THE HUMAN SIDE OF LEGISLATION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3133, 9 March 1909, Page 3

THE HUMAN SIDE OF LEGISLATION.

Exactly what an Act of Parliament may mean in terms ot humanity v. a.-; shown in a most \ivid way recently in England, when over 500,000 men and women over whom .seventy [ winters, and in some cases many more, had passed, applied at the post offices for their first paymtnt of 5-;, which had bean granted to tnem after investigation of their claims. It is impossible to depict the glad hearts which were produced by this Act of Parliament, but the papers have given a remarkable amount of space to the many incidents—humorj ous, pathetic, and tragic even—which occurred on this first pension day. Here is one incident, told by the "Westminster Gazette/' which is typical of all:—"To a hoary headed old man rejoicing in the good old English name of William Smith b31 longs the honour of receiving the first old age pension in BethiuU Green, which probably possesses a more needy class of pensioners, poor though the others must be, than any other district in London. 'He lives in Mansford street, a poor street in a poorer neighbourhood, and he is typical of the most deserving of all the State pensioners. For fifty years he has been a teetotaller, and he worked steadily at his trade as an ornamental carver until severe illness struck him down. Fourteen years ago his wife died, and since then, in his solitary room, he has dragged out his existence, 'Life las been hardly wortn living,' he said to me, as a tear trickled clown his cheek. 'Bat now !' And hs looked at the two shining half-crowns as though he doubted even then their reality. He was not the first to enter the post office, at 173, Bethnal Green road, which opened on the stroke of eight o'clock. Another old man, who could hardly totter along, was there, waiting on the step, and reached the pay counter ahead of him, but the clerk in charge pointed out that he had not signed the pension order. While he was duing this, William Smith, with his order duly filled up and signed, pushed his 'cheque-book' uver the counter. Then the following colloquy ensued, which was repeated in every case: —'"Are you Mr William Smith?' J "'lam.' '"Doyou live at 160, Mans-> lord street?' [ '"I da.' ; '"ls this your signature'? '"lt is.' "A brief examination of the book j was sufficient, and the clerk, after detaching the order and stamping i*, handed over the five shillings. That ! was all. But it was enough for William Smith and the thousands of others like him who are receiving their pensions today." The first pensioners to appear at Ludgate Circus Post Office were a venerable old couple, bof.h nearly eighty. The old people wal!:ed into the office arm-in-arm, and were most courteously received by the clerks. "Here, lass," said the old man, as he handed over his two half-crowns, "you be cashier; put it in your purse." One old p2nsioner burst into the Wood Green Post Office, with hearty shout of "Happy New Year to you ladies." When he received his due, he exclaimed, "God bless you, and the Government, tco!" Here is the tragic side: Two ol ! men who hsd been e:i citedly anticipating fh-j first payment at Biackburn. failed to tura up, and '} were fou :d to have died in ine night. At Kilkenny an old lady of eighty died shortly before the pension office opened. Mr George Underwood, of Puckeridge, who was to have received a pension, died the previous night. In the list of women pensioner-* at ; Leeds, was Mrs Hannan Atkinson, living in Glover street, and seventytwo yesra of age. She was found j dead in her room.