Mr. Lloyd George next declared that there was a good
deal to be said in favour of a sliding-scale. It was working very well in New Zealand, and the House would find that the Government would not resist that proposal very strenuously so long as the sliding-scale did not increase substantially the charges on the Exchequer.—On Thursday Mr. Lloyd George set forth to a deputation the form of sliding-scale he is willing to adopt.—Dealing with the cost of the scheme, Mr. Lloyd George pointed out that if five hundred and seventy-two thousand persons—the estimated number—were pensioned, the cost in round figures would be 2'7,500,000. Reduction in respect of married couples would be neutralised by the cost of administration, which would probably be about £250,000. He optimistically expressed his belief, however, that in the first year or two the scheme would not cost rpore than £6,000,000. , He must warn the House that the figures were elastic. Generally he expressed a wish that the House should realise " that at the present moment, even if the Bill passed without a single alteration, the commitment of the Treasury was a possible commitment of seven and a half millions." As to the age test, he held out hopes that when the Government came, as they would in the near future, to deal with the problem of infirmity, they would consider the question of the broken-down man of sixty-seven and sixty-eight who is left to charity. His final answer to the proposal to reduce the limit from seventy to sixty-five was that it would coat more. " That is my answer for the moment."
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