The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-01-08
State Provision for Old Age in England.

State Provision for Old Age in England.
The workmen's insurance laws. invented
by Prince BISMARCK. seem not unlikely to
find limitations in other countries. The
French Minister Of the Interior. NJ. Con-
STAINS. is known to favor the bestowal OF
pensions on superannuated workingmen.
The French project. however. differs mate
rally from the German legislation which
suggested 1t. The ex-Chancellor Of the
German empire made the workman HIM
self. his employer. and the State. joint con-
tributors to the fund for the relief Of dis
ability caused by accident. illness. or old
age. NJ. constants. on the other hand.
would place the burden wholly or mainly on
the Government. Such appears to be the
intention, also. Of Mr.. JOSEPH CHAMBER
LAIN. who recently on several occasions has
declared that the State ought to rescue
aged workmen from hardship and suffer-
ing. His views have been seriously consid-
cred in certain quarters. and at latc meet
ing of the Statistical Society Mr.. CHARLES
Booth outlined plan by which they might
be carried out.
There is this to be said Of Mr.. BooTH's
proposal. that it docs not impose compul-
sorry economies upon q workman during his
youth and middle age-a feature OF the Bis
SiARCK scheme which excites resentment on
the part Of tho benehciaries. Neither does
IL authorize official supervisors to exact
from employers contributions which they
are certain in the long run to deduct from
the wages paid. He causes the burden in
volved by his proposed provision to fall
indirectly and unnoticeably on the COM
lal fNt. hn
execution OF his project would be raised by
indirect taxation. and would be disbursed
from the imperial treasury in the form OF
pension Of $1.25 4 week. payable to every
individual in England and Wales who
should be sixty-tive years old or over.
1t Is probable that those persons
who possess adequate means OF their
own. or who arc supported by their
children, would reject the proffered aid: but
it would be theirs to take or leave. If every
one legally entitled to it should accept the
stipend. tho aggregate expenditure would
be $751;. 1000 q year. from which would be
deducted the Sl5.OOO.OO0 q year now dis
tributed under the Poor law among aged
and INDECENT persons. The remainder. $70,-
OOO, 900. might be reduced to $50. OOO.O0 If it
should be deemed expedient to refuse the
annuity to all but paupers Such a curtail-
ment OF the outlay would be counter to Mr..
BoorH's fundamental idea, which is to
avoid taxing one part OF the community
for tho benefit Of another. but. on the
contrary. to tax the whole for the bene-
tit of everybody. He insists that his
scheme Is not open to the objection raised
by political economists to almost all other
.i,c b In ~
ize nobody, because 1t would help nobody
until he was past helping himself. 1t would
not affect the rate Of wages or the readiness
to work, because tho pension would be pay
able only to those incapable Of labor. He
contends that it would increase rather than
decrease thrift, on tho ground that the de-
sire to save for comforts sake Is stronger
than the desire to save for the sake OF avoid
ing the humiliation incident to living in q
poorhouse or receiving outdoor relief He
even argues that 1t would stimulate enter
prise, for the reason that courage In bust
ness adventure increases with the sense OF
security for old age.
1t Is not to be inferred. however, that Mr..
BooTH's proposal meets with general APP
proval. The fundamental objection Is the
magnitude OF the addition to the permanent
burden under which the British taxpayer
already lives. Bearing In mind the rate of
interest now payable on English consols.
we see that an engagement to pay $4,000
900 q year by way Of pensions to aged per-
sons would he equivalent to the addition OF
about $4,000. 100000 to the British public
debt. Such IN augmentation OF the
national indebtedness would seriously
cripple tho power of raising money in case
| OF war. Moreover. there is no guaran'
tee that the outlay would remain at the
original figure. It seems. indeed. to be
the fact at present thatin England $2.6o pei
week will sufice for the maintenance OF an
aeed couple. but 1t would cease to sufacs IN