BRITISH POLITICS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9125, 26 June 1908, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

OLD AGu PENSIONS BILL. PROPOSED SLIDING SCALE. LABOUR MEMBERS' OBJECTIONS. Received June 25, 9 a.m. LONDON, June 24. During the debate on the Old Age Pensions Bill, Viscount Caatlereagh (Conservative) moved that pensions should not be paid at a fixed rate of live shillings, but according to means. Labour M's.P. energetically opposed this. Mr Henderson (chairman of the Labour party) declared that thousands of trade unionists and members of friendly societies hart mada provision to the extent of eleven shillings a week. That ought to entitle them to receive pensions of at least four shillings a week. The Labour party refused to accept any sliri.'nj scale contemplatirg a maximum income of from twelve shillings to thirteen shillings. The principle of a sliding scale found general acceptance in other quarters of the House, but there was considerable divergence of opinion respecting the scale itself.

Mr Lloyd-George stated that a scala ranging from incomes between ten shillirgs a week and fifteen shillings woulJ be too costly, but that the Government was considering a scale of between eight shillings and thirteen shillings. He advised the acceptance of the amendment as a declaration in favour of a sliding scale. The Labour party challenged a division. The amendment was carried by 334 to 118.