OLD AGE PENSIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8142, 26 June 1906, Page 4

OLD AGE PENSIONS.

SCENE IN THE COMMONS. The subject of old age pensions gavs occasion lor assertions and sharp denials in the House of Commons the other day. Mr Chamberlain was criticising the Budget, and in the course of his speech he said he was quite prepared to accept the view of the right, hon. gentleman that we must wait for the sensational Budget uutiljsuch time as tiie right hon. gentleman had had time to make himself acquainted with the simple facts of the case; but it followed trom that that the right, hon. gentleman was not acquainted with the simple facts of the case at the time when he and his colleagues were, offering tremendous temptations to the country. (Opposition cheers.) "What temptationsP" interrupted Mr Asquith. "I ga.her from the attitude of Ministerialists," said Mr Chamberlain, "they suggest that I was the first to offer such a temptation, I defy them to prove that I ever, in the whole course of my political life, made any promise of old-age pensions. (Loud Ministerial laughter, and " Oh, Oh.") Whenever 1 had the opportunity of dealing exhaustively with this subject [ said that no such promise could be honestly made by anyone who was acquainted with the facts of the case. (Renewed Ministerial laughter.) All I had done in reference to this matte 1 was to express my own sense of the necessity of enabling the industrious working people to make a better provision for old age, and I have put before the working people two plans in particular, which I have said to be, and I maintain are, perfectly simple—which are within the reach of the working > classes, which are practical schemes i which could be considered by the pre- ' sent House of Commons. Those plans [ have nothing in the nature of a pro- : posal for universal old-age pensions, ■ which, I believe, is impracticable from , the point of view of its expense, and

which I believe is immoral and unde. sirable from tlie point of view of its influence on thrift and industry." (Opposition cheers). In the course of his reply, Mr Asquith said: "I won't go into the right hon. gentleman's audacious digression on the subject of old-age pensions. He tells us, not for the first time, that he never promised old-age pensions. The last time ho interrupted me when I was speaking by saying he did not promise them—he only proposed them." "il won't accept that," interposed Mr Chamberlain. " I think it is corroborated by what he has told us to-day," replied Mr Asquiih. " Well, old age pensions," replied Mr Chamberlain, amid loud Ministerial laughter. Mr Asquith expressed dissent. " Does the right hon. gentleman say that neither he nor his friends ever offered the temptation of old age pensions ?" demanded Mr Chamberlain.

" I never did," said the Chancellor of the Exchequer. "Then the right hon. gentleman does not share the views of the hon. members below the gangway," retorted Mr Chamberlain. " I can refer the right hon. gentleman for my views on the subject to a speech which I made in this House about a month ago.