20 JUNE 1908, Page 2

As to the pauper disqualification, he could only plead that

they were making a beginning, and a real beginning. It was

impossible to include paupets in the scheme till they had first of all dealt with the problem of the Poor Law, and could have a logical and complete scheme. "As we cannot have that, I would rather begin with an incomplete scheme, and do some thing,for the five hundred and seventy-two thousand persons outside the Poor Law. Do not let them wait till the Com- mission reports. Let tut that!) a start, and when tve get the Report we can include all those who under its recommenda- tions should be treated as pensioners rather than as paupers." Moreover, it was obviously impossible to include pauperd, because that would involve an addition of nearly four millions to the cost of the scheme. We should much like to know which of these two is Mr. Lloyd George's real reason. What he says

is in effect this We cannot include paupers, in the first place, because we have not got the Report of the Commission, and, in the second place, we would not include them if we had and could, because it would cost too much."