On Friday week the House of Commons discussed the second
reading of Mr. Hayes Fisher's Bill for amending the Old-age Pensions Act, and Mr. Hobhouse took the opportunity of sum- marizing the chief points in the Bill that the Government are about to introduce with the same object. The necessary period of residence in England before the pension is granted is to be reduced from twenty years to twelve, with additional concessions in some cases. A pension is to be given to a husband even if his wife has been in receipt of poor relief. When the punishment of imprisonment was inflicted without the option of a fine, the period of disqualification would no longer be necessarily ten years, but might be reduced at the Court's discretion. Finally, accumulated property would be dealt with on annuity terms upon a 10 per cent. basis. The accumulation of £300 would thus not deprive a person of a pension, though it might reduce it ; while the accumulation of £200 would still allow him the full amount. These concessions, even if reasonable per se, must inevitably still further increase the total cost of the pensions, which already amount annually to thirteen and a half millions.
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