OLD AGE PENSIONS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 227, 18 June 1908, Page 7

OLD AGE PENSIONS.

SECOND HEADING. CONTRIBUTORY MOTION REJECTED. OPPOSITION CRITICS, nv TEr.KGtiArn—i'ress association—corvr.iani. (Rec. June 17, 10.35 p.m.) London, June 17. In tho Houso of Commons the dobato on tho sccond reading of tho Government's Old Ago Pensions Bill was resumed. Tho amondmont moved by Mr. H. Cox, Liboral member for Preston, in favour of a contributory schema of old age pensions on tho German model, was negatived by 417 votes to 29. Tho Bill was then read a second time. Mr. Walter Long (who was Secretary for Ireland in tho last Unionist Government) oxprossed regret that tho Government had dccided to apply tho closure to tho consideration of tho Bill, inasumch as it was tho most important measuro of social reform introduced since 1834. The best solution of the old age pension problem would be a combination of a Government scheme with somo contributory provisions. In Germany- the labourer contributed to tho pension, and why could not that be done in Britain ? He added that tho Government could consult with the friendly societies. Mr.' Thos. Burt, Labour membor for Morpeth, warmly supported the Government. Mr. Bnlfour, Leader of tho Opposition, sympathised with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Lloyd-Georgo as being the embarrassed stop-mother of Mr. Asquith's Bill. Ho complained that the Government was dealing in a fragmentary way with a small art of a largo questionp, namely, the whole field of assistance to tho poor. Undor the German old age pensions scheme, workmen, employers, and tho State contribute towards tho fund from which tho ponsions are paid, the workmen paying from 3d. to 2d. a week, tho employers paying the same amount for cach ompfoycc, mid tho State contributing .S3 10s. yearly to each pension when it falls due. Tims insurance against old ago or infirmity is made legally compulsory for all workmen above tho ago of sixtoen years ■ with a wago up to .£IOO a year. Last year 1i,000,000 peoplo were thus insured. .- Mr. Long's .referonco was probably to the year 1832, not 1534, ascabled. In 1832 tho Itoform Act was .passed. . THE ULTIMATE COST. A STEADILY INCREASING BURDEN. SLICING SCALE. London, Juno 16. Sevoral newspapers criticise tho tentative proposals (made by Mr. Lloyd-Georgo, Chancellor of tho Exchequor) for a sliding scale for old ago pensions as evidence that the scliemo was hurriedly prepared, and coudemn tho changes as dwelling, the'total cost. "Tho Times" says tho leak would be continually enlarged on tho pica that there was distributable wealth in tho country. INCOME LIMIT: SLIDING SCALE. The deduction that tho Government's old ago pensions scheme was hurriedly proparcd is no doubt partly based on tho diiYorenco between the outlmo in Mr. Asquith's Budget speech and tho proposals in the Chancellor's second reading speech (both summarised in yestorday's issue). Mr. Asquith, while giving £7,4-10,000 as a gross assessment of tho annual cost of tho scheiupj anticipated deductions that would reduco the cost to approximately six millions. The Chancellor, on the other hand, spoaks of an annual cost of 7J millions. The sliding scale is one of those items on which tho Government now seems to bo prepared to yield, although' Mr. Asquith, in his Budget speech, declared against it. When the sch'ome was announ'cod, sevoral London newspapers commented on the' absence of a sliding scale, and on the consequent fact that, while those with incomes just under 10s. a week will receive the ss. pension, those with incomes just above tho 10s. will bo deprived. The Liberal momber for Tottenham, Mr. Percy Alden, who has written a book on old ago pensions, thus sums up the Government's sohome:—"lt.has somo advantages over those of Denmark and New Zealand; but thcro is one great disadvantage in tho scheme as compared with that of Donmark. The Donmark schemo starts at tho age of CO. On tho other hand, thoy discriminate very much more than we do. .Wo soem rather to penalise thrift by tho income limit, but in Now Zealand they do the samo."

Mr. Ramsay Macdonald, Labour membor for Leicester, comments:—"My opinion is that for .about .£4,000,000 Mr. Asqnith has spoiled his old age ponsions scheme. Another ,£1,000,000 would have given pensions to people of 05. 1 am not so much opposed to the income limit, though I think it will act against tho popularity of tho scheme."