BRITISH POLITICS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9118, 18 June 1908, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

CABLE NEWS.

United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph Copyright.

OLD AGE PENSIONS. MR LLOYD-GEOKGE'S PROPOSALS. PRESS CRITICISM. Received June 17, 8.58 a.m. LONDON, June 17. Several newspapers criticise Mr Lluyd-George's tentative proposals for a sliding scale for pensions as evidence that tiie scheme was hurriedly prepared, and condemn ihe changes as swelling the total cost. "The Times" says the leak would be continually enlarged on the plea that there was distributable wealth in the country.

AN AMENDMENT DEFEATED. BILL READ A SECOND TIME. "THE EMBARRASSED STEPMOTHER." Received June 17, 10.35 p.m. LONDON, June 17. In the House of Commons. Mr Cox's amendment to the Pensions Bill was negatived by 417 to 29. I The Bill was then read a second time. Mr Walter Long, Conservative member for Dublin, County South, regretted the decision of the Government to apply the closure during consideration of the Bill, inasmuch as he considered the Bill was the most important measure, as far as social reforms were concerned, introduced since 1834. The best solution of the question would be a combination of the Government scheme with contributory provisions. If the German labourer contributed to a pension scheme, why could not the British? He added that the Government could consult the Friendly Societies' on the matter. Thos. Burt, Liberal member for Morpeth, warmly supported the Government. Mr A. J. Balfour sympathised with Mr Lloyd George as the embarrassed stepmother of the Bill. He complained that the Government were dealing in a fragmentary way with a small part of a large question—namely, the whole field of assistance to the poor.

Mr Harold Ccx, Liberal member for Preston, moved an amendment strongly supporting the institution of a contributory pension scheme on the German model. The closure is brought into operation by a member rising in his place and claiming to move "that the question be now put," although other members wish to speak. Such a motion appearing to the cliair to he fair,it is put, and, if carried, the motion before the House is decided at once without further debate. No fewer than 100 memberg must vote in the majority in support of the closure. The closure, or clotnre, as it was first called, was introJue-ri into th-j Hoi::; of Commons in IS-1 ns a mi-ans of dealing with obstruction. The regulations for its use have been changed f:um Urn. to Li.r.j.