On Monday the Times published its annual review of pauperism
in London. The statistics show that the amount of both indoor and outdoor relief has been decreasing during the last part of the year, and that at present the total number of paupers is four thousand five hundred and seven- teen lower than it was last Christmas. Although this reduc- tion is partly due to the improvement in trade conditions, the writer in the Times attributes it chiefly to the fact that the Local Government Board has given the Guardians an opportunity for a wider application of the " Workhouse Test." It must be remembered that much of the relief which was formerly given by the destitution authority is now given in a veiled form by other local authorities or by the State. The feeding of children by the education authority must also be considered in estimating the total amount of poor relief. On the whole, therefore, the conclusions to be drawn from the statistics are not as hopeful as might be imagined.
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