STRIKING FIGURES.
But while there are no signs of retrenchment on the part of the Government, it is fortunately possible to dis- cover a growing determination on the part of the com- munity to demand economy, and this tendency is likely to receive a further stimulus from the official figure* published during the past week, giving details of the growth in outlays for public social services over a series of years. Since the year preceding the War our total National Expenditure has risen from about £200,000,000 to £833,000;000, and, apart from the Debt service itself, the most appalling increase is in these social outlays, while not the least disturbing factor is the manner in which these have tended to advance during the last four years. It is shown that these outlays for social services have increased during the past twenty-five years from about £32,000,000 to something like £310,000,000, and the increase during the-last few years is the more remarkable because in one direction, namely, -War Pensions, there has been a great reduction. Thus, .for example, in 1921 £91,000,000 figured for disbursements under the War Pensions Act, but for 1927 the estimated total is only £54,250,000. Yet, in spite of the big saving in this direc- tion, we find a huge increase in the last six years in other - items of social outlays. Thus, under the head of Health Insurance there is an increase of nearly £9,000,000, under- the - head of Widows' and Orphans' Pensions an increase of £5,000,000, in Unemployment Insurance an increase of £6,500,000, and in ordinary Old Age Pensions an increase of over £2,500,000. Education, which in 1891 figured • at £10,000,000, in 1901 amounted to £17,000,000, and in 1911 to £29,000,000, while it now stands at over £80,000,000. Moreover, notwithstanding all the various insurance funds, the amount under the - head of Poor Relief has risen from £8,450,000 in 1891 and £11,500;000 in 1901 to over £40,000,000 in the year 1926. To meet this coloSsal ekpansion taxation h is had to be imposed on a scale which has so hampered industry that we are not only suffering almost more than any other country. from unemployment, but are _finding it difficult Many industries to hold our own against foreign competition.
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