The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-04
OLD-AGE PENSIONS.
New Zealand Experiments In an I'm
tried Field.
London Mail.

London Mail.
In yesterdays Daily Mail there appeared a
cable from Wellington, New Zealand, stat
ing that after a keen discussion, lasting
eleven days, the legislative assembly of the
colony had by the narrow majority of ten
passed the third reading Of the old-age
pensions bill.
The supporters of the bill are hoping that
1t may survive its treatment in the ,Legis-
lative Council, and that a great measure of
reform may as speedily as possible become
Some interesting information as to the
history, provisions, and purposes of the old
age pensions bill has been supplied to a
Daily Mail representative by the Hon. w.
Pember Reeves, agent general for New
Zealand.
poor have hitherto been relieved almost en-
trely by the state, charitable institutions
for that purpose doing, but small part of
I'm 1886 a bill very similar in it's pro-
visions to the one in question was intro
duced into the House of Representatives.
There it met with determined opposition, one
amendment providing that everybody of
and over the age of sixty-five years should
be entitled to the pension, whether he was
in need of assistance or not. Ihat was
socialistic suggestion that, il adopted,
would have turned the whole colony into
one friendly society. Eventually the bill was
thrown out. In the following year fresh
bill combining the pension to the poor was
brought in, and after terrific wrangle it
went through it's third reading by major
1ty of fifteen, only to be thrown out by the
'Stiu undaunted by failure, the support
ers of the principle of old-age pensions on a
discriminating basis brought in third bill
this year, and now, after a desperate Strug-
gle for eleven days (Which in New Zealand,
where speeches of only ten minutes are al
lowed in committee is a debate of eXcep-
tional severity, the bill has passed it's third
reading by The smaller majority of ten.
From these conditions ii would seem that
it's chance of passing the upper house is
almost hopeless, but it must be remembered
that the Legislative Council is at present so
constituted that. two of the bills most un-
compromising opponents of last year being
dead and two possible supporters having
just a. bare chance that the measure will
become law. 1t is Just toss-up either way
Now as to the bill itself, 1t provides, as
you have seen by the message that all
persons of sixty-fve years of age and over
who have resided in the colony for twenty
five years, whose moral character IS goou
and whose income does not exceed &34 per
annum, shall, on satisfying a deputy regis
trar or a stipendiary magistrate of their
a year. These conditions are, however,
liable to variation. For instance, where a
man is in receipt of an income between
G34 and $50 per annum. he would. on the
slding-scale principle, draw from the state
enough to bring the yearly income up to
the 352 per annum. Also, it is provided
that in case of an applicant who has prop
erty from which no settled income Is deriv-
able the assessment of &540 shall be taken
as yielding yearly revenue of &34. though
why the sum of $50 has been fixed 1 do
not, / confess, understand.
inc QuallllcdIlOn Ol twenty-five years
residence is absolutely imperative. Any one
is disqualified who during the time is away
from New Zealand for more than eighteen
months in the aggregate. which is the Pc
Rod mentioned in the clause.
THE clauses relating to the moral qualifi-
cations provide that no claimant snail be
eligible who has during a period OF ten
years Immediately preceding the date Of his
application been imprisoned for four
months or upon four occasions for any
offense punishable by Imprisonment for
twelve months or upwards. Also, he shall
not during the five years preceding his
claim have deserted his wife or left her or
his children, under fourteen years Of age,
without support.
Broadly speaking. applicants should be
of good repute, and they Will have to salts
fy the authorities that they have lived
a provision which may sound tr1fie Gill
bertian but which has really been included
to save the registrars and others the trouble
of raking up a mans whole life. If the bill
operates as q stimulus 10 morality IL Will
serve a very useful double purpose.
TT is expected that $500 persons will dur
ing the first year draw the els, or part Of it,
and that about e100,000 will be so expended.
So far there is no mention of additional
taxation in connection with the scheme;
Asked whether in his opinion, such
scheme would be applicable to this country,
Mr.. Reeves said:
II do rot see why the support Of the aged
poor should not be undertaken upon some
such basis in England. No doubt it would
be necessary in this country TO take a great
many more precautions against fraud and
imposture but with all that in view it has
not struck me that an cld-age pension
scheme would be impossible in England
Still do not shut my eyes to the increased
hold up the New Zealand scheme as ideal or
DerfaCt- -