Old Age Pensions.

There is another matter which I feel convinced must form an item in the democratic programme of the future, and that is some well considered scheme whereby the stigma of pauperism may be removed from the exhausted veterans of industry at the close of a long life. A system of old age pensions is not only economically justifiable and financially possible, but it is the best expedient to preserve and develop a feeling of independent citizenship among our people even in the declining years of life. (Hear, hear.) I am not prepared to go into any details) as time does not permit, but there are several schemes now before the European world, any one of which is, I think, practicable, and it is for us to page 11 consider whether the fund should be created by a small weekly deduction from wages or by a grant from the consolidated revenue obtained by a tax.