New-York tribune., 1908-05-11
PENSIONS AID THRIFT.

Addresses before The National Conference af
Charities and Corrections at Richmond OK
pressed earnest diSappr"FaI of any system Of
non-contrbutory old age pensions. at the very
lime when the British Prime Minister was i'll
Producing at Westminster proposals for pre-
[ cj>cIy such system. There was cause for
surprise. however in Mr- Asquith's action since
he personally ana his government have for
/ some time been fully committed 10 the scheme,
which may indeed he regarded as an important
if not essential part of the political stock in
trade Of the Liberal party and certainly that
portion of its programme which most strongly
. secures for il the support Of n considerable
Radical faction.
It must bc perceived that the scheme proposed
10y Mr. AsqUith Oh Thursday. while alluring
to = considerable portion Of the British elec-
torate. is such 10 entail grave responsible
Ties if not cmbarras>ments upon succeeding ad-
miHistratiGnS. Mr.. Asquith intends 10 pay a
pension of $50 Il year 10 every person over
seventy years of age whose income from all
other sources iS less than S130 a year Beyond
doubt, persons whose incomes small are
in much need Of help, and the addition of the
proposed pension will still leave them wretch
edly poor. Mr.. ASquith estimates that there
are about five hundred thousand such persons
in the United Kingdom. and that the cost of the
scheme will bc about S}0,0uO.U00 a ycar-to be
1 exact LOT indL number OF persons. S-I-.dN.Hp.
II * somewhat startling TO lie reminded that
there are many people in the United King
dom IN such a state Of semi-pauperism. and if
there are they certainly should he helped in
some way But the sum of $:300G0UpO year
is considerable. even for so rich a country as
Great Britain. Mr. Asquith estimatcs-without
this eXpenditwc-a budget surplus of S2f,-
$4,000 for next year That will 20 far. though
not all the way. toward paying the old age pen
SionS. Where the remainder is 10 come from
IS not apparent. nor is there any assurance Of
a sufficient revenue in subsequent years without
a material increase in taxation, for which the
present budget makes provision. Yet in
establishing the pension system the present gov
eminent win be entailing upon its successors
the necessity of providing for It's maintenance,
and also. We doubt not, for its material in
crease. since there is little doubt that soon the
pensionable age will lie reduced from seventy
10 sixty-tive and perhaps To sixty years. In
deed. many arc asking Why stop al sixty?
and Labor candidate for Parliament at Hud-
dersfeld recently declared himself in favor of
universal pensions at forty-ive The late Trade
Union Congress declared itself in favor of pen
sions for all at sixty, and insOucianty added
that the finding Of the money for them was not
its concern, but the governments
The chief objection which many axe to the
scheme is as suggested at the Conference Of
Charities and Corrections, its non-contributory
character. OF course, il would be out OF the
question 10 require The persons who are already
past seventy years of age and who at once
10 become beneiciaTles to contribute anything
TO the fund. They must be cared for cra-
tutously, though they actual paupers
But there are multitudes who have not yet