and that every “small beer” shall be a long sleevcr,” he would have earned a solid round of applause. Air George believes iu the referendum, yet he would uot have prohibition introduced by a referendum. Will he explain himself V Air George dues not believe iu Party Government, because it leads a mau to vote against his conscience. Y'et he stands as au out-aud-out supporter of the present Government. Should the fate of the Government aud Air George’s conscience come iuto conflict, which is he going to sacrifice V Aud has lie given any written pledge which might put his conscience into an awkward fix V Air George is au advanced Liberal and a land-uationaJisationer. In fact, lie is a socialist. Does he know that the fundamental principle of socialism is that a man who won’t work must starve ? Has Air George any opinion about the more vigorous construction of the Otago Central '! or does he consider the inestimable blessing of a Liberal Government recompense for the want of railway communication

If elected, will lie introduce a bill into Parliament to disfranchise people who, selfishly tmd with a view to injure the State, play lawn tennis, croquet, or such aristocratic games, which do not conduce to the spending of money and the good of the State ? . Will he also, as a fair and equally important measure, introduce a bill to prevent anyone who does not really and truly do eight hours’ hard <jrajt every day, from becoming a prominent and active supporter of the Liberal Party —I am, etc., ( Double Fault.