Poverty and Inequality
1944-10 1944 1940s 29 pages 23 is so seriously disabled that he is unemployable. They are only payable in respect of children already born at the time of discharge, (or in the case of civilians, of injury) or within nine months of that date. Similarly no wife's allowance is paid in the cas...
| Institution: | MCR - The Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick |
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| Language: | English English |
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London : C. W. Publishing Ltd.
October 1944
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10796/B18CFFFC-1955-4DC2-8D2B-3B928D08ED42 http://hdl.handle.net/10796/40D3B0F0-1991-4C19-AAE1-1D66D0FB62ED |
| Summary: | 1944-10
1944
1940s
29 pages
23 is so seriously disabled that he is unemployable. They are only payable in respect of children already born at the time of discharge, (or in the case of civilians, of injury) or within nine months of that date. Similarly no wife's allowance is paid in the case of a marriage after discharge or injury. Thus a young single man partially disabled by war service is further penalised by financial inability to lead a normal family life. Nowhere are social distinctions more marked than in the matter of widows' pensions. The widows of officers are not expected to work, and are paid their pensions unconditionally. The widows of other ranks are expected to work if they can ; if they are under 40, have no dependent children, and are judged to be capable of earning, they are paid at a lower rate than others. Pensions for Widows. Widow of:— Widow of:— Over 40 or with children or incapable of self support. Under 40 without children, and able to earn. Yearly £ Field Marshal 700 General 540 Weekly. Weekly. Lieut-General 440 Major-General 330 s. d. s. d. Brigadier 290 Warrant Officer, Cl. 1 38 0 28 4 Colonel 230 Warrant Officer, Cl. 2 37 0 26 8 Lieut.-Colonel 210 Staff Sergeant 36 0 25 0 Major 180 Sergeant 35 0 23 4 Captain 165 Corporal 34 0 21 8 Subaltern 150 Private 32 6 20 0 VII. — HOW POVERTY CAN BE ABOLISHED. We have seen enough of the facts of poverty in this pamphlet to know that bad education, bad food, bad health, and bad housing are not being abolished under the existing economic system. The truth is that they cannot be, for the abolition of poverty is bound up with the common ownership of the country's wealth. Common Wealth's opponents sometimes choose to believe that our aim is to confiscate all property, and from the proceeds to pay every one as far as possible an equal income. This, they point out, would mean not common wealth, but common poverty. And they are right — if no other changes are made as well. But Common Wealth's policy is not just to redistribute money incomes. We have seen that the problem of dealing with poverty is to provide everyone with a good home, first class education, good food, and other necessities. Now, under capitalism, this cannot be done on an adequate scale; the answer is simply "We can't afford it" — a cry which has been raised already even in the face of such moderate reforms as the new Education Act and the proposal for a National Health Service. For as long as industry is dependent on private investment, taxation cannot be increased beyond
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| Physical Description: | TEXT |