A conference was held on Monday afternoon at Lambeth Palace,
under the presidency of the Archbishop of Canter- bury, to consider how far the National Church can interfere to relieve the respectable poor, when they are past work, from the severe conditions of the existing Poor-Law. Practically it resolved itself into a conference on the best means of providing old-age pensions for the aged poor who had lived a life entitling them to the respect of the community; and it ultimately resolved on the appointment of an influential committee to investigate the subject. Mr. Rudolf said that of the paupers over sixty years of age, at least 40 per cent., or not far short of half, are worthy of a better fate than to be obliged to conform themselves to the severe conditions of the Poor-Law. The Bishop of London denied that average workmen could, as a rule, lay money by for their old age out of wages such as are now given, and it would be impossible to require capitalists, in the present state of commercial competition, to pay such wages as would leave a margin for the purpose of providing against old age. Canon Blackley proposed a scheme which would require local com- mittees to be formed by the churches in every parish, who would investigate the characters of the local poor, and under- take to find is. 6d. a week for every respectable person who was beyond work, and these local committees would then apply to the Central Church Committee for another is., and the 2s. 6d. a week thus obtained should be subsidised by statute with another 2s. 6d., which would raise the life annuity to one of 5s. a week,—a sufficient sum to keep the aged poor in tolerable comfort. And, of course, on any evidence of misconduct or abuse, the local committee could strike the name of the misconducted person off the list, so that thenceforward he would fall back on the strict Poor-Law. All this requires a great Christian effort, a great effort locally, a great central fund raised by the churches, and, finally, an Act of Parliament to supplement and complete it. Canon Blackley's scheme would do as well as any other, if there be the energy and sell-sacrifice ready to hand in the various Christian churches, and not still more urgently needed for other ends.
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