OLD AGE PENSIONS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 14071, 28 May 1906, Page 6

OLD AGE PENSIONS.

The question of Old Age Pensions is evidently to be pressed to some

practical stage in the British Parliament before the session closes. Already no fewer than three measures dealing with the subject have been introduced, although the House of Commons had already passed a pious resolution upon the subject, and the Government had, through the Chancellor of the Exchequer, expressed its re-, gret that it had no money. The first measure, that of a quartette of four energetic members, is 'comparatively modest, for it provides for an expenditure of only. £4,000,000 per annum, £2,000,000 from Consolidated Revenue and £2,000,000 from additional local rating. Under its terms, however, it is probable, that there would be more aged deserving poor outside its operations than inside. The proposal of Mr J. W. Wilson is lees timid, for it provides for a pension of 5s to 7s a week to every deserving person over sixty-five years of age who has not been in receipt of poor relief, and who has not an income of more than 10s a week. The money to provide for these payments is to come from the Treasury, in the shape of a grant to local poor-law unions of £7 a head for every aged penr loner within such poor-law union. This practically means, as in the first case mentioned, that the Government will have to find half the money and the local ratepayers the remaining half. 'The principle is re-, garded in “ advanced ” circles as a serious defect, the opinion being held that whatever scheme is ultimately adopted the whole of the money should come from the State. The third Bill, known as the Universal Bill, simply provides for a payment of £l3 a year to ©very person over the ago of sixty-five, the sole disability being crime committed within five years of the right of pension. This, if everybody who was entitled to the payment applied for it, would mean an annual expenditure of £27,300,000. It is suggested as a compromise among those who support the general principle, but are opposed to universality, that an application of the New Zealand law would solve tie difficulty, though even on the lines adopted in the colony the annual expenditure would amount to about £15,000,000. The Government, it is further suggested, could raise this money by a reduction of armaments and an increase of the death duties, leaving the income tax untouched. It is solely the question of finance, apparently, which stands in the way of an Old Age Pensions system for the Old Country.