21 DECEMBER 1907, Page 16

[TO THE EDITOR Or THE "SPECTATOR. "] SIR, — The letters you have

inserted on the subject of incomes and expenditure are most interesting, and I think extremely instructive. I fancy "A Bad Economist" must feel that his case excites small pity. You give in your last • issue

the experience of a (probably) English cleric. I give you that of an Irish one. I remark, en passant, that the Englishman does not state whether he has any one with whom he has now to share his present income, wife or child ? In my parish I have an old clergyman (retired from duty) living ; he has two daughters living with him, entirely dependent on him. His entire income is £150 a year, out of which he has to pay rent for his house and keep up a small insurance on his life. He keeps two servants, a man and a maid. He keeps a cow, for which, of course, lie has to pay grazing money, and he tells me he is not a farthing in debt. I think that is good management, equal to his brother Englishman, supposing that he has only himself to support, which may be assumed, as he says his children are all doing