Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-11-11
ENGLISH SHOW
SOCIALISM IN
new PENSIONS
Conservative Partv
approves of Old Age
Funds; Many Bene-
fitting Now
BY BATES RANEY


p-'DoN' Nov. l0.-R)-Great
'alns trend toward socialism has
zen brought into sharp relief BY the
ervatlve party's approval of stats
old. PERSONS over % years
ssserai classes of people in Eng
anu are already entitled to certain
fssisonal maintenance at the expense
the government and the tendency
. steadily TO increase the number Of
VERSIONS receiving such benefits.
.Ihief among these benefits is the
dole which give sunemployed per-
sons a weekly wage ranging from IS
sio. The amount is frequently
squai 70 all that the unemployed per-
time. ~ -"
The poor law guarantees every
Sess'tnte person the legal right TO
.ooo, shelter and clothing at the ex-
pense Of the state.
lnere Is a state sickness benefit
.oT those who are out Of work
through illness.
wives in confinement are assured
o. state maternity benefit.
when a man and his wife reach
90 years of z they are assured Of
tne old age pensions if they are
out Of employment.
The government even pays for the
divorces of poor people who could
not otherwise get legal relief.
The c plan Of pensions for all
At 90 is designed as n solution for
the unemployment problem. Nearly
l,25O,O00 people are out Of work IN
England today. The pension at So
idea is to force elder persons out Of
competitive employment TO make
room for younger people.
At the proposed pension OF $3.50
q week this new benefit will, when
put into effect, cost the government
sl,200,00 900 a year, rising TO a peak
Of s 1000. 000, 900 in 1886.
This plan, advanced by the Tories
n certain to have the support OF the
Liberal and Labor parties.
IL comes at n time when the gov
eminent has just discovered that II Is
SIPS. 250,000 in debt for "doies,' that
is, the amount contributed IN stamps
by workers and employers, which
totals about % cents a week for each
worker, toward the unemployment
IunQ. Is tnaL muCu SMUT
Some idea Of the immense drain
on the British treasury can be OBJ
tanned from official figures on the
various benefits.
So far in 1928 the relief given
under the poor law has gone 70
1884, individuals. n 1914 the
figure for the whole year was 4sl,-
900 persons. d.
There are at the present moment
10000 o persons in England OF the
w~age-earning class protected at the
expense of the government from IL
hath, accident. unemployment, OLD
age, life insurance imposed or FUR
nished by the state.
Each week more than ~1.l25,OOO
old age pensions are paid. This IN
rludes widows between the ages OF
e5 and 20, another class just recently
nut on the government payroll 70 the
extent Of about $3.50 a week Tor
each of them for the rest OF their
lives. There are nearly 45O,OOo per-
sons Of this class drawing govern
mental compensation.
Britain's bill for war pensions Is
also a heavy burden 10 the Exchequer.
One person out Of every twenty-slX
in England is drawing n war pension.
This makes a total 81 1.ee5.ooo in
diriduals who draw this kind Of re-
lief. .r
GERS or enough TO administer the
whole standing army Of the United
100 nurses. $4,000 men. 4os'oOo
widows and parents. 10000 wives
ard AL, 900 children.