PARLIAMENTARY.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume VII, Issue 274, 19 September 1896, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

OLD AGE PENSIONS.

The debate on the second reading of the Old Age Pension Bill was taken last Wednesday. # . ' The Premir, in moving the second reading, occupied a full hour in explaining the Bill and adducing argument in its favour. It was, he said, the Bill of the present session and of the present' Parliament, and if the House only succeeded in passing a measure which woulddealsatisfactorily with so large and important a subject, members would have done well for their country. The Bill under discussion was not the first attempt to deal with the subject, and he referred to the Bill introduced by Sir Harry Atkinson, which he (Mr Seddon) had opposed on matters of details. The question of old age pensions, he considered, should be dealt with from a national standpoint. He thought the industrial soldier was just as much entitled to a pension as were the soldiers who had fought in the Maori War. Charitable aid as at present dispensed, he felt sure members would admit, was not satisfactory. The present measure was not meant as chan-. table aid, but to prevent the old requiring to fall back on charitable aid. The Premier's speech was characterised by CaptainEussell as "bunkum and twaddle." He (Mr Seddon) had taken six minutes to explain the Bill, and fifty four minutes had been devoted to arguments which were calculated to set class against class. He (Captain Eussell) was quite sure the Premier did not intend passing the Bill this session. It was merely an electioneering Bill, and it, like the present Parliament, was dominated by humbug. He, however, believed .that everyone was in favour of some scheme by which the aged poor should not be left destitute. He would support the principle of the measure. Mr G. W. Eussell considered the Premier's speech had breathed a broad humanitarian spirit. He thought it was unjust that £1,649,000 should be obtained direct from the people in the shape of Customs duties, while £122,000,000 worth of property in the colony only paid £271,000 in the shape of. land tax. He advocated the increasing of the land tax, in order to find a fund for a pension scheme. The debate was continued by Messrs Thos. Mackenzie, s Earnshaw, Hogg, Dr. Newman, Messrs Collins, O'Regan, and Saunders, who adversely criticised the details of the Bill, but were in favour, of the principle of the measure, and would therefore vote for a second reading. The Premier, in the course of Ms reply, denied the allegation made that the Bill was an electioneering dodge. On division the second reading was carried by 42 votes to 6, and the House rose at 1.10 a.m.