The administration of the Old-Age Pensions Act was dis- cussed
in Committee on Monday on the Motion of Mr. Fell, who charged the Government with lack of foresight, and called attention to the anomalies revealed by the Irish statistics. These criticisms, endorsed by Mr. Davies from the Ministerial benches, were resented by Mr. Gwynn and other Nationalist Members, who contended that the Census Returns were untrustworthy, and that there was no ground to doubt the good faith of the °faiths. After Mr. Snowden had condemned the Board of Inland Revenue for its tyrannical and unjust action towards pension officers, Mr. Lloyd George replied to these criticisms at length. Dealing with their alleged at Of foresight, he declared that the only miscalculation Was that they had underestimated the popularity of the pensions But he could not accept Mr. Gwynn's defence of the Irish figures :is conclusive. A case for inquiry had been made out, and the investigations so far justified the belief that a good many of those whose dahlia had been acknowledged were not entitled to pensions. He described the exertions and sympathy of the pension officers as beyond all praise, and noted in reply to Mr. Snowden that they were to get £40,000 in gratuities, or about £20 each. Mr. Lloyd George enlarged in eloquent terms on the appalling amount of undisclosed poverty, especially in Ireland, brought to the notice of the pension officers. If the scheme had cost more money than the Government anticipated, the greatness cd the Cost showed the depth of the need. .
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