The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-05-29

Under the old-tine contract system: IN.
dlvdual worth is recognized, n new pow
CT of self-government Is put into me
hands Of the labofng men. surplus labor
In hard times can be utilized, and. on the
whole. more hands ore raised In favor OF |
the system than against 1t. must, how.
ever. add In al fairness, that some emil,
mont men have told me that this YVES a
wasteftil and foolish way OF constructing
public works.
Old Age Pensions.
Most striking Of all New zealand's
economic experiments to American eyes
are the old age pension laws which
have now been in force for some seven
years and by means OF which all New
zealanders. whether men or women. who
are both worthy and poor and who roach
the age OF sixty-fve. can draw from the
government n small stipend for the rest
OF their natural l!ves.
Some words In his statement need to be
defined moro accurately before the law
can be understood; New Aealander.
worthy" poor. stipend; Just what
40 these words mean?
Well, to BIO eligible for bite ut the
pension crib you cannot be Chinaman
or an AsiBtic; YOU must have been
naturallzed citizen OF New Zealand for
at least Ave and twenty years.
To prove that you are worthy" you
must make II pam tIidI sou IuSS nv
deserted your husband or wife. that for
| five years Immediately preceding you
have lived a sober and respectable life."
and that you have not been In jail for
| more than I'VE years out Of the last
twenty-five for any offance 'dishonorins"
| (yor) "in the public estimation"
But what Is 1t to be poor In New
ZEALAND? Poverty and wealth are such
| relative terms that itgis interesting to
know John D. Rockefeller sometimes
| feels poor, suppose, when he realizes
| that in spite OF what people say ne
doesn't yet own the earth; and Bridget
| O 'Flannigan with light purse end
Elfghter heart feels rich these fresh spring
mornings when she remembers that TINS
is patrcks day to como counting her
SO 1T is Interesting to know what New
I Zealand lawmakers call poverty
| Tn order to got a pension, then. our
| candidate OF sixty-nve must prove that
his yearly income Is si7o or less, and that
ho has not accumulated moro than WOW
| or property. before he can ORA" iuli
pension Of $50 a year
| IF he has an annual income OF s1Io In
stead Of $40 lie has So deducted from his
| pension; if an income OF $3.50. 50 dollars
more Is deducted. and so on upto an IN
come of $500 per ann1m, which makes
him Ineligible to any pension.
So for every additional SIS worth OF
| nCcufnulHteQ property fosiS uSuuS1Sut io''A
his pension. When mans property
reaches sl.625 in value. he Is supposed TO
be no longer poor enough to draw pen
/ sion from the government.
IF a. man Is married he and his wife,
In the eye OF the law. so far as pensions
are concerned, do not count as one
| flesh" but the twain are two, and can
| draw a. double stipend.
| Whether this has encouraged "sexegen-
| arian matrimony," as somt ono has Sue
| Kested deponent saith not.
| Americans will naturally say that this
| paternul solcitude of the State for iva.
/ worthy poor Will discourage thrift, Keep
/ the young and middle-aged from laying
I'm for old age, and relieve tho children
| and other natural protectors OF the old
from, caring for them.
The New zeaander will reply that the
small amount of the pension will prevent
/ such results, that 1t will encourage thrift
4 rather than discourage It, since small
| savings will thus be supplemented by the
4 State, and that. In any event. SUCH AID
4 from the state Is better than the work
/ house alternative, because more self-re-
! speetng and less expensive.
The Premier of New Zealand, Sir Rich-
| ard Seldom, n very forceful character
| and tho ost-talked-of man In all New
| Zealand, assured me that the law WORKED
4 admlra bly, In every particular ana that
! in his opinion tho worthy poor had q
/ right to expect the State to step IN ana
| save them from the poorhouse
Time will tell the wisdom of all these
| for trying these experiments TOT us.
/ innovations.
In any event let us thank New Zealand
L i + ;