1899.] Mr. Chamberlain on Old Age Pensions. [109
Among the charges most persistently brought by Badical writers and speakers against Mr. Chamberlain was his altered attitude in office towards the question of old-age pensions. By the Badical Press he was accused of something worse than treachery, and was accused of having won his own and many other seats at the general election by promises which he had taken no steps to fulfil. The hasty appointment of another commission on the subject just before Parliament adjourned was taken as only a device to postpone still further the settlement of the question, and to relieve the Government, and especially Mr. Chamberlain, from the necessity of proposing a definite scheme. Mr. Chamberlain was keen enough to appreciate the hostile attitude of the Opposition, and probably therefore seized with satisfaction upon the opportunity offered him by a deputation of the Oddfellows' Conference in session at Birming- ham (May 24) to express his views upon the problem before the public. The advantages which the great friendly societies had conferred on the country were well known, but he would venture to point out two defects. The great societies had caused a number of weaker imitations to spring np which were financially unsound. The great reason for deficits at present was the unexpected extent of the demand for old-age sickness, which in many cases amounted to almost a permanent pension. Under existing circumstances — "either you must increase your sub- scriptions or you must throw out of benefit numbers of men who are thoroughly deserving of it, who have entered the society in the expectation that they would obtain it, and who would be much disappointed, and would consider they had a right to regard themselves wronged, if they did not obtain it. If you really passed a resolution urging Government to secure a pension, say of 5s. per week, for every man and woman who reaches the age of sixty years, then I tell you frankly that you will have no assistance from me to secure a result which I believe to be absolutely impracticable, and which, even if it were practicable, would be most mischievous and undesirable in the interests of all friends of thrift." A pension of 5s. a week for people of sixty years of age and upwards would cost 34,000,0001. per annum, and would necessitate a great increase of taxation. Even were that difficulty got over, such a proposal would do more harm than good, for it would mean one gigantic scheme of out-door relief for everybody, good and bad, thrifty and unthrifty, for the wastrel and drunkard and the idle man, as well as the industrious workman : " We must have some test. The one test I have always advocated is that a man through his working life should have contributed to a friendly society. . . . Borne was not built in a day, and we are not going to have old age pensions in a week ; but I have never given up my own faith that the thing is right in itself — that it is necessary and desirable — and that it may be so worked out as to contribute to thrift, and not to discourage it.
