On Friday, February 24th, Mr. Gladstone's Government made two very
important declarations. In regard to Mr. Barrow's motion for equalising the rates throughout the Metropolis, they announced their intention of bringing in legislation to effect the end desired. In principle, this decision must be pronounced just. The rates in the eighty-four different parishes of London sometimes differ by 3s.—in Mile End they are 6s. 11d, in the 21, and in St. James's only 4s. 2d.—which is obviously unfair, since the poorer the inhabitants of the parish, the higher the rate. We trust, however, that in their new scheme the Government will take care that the help given by the rich to the poor districts, is given in such a way as not to encourage lavish expenditure. The problem is a difficult one, because London is too big to be treated as one area like Birmingham or Manchester. The other decision was that arrived at on Sir Richard Temple's motion pledging the House to establish "a national State-aided system of superannuation for the school teachers. Though the Chancellor of the Ex- chequer stated that it would involve a capital charge of 225,000,000 to carry out Sir Richard Temple's proposal, he virtually accepted the motion, which, like that on London rating, was carried unanimously. As the teachers will con- tribute towards their pensions, and as we are fully committed to the expenses of education being borne by the State, and as,. too, it would doubtless be a great evil to have the fifty thousand teachers unprovided for in old age, it is impossible to oppose the scheme ; but, at the same time, we greatly regret every extension of State pensions.
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