Sir Edward Brabrook read a valuable paper on old-age pensions
before the Society of Arts on Wednesday night. As the Chancellor of the Exchequer had only two and a quarter millions at his disposal, such a scheme as that sug- gested by the Select Committee of the Commons in 1899, and costing eleven millions, was not yet within the range of practical politics. The only practical proposal, according to the lecturer, was that put forward by Lord Avebury, Sir Alfred Lyall, Sir Arthur Clay, Sir W. Chance, Mr. Bailward; Mr. T. Mackay, and himself. This was both contributory and discriminatory, though in a different sense from that hitherto attributed to the latter word, for in this case the discrimination would be exercised by the person who was to be entitled to the pension, and not by any other person, whether officer of State, Guardian of the Poor, inspector of police, or anything else.
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