Report of the Royal Commission on the Aged Poor, appointed to consider whether any alterations in the system of Poor Law Relief are desirable, in the case of persons whose destitution is occasioned by incapacity for work resulting from old age, or whether assistance could otherwise be afforded in those cases. Vols I - III [Minutes of evidence taken before the Royal Commission on the Aged Poor. Days 1 to 26. Vol. II.-- Minutes of evidence taken before the Royal Commission on the Aged Poor. Days 27 to 48. With appendix and index. Vol. III.].

Great Britain. Royal Commission on the Aged Poor

Date:: 1895

Credit: Report of the Royal Commission on the Aged Poor, appointed to consider whether any alterations in the system of Poor Law Relief are desirable, in the case of persons whose destitution is occasioned by incapacity for work resulting from old age, or whether assistance could otherwise be afforded in those cases. Vols I - III [Minutes of evidence taken before the Royal Commission on the Aged Poor. Days 1 to 26. Vol. II.-- Minutes of evidence taken before the Royal Commission on the Aged Poor. Days 27 to 48. With appendix and index. Vol. III.]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

1201/1212 page 1047

STATE PENSIONS : General Eemaeks—cont. Mr. FOTHESGILL. Any pension scheme should be wholly independent of poor law, 2867 ; State aid is outdoor relief under another name, 2868. Mr. G-ABDINER. Voluntary charity only proper mode of meeting deserving, 4100-3, 4122. Mr. Gkout. No scheme should include well-to-do, 13,156 ; thinks State servants have no more right to pension than other workers, 13,177-85. For particulars of Mr. Grout's own scheme, see Analysis of Evidence. Mr. Hambmn. State pensions would discourage thrift. 3417; self- supporting scheme would not be used, 3418. Mr. Hardy . Insurance possible if begun early enough, 11,689; compulsory insurance impossible, 11,692; State subsidy to friendly societies mischievous, 11,692. Rev. R. Hart. State pensions not looked for in Dunmow district, 12,142-2. Mr. Hedlby. Compulsory insurance impossible, 1580-4 : casual labour class unable to contribute towards pension fund, 1422-31: inmates of workhouses would not have insured voluntarily, 1922-31, 1605-13 : 5s. a week pension insufficient by itself for old person, 1284-7; workhouse would be soon found better, 1285, 1293-4. Miss Hill. Objects to any State aid of thrift, which should be left to voluntary effort, 10,471-2, 10,544-6, 10,562, 10,572-3, 10,609-18, 10,661-3; evils of raising false hopes of State aid, 10,513: pensions for Government servants really a form of pay: approves of them, 10,547-53, 10,704-8; pen- sion funds helped by employers similar, 10,703-4: Canon Blackley's insurance scheme, 10,612 : Metropolitan District Relief Association to subsidise thrift, failure of, 10,469. Canon Hinds Howell. State pensions as an addition to outdoor relief, 7953, 7956-7. 806^6. Mr. Jephcott. Feeling in favour of pension scheme among working classes, 14,588,14,665-7,14,689-91,14,718-9,14,736- 7, 14,810-1, 14,819-20: young men anxious to provide for age, 14,595-8; desire a growing one, 14,597-8, 14,812; payment of taxes, &c. a contribution for pension, 14,725-34; pensions would not lower wages, 14,673-6. Mr. McDouGAiL. Danger of relatives getting State pensions, 5091; would hinder his private work, 5092; power of refusal at discretion essential, 5104-8. Mr. McNeill. State-aided pensions, with contributions, would not meet pauper class, 9591-4, 9703-7 : unaware of opinion of working classes on subject, 9685: adverse view of inspector with large experience, as being pauperising out-relief, 9770-1. Mr. Mackay. State pensions generally: discouraging to thrift, 9990-7,10,043; hurtful to benefit societies, 9994; distinguished from deferred pay pensions, 9927, 9987-9, 10,030-1: work does not give claim for State aid, 9839-42 : STATE PENSIONS : General Remarks—com*. rate aid of thrift [Mr. Bartley's scheme] ; oljjections to; difficulty of defining thrifty for a stiitutory right, and spread of pauperism and bad clubs; charity should aid thrift, 9813-20. Lord Methoen. State pensions are opposed to self-liolp; disapproved by experienced guardians, 5553-5, 6655-9. 5763^. Sir H. Owen. Principle of State pensions similar to out-relief, 482-4, 559-62, 565: pensions of civil servii-nts are deferred pay, 562— Dr. Paine. Contributory pensions desirable, but difficult, 5384-5. Rev. L. R. Phelps. Disapproves of State pensions as uncalled for, 3960-1: public aid more injurious than charity, 4003-4,4034-5, 4043; except in serious disease, 4005- 6: deferred pay and State relief distinguished, ■1035-43. Mr. Pickering. State-aided pensions desired by miners, 16,422-5, 16,428-38, 16,4^1-7 ; with contributions according to earnings, 16,422, 16,444-6 ; to bo stopped fi om wages at place of work, 16,424-^5 ; to be com- pulsory, 16,422-6; to be supplemented from ta.xes or rates by State, 16,428-36 ; amount of pensi(m to be uniform, 16,441-3, 16,447. Mr. Stead. Equitable'' pension scheme approved by High Court of Foresters, 12,422, 12,438-10, 12,542 ; no scheme at present suggested equitable, 12,438, 12,449-50: objections of friendly societies to either State aid or assistance from the rates, 12,551; to an}' Govern- ment interference, 12,429-30, UJM: insurance schemes unpopular, 12,548-50. Mr. Steele. State-aided j^ensions would encourage self-liel}^, 9188, 9354--5; would not injure miners' relief fund, 9393-4. Mr. Yallance. State support demoralising to character, 2614, 2618- 9 ; disapproves assisted pensions, 2550-62. Mr. Watson. Compulsory insurance unsatisfactory, 11,369, 11,499, 11,524: State provision, if at all, should be without contribu- tion, on lines of Mr. Booth, M)-. Hardy, or Mr. Probyn, 11,369, 11,498-501, 11,525-31: not a judge as to propriety of State provision by taxation, 11,370, 11,503; might be thonglit vi- carious compulsion, 11,530-1 ; cannot foi'ccast effect of subsidised insurance on friendly societies, 11,573-6. Mr. Webb. Provision for old age needed, 15,195-8; pensions better than poor law relief, 15,222, 15,23!'. Rev. J. P. Wilkinson. Discussion of pensions has caused more humnne ad- ministration, 5792 ; provision for old age the busi- ness of the State, 5835, 6082-85, 6111; endowment preferable to insurance, 5848, 6053. WAGES AND Economic Conditions of the Working Classes. Mr. H. Allen. Three types of working men, 16,545 ; skilled artisans needing no help in age, 16,545, 16,555-6; honest but less educated and morally strong. 16.547, 16,558, 16,741-3; loafers and corner-men, 16,449- 50, 16,572-3, 16,639-41, 16,739-40: wages, rent, &c., 16,701-6; immigrants lowering wages, 16,572-3 ; hard to get work after 55 in Bir- mingham fancy trades ; 16,576 ; causes. 16,622-3: 3 U 3

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