380 BRITAIN FOR THE BRITON 



a few months ago, but of wliich he is now heartily ashamed. 

 "What justification can there possibly be for a legislative 

 measure which unequivocally plunders the tax-payers to cover 

 the default of present and past Governments ? The people of 

 this country had, and have, a perfect right to an Old Age 

 Pension scheme of so comprehensive a nature as to provide 

 literally for every case in the country, and that this scheme 

 has not been in operation is a standiug disgrace to every 

 Government for the last three or four decades. But that fact 

 does not, and cannot, justify the present Government — in its 

 tardy awakening to the necessities of the position — in thrusting 

 a piece of Class Legislation on the country which robs one 

 section of the community of six to eight millions annually, 

 in addition to their other burdens, to support another section. 



There is not a man in the kingdom who objects to the 

 fundamental principle upon which all taxation is founded, 

 namely, that the national cesses should fall upon the rich 

 and not upon the poor; but this is just a particular case 

 which proves the exception to the rule. Every man, whatever 

 his position, should make provision for sickness atid old age, 

 and if he fails to do so — given the chance — he is neither a true 

 man nor a worthy citizen. Bismarck gave the German people 

 the chance twenty odd years ago, and they availed themselves 

 of it to an extent that to-day £34,000,000 annually are 

 paid out of the German Pension funds in Old Age and Sick 

 pensions. The German scheme is Conteibutory, the w^ork- 

 people and employers subscribing upwards of — One-third 

 each, and the state subvention amounting to — less than 

 One-third. 



The question the British tax-payers are deeply interested 

 in is this — " "Why did the Liberal-Piadical Government, having 

 the splendid example of the German scheme as a guide, devise 

 a Pension scheme for Great Britain which is as predatory in 

 its nature as were some of the autocratic enactments of the 

 Plantagenet kings ? " The answer is obvious — " Because ihey 

 wcmted to conciliate the Lahour Party and the Socialists." 



The famous epigram of Horace, paraphrased as under, fits 

 the present Government. 



" Make political capital, honestly if you can ; if not, by whatever 

 means you can, make capital." 



The most significant feature of this miserable piece of 

 legislation is that after it was made law and the tax-payers 

 robbed of their millions, Mr. Lloyd-George was seized with 

 a desire to visit Germany for the avowed object of studyinfj 

 the Germwii Old A(je rension sy stern. The public would 



