OLD-AGE PENSIONS.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR:]
SIR,—May I mention one or two cases where people in fairly comfortable circumstances have made successful applications
for pensions ? What you predicted would happen has already taken place. I may say that, although I am not personally acquainted with the people concerned, my friend who gave me the details has known them intimately for many years, and, as be is a supporter of the present Government, he cannot reasonably be suspected of being hypercritical towards the measure which is supposed to bring them the greatest amount of credit.
My first reference is to a family of four persous,—a farmer, his wife, a son about sixteen years of age, and the farmer's mother. The number of acres farmed is about seventy, and as the rent is moderate and the landlord not a bard man, a good living has been, and still is, easily made. In such circumstances it was the farmer's duty, and should have been his pleasure, to make provision fur his mother's wants. The temptation put in his way by the Pensions Act, however, appears to have been stronger than any filial feeling towards his aged. parent, and after January let the " burden " of her maintenance will to a large degree be shifted to other shoulders.
Not far from this family there lives another, consisting of husband, wife, and daughter. The last-named has an annuity of 250, which, together with the profits derived front keeping three cows, about a hundred head of poultry, pigs, Stc., have enabled these three persons to live in comfort. It now appears that the entire stock belongs to the daughter, although nobody ever suspected that such was the case before, and the father is only the " manager " at a salary of some few shillings weekly. Both he and his wife are hale and strong, and have made successful applications for pensions. When speaking to my friend about the matter, the old man frankly said : "Of course, we don't really want the money, but we thought that if we could get it for the asking, we may as well have it."
A third case is that of a man and his sister who have been living together for many years. The sister is a farmer's widow ; she has no children, does not carry on any business, and is posseseed of ample means,—her property, according to local opinion, being worth some 23,000. Her brother, who has always had loafing tendencies, was one of the first to apply for a pension, and when the sister was appreached on the subject, she expressed her willingness to continue to provide her brother with a home and food; "but," she said, "when he wants money for drink he must get it himself." Up till now, when this man has wanted drink be has had to earn the money to buy it, and the length and frequency of his carousals have been determined by the amount of work done. In his ease it is not difficult to say what will happen as a consequence of getting five shillings a week for doing nothing. In all probability it will bring about his
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