Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/177

 1899.] Old Age Pensions. [169

recipient, and for the creation of a pension fund based on com- pulsory contributions from the working classes, they defined as the proper recipient of a pension any person applying who : (1) Is a British subject ; (2) is sixty-five years of age ; (3) has not within the last twenty years been convicted of an offence and sentenced to penal servitude or imprisonment without the option of a fine ; (4) has not received poor relief, except medical relief, unless under exceptionable circumstances during twenty years prior to the application for a pension ; (5) has been resident for not less than twelve months within the district of the pension authority ; (6) has not an income of more than 10«. per week from all sources ; (7) has endeavoured to the best of his ability by his industry or the exercise of reasonable providence to make provision for himself and those immediately dependent on him. The word " person " was to mean either man or woman. The committee further recommended : (1) That a pension authority should be established in each union of the country, to receive and to determine applications for pensions; (2) that the authority for this purpose should be a committee of not less than six or more than twelve members appointed by the guardians from their own number in the first instance ; (3) that the committee, when so appointed, should be independent of the board of guardians, with the addition of other members subject to regulations to be made by the Local Government Board, and that it is desirable that other public bodies within the area should be represented upon the committee, but so that a majority of the committee shall be members of the board of guardians ; (4) that the cost of the pensions should be borne by the common fund of the union, and that a contribution from imperial sources should be made to that fund in aid of the general cost of the poor-law administration, such contribution to be allocated not in proportion to the amount of such pensions but on the basis of population and not exceeding one half of the estimated cost of the pensions ; (5) that the amount of the pension in each district should be fixed at not less than 5s. or more than Is. a week, at the discretion of the committee, according to the cost of living in the locality, and that it should be paid through the medium of the Post Office ; (6) that the pension should be awarded for a period of not less than three years, to be renewed at the end of that period, but subject to withdrawal at any time by the pension authority, if in their opinion the circumstances should demand it. The dissentient minority on the committee consisted of Lord Edmund Fitz- maurice, Sir Walter Foster, Mr. Lecky, and Mr. Cripps, and it was understood of these Mr. Lecky recommended that any action taken by Parliament should be upon the lines of poor-law reform. There was no question of immediate legislation on the matter, and it was generally understood that the committee had been appointed to postpone rather than to hasten discussion of a thorny question.