COMMONWEALTH OLD AGE PENSIONS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 177, 21 April 1908, Page 9

COMMONWEALTH OLD AGE PENSIONS.

H 1 -LABOUR PARTY'S RESOLUTION. jil'iljiipo'ftKift'l'itibn'is v proposed'"by;tha Com» ; : momvealtlfllajjour l'arty as tho result of its. 'consideration.in caucus recently of the.prob- ' lorn: of i old-age-, pensions;: in i relation • to, tha. - .Government's Surplus: ltovcnuo Bill.-. ..After,;-,., •a .full consider,*!tipn of tho whole matter, tha 'party unanimously passed tho following ro-. ; -. solution * ' w. i;-"jThat, in the" opinion' of -this , party, tlia -:. Surplus Revenue' Bill should distinctly pro-i ;; vide ."for"the appropriation of tho iunis m- 1 /vol vod' In - tho pay mont' afc, aiv early. : da to of. ?Fodoral'"old-ago pensions;":' v\ '. -The leader of tbo party, Mr. Fisher,' - . M'.l?o nft«r the'meeting made a statement! ■ fully outlining his party's proposals/ "What ~ wo have in our mind," " as a party, is that wo" shall unanimously support tho Government's Surplus '' Revenue Bill being. ' ijfisSetl '.'this -"'session' with • this object—that! tho: balance, of' tho nnexpouded portion' of the-Commonwealth's quarter of tho Customs V may'ljb..paid into a trust fund, iiv "Which.;' there- shall accumulate' .sufficient '■jnoWy/ to-onnble us to inaugurate s Federal, ! olcl-ngo : pension's ! scheme' Valid': carry that. . v ;. 'Schbmo through—on s tho estimate :of tho. v Royal Commission—up- to tho end of tho. operation, of jtlie. Braddon to •tlro'end of 1010. ' 111' all probability it will ha ~ possible for the Government to <liuance tha ■jJSnsidns' in that way, y.so'jthat they will ba ; able to begin payments by aljout Jjily 1, ; 1909. On this system the"pensions for th& .eightecu mbntbs intervening botwee.n; July 1.. :i909,-; and- the end of 1910, will bo financed." ;TliosLabour I'arty ,; contemplates a... schomc* ;providing for?#\pehsion of.'l(ls.-a week to all . -. ;i>t)rgoiis."over i-sixty-five gears' oi age..,. To , Imanoflvit.-avsunv. of .'£1,500,000,-.is required' ■ 'annually..i;.-Undor the Surplus I!evonue Bill . ''.intimborsjiof; tha party-tbink £2,250,000; can be secured ito pay pensions for tho-eighteen, Vinbhths-between- July 1, 1909,- and December -. 111, MO. .