The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-25
Will Old Age he Pensioned in Eng
laudp

In view of declarations made last week
by Sir HENRY OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
the Prime Minister, and Mr.. AsoUrrH,
Chancellor of the Exchequer. there seems
TO be no doubt that the Liberal Govern
ment is determined to drive an Old Age
Pension bill through the House of Com
mons before dissolving the present Par
lament. Replying to a deputation of
members Of the lower house, the Premier
pensions would be taken up a 500 as
time and money should permit. Inas-
much as objection on the score of a lack
of funds would naturally be pressed most
strongly by the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, the same deputation regarded
as peculiarly encouraging Mr.. AsoUIrH's
assurance that nothing was nearer his
heart than the desire to submit a financial
plan for such pensions. He added that
the Ministry deemed the question one Of
extreme urgency.
There are moral and tactical reasons
why the expediency Of taking up the
matter of pensions for superannuated
wOrkmen should commend itself to the
Liberal Government at this time. To
glance at the reasons in their order, il
is evident hat England cannot much
longer afford to lag far behind Germany
as regards consideration for that large
section of the population which wears
itself out in the service of capital. She
cannot afford much longer to legislate
on the egoistic principle taken for granted
in the query: Am | my brothers
keeper" Especially would an attitude
of indifference be inopportune just now,
when the remarkable results OF BIS
MARCK's pension Legislation have been
given to the world on the twenty-ffth
anniversary of the formulation of his
programme. The intention embodied in
that programme was, it will be recalled,
that the State should systematically
assist working people by accident, illness
and old age insurance.
Now it appears from the statistics pub
lished this month that no less q sum than
s555 900, 900 has been paid out in Ger
many during the last twenty years for
illness; 1922 900, 900 for accidents, and
Sl3, 500, 900 for old age. 1.-THE last amount
bear in mind that the great majority of
the workmen insured have not yet
reached the age limit at which pensions
begin. II from the total expenditure we
turf to the number of beneficiaries, we
find that since the pension acts became
operative, two decades ago, no fewer
than 90, 1000, 600 persons have profited by
BIsMARCK's legislation. or course, the
Socialists criticise these results. partly
because in their opinion much more
might be accomplished, and partly be-
cause they allege that by making any
move at all in this direction the old
Chancellor tried to steal their thunder.
Unbiased O~nlookers, on the other hand,
recognize the tranquillizing service rem
dered to the nation by the pension legis-
lation, and credit it with being the prin-
cipal cause of the measure Of content
ment with which the working population
of Germany bears the grievOus burden OF
Consumption.
In England recent events have made
it plain TO leaders of the old political
parties that the working population must
be reckoned with, and that If its discOn-
tent and restlessness are to be allayed
they must take a leaf from BIsMARCK's
book. Mr.. JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN awak-
ened TO the fact some years ago, and he
is personally committed to old age pen
sions, while other conspicuous Unionists
have said that they would not oppose
pension legislation but for the strain to
which they feared it would subject the
imperial exchequer. 1t is, however, 10
the Liberals that the necessity Of con-
ciliating the working people Of Great
Britain by substantial and impressive
concessions has been brought directly
home by the unexpected and severe re-
verse which they encountered the other
day at the municipal elections, not only
in Greater London, but all over England.
The reverse means that the Liberals must
postpone n dissolution Of Parliament
until they can appeal to the electors on
an issue more relevant and telling than
the Education bill, which only the Prot