POOR LAW EXPENDITURE.

[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."]

Sin,—With regard to your criticism in the Spectator of September 1st of my letters to the Times, I would be much obliged if you could permit me to lay the following before your readers. The tables of expenditure and ratios of. paupers to estimated population in the given years appear to be more extraordinary, if anything, than the figures in my letters to the Times.

That "pauperism "—we must differentiate nowadays between "pauper" and "poor "—is an hereditary product of bad and stupid laws I feel certain no earnest student of the Poor Law will deny ; and that it has brought into being a class of officials who also may be considered hereditary is unhappily equally true. I maintain that what we now know as " pauperism " is not only needless to any country, but menaces the very foundations of society itself. That the old folk, the children, the sick, and the insane should be the care of the State all must admit; but that able-bodied men and women should ho maintained out of the proceeds of the labour of others is absolutely repugnant to our sense of right and justice.

Year, Expenditure.

Ratio of Total N.e"rfauas

Npulation. Year. Expenditure.

Ratio of Total Roof Paupers

per 1,000 of Population.

1580 £188,811

1875

... 17,488,481

28* 1680 665,562

1876 7,335,858 26* 1698 819,000

1877 7,400,034 26* 1760 1,556,804

1878 7,688,650 2611 1785 2,184,950

1879 7,829,819 28*

1802 4,952,421

1880 8,015,010 27*

1815 5,418,84.5

1881 8,102,136 27'2

1820

7,329,594

1882 8,232,472 261 1830 8,111,422

1883 8,353,292 25'8 1835 6,356,345

1884 8,402,553 25'6 1840 5,468,699

1885 8,491,600 251 1845 5,543,650

1886 8,296,230 25'8 1853 6,522,412

18£7 8,176.768 25'7 1858 5,878,542 41/ 1888 8.440,821 25'2 1859 5,558,689 391 1889 8,366,477 241 1860 5,454,964 381 1890 8,434,345 2.39 1861 5,778,943 40'8 1891 8,643,318 22'2 1862 6,077,922 4.91 1892 8,847,678 221 1863 6,527,036 441 1893

9,217,514

23'6 1864 6,423,381 421 1894

9,673,505

23'1 1865 6,264,966 391 1895

9,866,60.5

23'0 1866 6,439,517 391 1896 10,215,974 23'1 1867 ... 6,959,840 411. 1897 10,432,189 22'8 1868 ... 7,498,059 42* 1898 10,828,276 22'2 1869 ... 7,673,109

421

1899 11,286,973 211 1870 ... 7,644.307

4P8

1900 11,567,649 20'9 1871 ...

7,886,724 391

1901 11,548,885 21'1

1872 ... 8,007,403 ... 341

1902 12,261,192 211

1873 ...

7,692,169 ...

321

1903 12,848,328 21'5 1874 ...

7,664,937

301

1904 13,369,494 221 The thirty-fourth Annual Report of the Local Government Board only carries us to 1904; the thirty-fifth is long overdue. Will Mr. Burns kindly note this?

PAUPERS RECEIVING RELIEF IN YEARS :—

...... ......... 1,637,523 1875 ... ...... ...... 1,002,475 1

1,087,985 1883 1,007,598 1,070,374 1888 1,031,527 1,279,499 Vagrants are not included in these figures. A statement has just

1849 1858 1862 1870

been issued which shows the number of paupers to date to be nearly one million. In the year 1858 there was, as we see, about the same number of paupers.

The cost in 1906 ... The cost in 1858 ...

Difference in cost in 1906 Sir, the above figures, which have been very carefully copied from the Reports, surely afford us much food for thought.

The Commissioners of 1834 concluded their Report thus :—"We have now recommended to your Majesty the measures by which we hope that the enormous evils resulting from the present mal- administration of the Poor Laws may be gradually remedied. It will be observed that the measures which we have suggested are intended to produce negative rather than positive effects ; rather to remove the debasing influences to which a large portion of the Labouring Population is now subject, than to afford new means of prosperity and virtue. We are perfectly aware that for the general diffusion of right principles and habits we are to look, not so much to any economic arrangements and regulations, as to the influence of a moral and religious education." May I opine that had the Commissioners relied more upon "economic arrangements," and less upon "the influence of a moral and religious education," for the "diffusion of right principles and habits" amongst the people, the history of the Poor Law might have been differently written since 1834? I most respectfully suggest to the Commissioners of 1905 that legislation in due time on severe economic lines is needed if "the root" of pauperism is to be extirpated.

... £15,000,000 ... 5,878,642 ... £9,121,458

Gawenhurst, Southchurch Beach, Essex.

P.S.—I have given the cost of pauperism for the year 1906 as £15,000,000. When the thirty-fifth Annual Report of the Local Government Board is issued from interim Reports that have been published, it will be found I am justified in putting the cost at that figure.

"[We cannot agree that pauperism is not to be attacked from the moral side. In our opinion, it is on this side that the evil should be dealt with.—En. Spectator.]