Before the Trade-Union Congress broke up on Saturday last it
passed a resolution, on the motion of Mr. Barnes, to the following effect:—
"In view of the fact that the question of old-age pensions has been prominently before the country for many years, and that at the recent General Election the great majority of the present Members of Parliament definitely pledged themselves to support, a pension scheme, this Congress expresses its dissatisfaction at the failure of the Government to establish such scheme during. the past Session of Parliament. It further condemns the, Government for surrendering national income by relieving Income-tax payers of a million and a quarter of revenue during the present year which might and should have been devoted to pension purposes. It therefore demands that the Chancellor of the Exchequer shall make provision in his next Budget for the commencement on January 1st, 1909, of the payment of pensions of not less than bs. per Week to all persons of sixty years of age and upwards. And finally the Congress further instructs the Parliamentary Committee to initiate—and invite the co-operation. of Labour Members of Parliament to conduct—a vigorous, campaign throughout the country during the ensuing winter months with a view of securing the immediate solution Of this urgent social problem."
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