PENSIONS: AN APPEAL

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 63, 11 September 1924, Page 9

PENSIONS: AN APPEAL

' - TO; THE EDITOR. ■ Sir,—As a family man, and after eight years ■of mvalidism (over two of which lye been helplessly bed-ridden) I've been each year patiently/ waiting for the Government to fulfil its oft-repeated.pro-mise of introducing a new Pensions Bill whereby the blind and invalided will be included. I have now, however, come to the conclusion that, in a political sense, to bring about any solution of or improvement in. our present unfair pension system, is going to involve far more than a, •il? ers ,P° lltlcal programme, or, worse still, political arguments, which seem to ■be the' chief concern of party politics today Hence my appeal to the Press and public generally for their united assistance and sympathy in urging on all members of .Parliament the seriousness and helplessness of.our position. ■ .. The. truth is that neither parliamentary legislators nor their social experts are attempting to solve or making any satisfactory headway in regard to this important problem, although each session we have been told that that the Government, intends to thoroughly, overhaul and readjust the present -unsatisfactory scheme .Yet nothing, is done, and we are still m a state of as you were, while the whole question of reform is beinoyearly evaded by: the old political -bluff of granting some slight "patch tip" here and there (as: witness the present proposal—invalids excluded ' again—of a small grant to the blind) until the existing scheme is now one whole system of anomalies—yea, and abuses, of which nobody hardly understands or troubles to. care about. Nevertheless, it is a well-known fact,- both politically and otherwise, that there are many blind and totally incapacitated invalids about who if they spent from day to day every fartlmig they possess, it would still leave themselves and; their families iii "enumo want of sufficient nourishing lood proper clothing, and other bare necessities of everyday life Surely, then iS uch conditions call for immediate attention, and.could be and should be righted forthwith by. reasonable legislative and admmstrative reforms; coupled with a sincere endeavour by all thinking men and women who are able to assist in any way. ...,-. . . .:..... •> Mr. and Mrs.. Sidney Webb, as far back as 1913, said that unless there was a change of heart," not only in Politicians but in the public as well, oursocial difhculties would remain stationary, and the poor' and afflicted would still continue to live under harsh and distressing circumstances: Also, Mr. Philip • Snowden 3 years earlier in "The Christian Commonwealth" '(20th Septembeiv 1911) stated that these wrongs.could not be righted by a jjrocess of revolution, but only .by an 'hones co-operation of men and women of .all classes, whose moral senses have been developed"; and I presume by that he meant a sympathetic understanding and undertaking by the people to help; to overcome existing social, moral, and political difficulties: in other words, there is work to do for willing helpers outside as well as inside our respective Parliaments. In conclusion. Sir, I thank you for your space," and hope "The Post" will long continue to raise its voice in all these pressing reforms, which are for the betterment of the people, and which, in turn, will be for the betterment and prosperity of this little country, of which we all feel so proud to belong.—l am, „„ „ , . H. CRAMP. 11th September.

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