Spiritual Evolution of Society 187 



improved, of preventive medicine, sanitation, town 

 planning, old age pensions, and state insurance. These 

 latter measures, of the utmost beneficence, have been 

 classed together as State Socialism. This term is 

 intended by those who use them to pour contempt on 

 this policy. Let us consider for a moment the objec- 

 tions raised in opposition to the Old Age Pension Act 

 when introduced. It proceeded, of course, from the 

 rich man, not necessarily the immensely rich : by the 

 rich man we mean the tax-payer. We were told that 

 the great principle of thrift would be destroyed ; we 

 were attacking the independence of the poor and 

 pauperising the working classes, and shattering the 

 foundation of society by the negation of the sense of 

 duty of children towards their aged parents, by pre- 

 venting the former from manifesting their affection by 

 maintaining the latter when too feeble to earn their 

 own livelihood. It is fortunately unnecessary now to 

 combat such arguments, and one only need be dealt 

 with to show the fallacy of all. We ask : Is it possible 

 for a married man with a family of his own, with wages 

 insufficient for his own wants, and thus himself living 

 below the poverty line, to maintain his aged parents ? 

 It is, of course, an utter impossibility; and when 

 attempted the only result was to increase the sum of 

 human misery. The fact remains, after scientific 

 examination of the effect of this measure, that by the 

 removal of the stigma of pauperism alone, and the 

 consequent ability of aged couples to remain in their 

 own dwellings and keep outside the dreaded workhouse, 

 it can be stated without fear of contradiction that it 

 has done more to increase the sum of human happiness 

 than any other legislation of modern times. This act 

 became law through the operation in men's minds of 

 the altruism of Christian ethics ; it may not have been 

 carried by the votes of members who were adherents of 



