NELSON’S MEANINGLESS PENSION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 31 December 1941, Page 7

NELSON’S MEANINGLESS PENSION

SHOULD IT CONTINUE? 1 Sir Kingsley Wood, if he will, can give great help to those allies of his [who are running the latest money-! saving device—Warships Week. He jean bring Lord Nelson into the spotlight of the campaign publicity. And,; at the same time, get £5,000 a year) toward the cost of a destroyer or I 'something. How? By introducing la short bill to repeal the pension which: we are still handing over to the [ descendants of the victor of Trafalgar, j This annual hand-out has now. cost the taxpayer just short of £700,000. The connection of the present - recipient with the man who earned the money is about as remote as his connection with Trafalgar itself. The first i Lord Nelson had no heir. So the title ar.d the annuity passed to his brother. He had no heir, so his nephew, a Mr Bolton, stepped out of nowhere into [ the line of succession. Ever since, his descendants, without any such thing as a means test. 1 [have been collecting the annual £5.000. I And so it will go on down the misty . ! ages. Unless Sir Kingsley Wood puts j his foot down and says, "Enough." Now, I surely, is the time. The nation will not ,' j quarrel with the Chancellor. Nor. for i that matter. I fancy, will the ghost oL the great Admiral himself.— (Maurice Webb in "Daily Herald.” London).