Sir: Mr O'Hanlon's letter properly draws atten- tion again—it cannot
be done too often—to those who were deprived of an old age pension on the grounds that they were too old. ,
May I now add a word for those widows whose husbands failed to make the small contribution that was payable voluntarily, and who receive no widow's pension. no- old age pension, nothing? Only a British Socialist government could claim that its action in denying these old people a pen- sion was based on consideration of the ccntribu- tory principle; only British Socialists could be so hypocritical and unfeeling. The curiously named non-contributory pension depends upon a means test. the working of which I have seen close at hand. It is too much to hope for, but one could wish fervently that the members of this Govern.- ment might one day be subjected to it in its present form.
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