The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-03-26
A MlLLIONAIRE'S SCHEMES.
MIR. Hooley of London Comes out with a
Pension Project.

E. L. Hooley, the London millionaire
is constantly taking people by surprise
One day he is the prime mover In SOME
stupendous financial undertaking; an
other, he has formulated scheme and
provided the means for assisting all the
widows and orphans and helpless in the
district lying around his bone in Derby
shire; yet another, he offers to buy the
Penrhyn quarters; and finally he disolos-
IS his old-age pension scheme, which is
simple and sweeping enough to command
the attention of the country.
Mr.. Hooley is comparatively young
man, being only ss years of age. The
admirable portrait of him By Mr.. Bacon
shows him as he is; strong, eager, alert,
but astonishingly calE and self COM
posed. There is not the least indication
of worry about him. His speech is quick
clear and to the point. He strikes you
at once as a man of affairs.
"If ever l am returned to Parliament,
shall certainly not be dun member,
20 theirs will be no lack of means for my
critics either to amend or indorse their
Judgment on me. I don't exactly know
how to describe myself politically. The
Conservative party is the party to which
am allied, and my sympathies are all
with the working classes and the poor, I
want to help them, and will. too
What suggested to you the scheme
which you have just put in operation i'll
your native distriot?"
"The Queen, you will remember, !"
said Mr.. Hooley. "when she was asked
how she should like her diamond Jubilee
to he emorated, refrained from any
definite proposal, but said she would like
something to be done for the poor and
helpless, the widows and orphans and
destitute. Well, last year | was greatly
successful In business, and SO I said to
myself: N ow, what arc you going to do
to commemorate the Queens diamond
jubilee and at the same time put your
money. to.the best Use you CAM? Then l
remein bered wnat the Queen had said,
and it accorded with my own inclina-
tons. So | set aside 400, 900 pounds, the
interest of which will henoeforth be dis
tributed By or ganized bodies throughout
the districts included in the scheme. 1t
Is now in full swing. There are. eighteen
committees established for the purpose of
ad mastering it.
81 have thought out an old-age'peusion
scheme for the whole country, and am
certain that mine Is the right one.
Briefly, and in the rough. this is the
scheme: Old-age psnslons must, to a
certain oxtent. De paid for by those " ho
benefit by them. You must not simply
take from the rich man to give to the
poor man. Every one must contribute.
Now, impose duty of five shillings a
quartersOn all the cornsimported into this
country and you will have the money for
Jour scheme at once. Such n duty on
imported corn would press unduly on
no portion of the community. least of
all ON the working man, who would
ultimately benefit by 1t when he was old
enough to get his pension. 1t would
also benefit the agricultural interest.
The objection to protection generally
is that you benefit agriculture at the
case you don't; you benefit both. Give
me twelve men to help we, and Pll con-
vert the country to my scheme In less
than month"
"And now, Mr.. Ho0ley, when you are
at leisure, whatsis your hobby" Farm
ing. I am the biggest sheep-breeder in
England. Nothing gives me more pleas
ure than to escape into the country and
walk over my farms. just the other day
was told that eight of the Shropshire
ewes that I got from Sandringham had
presented me with two lambs each, and
it gavo me more pleasure than the big
gest deal have ever done. / must be
farmer at heart, for nothing on earth
worries me SO much as when faYorite
COW calves and the calf dies
Are you fond Of sportP' Eyes. But
don't shoot. The sound of a wounded
hare or the sight of bird with broken
wing is enough to spoil all thes fun for
me. But nave no fad not prejudice
about it, only for me the thing is not
possible. BLACK and White.