2 JULY 1910, Page 10

The Chancellor of the Exchequer wound up the debate in

a speech• which did not tend to increase the good feeling between the Nationalists and the Government. Incidentally, he mentioned that there were already between 800,000 and 900,000 people "actually receiving old-age pensions," and that after January 1st 240,000 more aged paupers would walk into, the post-office for their 5s. a week. Therefore after January 1st next there will be something like 1,100,000 persons in receipt of old-age pensions. If these figures are correct, the total charge for old-age pensions will not be the £12,000,000 we have referred to in our leading article, but £14,000,000 or over. The one thing that it seems safe to say about old-age pensions is that it is impossible to over- -estimate their cost.