CONSCRIPTS OF ADVERSITY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 320, 21 February 1910, Page 3

CONSCRIPTS OF ADVERSITY.

In spite of the operation of the Oldage Pensions Act, the growth of pauperism in London proceeds apace (wrote a London correspondent last month). During 1909 the proportion of people in receipt of Poor Law relief in and out of the workhouses of the metropolis was on the average about twenty-five in every thousand, and the pauper army of London mustered from 118,000 to ,«r 000. Ten years ago the average Tate per thousand was barely twentytwo, and the army of "conscripts of adversity" numbered on the average throughout the year less than 100,000. London pauperism is a very variable quantity. At the end of the year 1908 —the middle of a winter that produced a fearful amount of distress—l3o,ooo people were in receipt of relief in all districts comprised in the metropolis area. The number rose steadily throughout January until it reached 133,226 the high-water mark for the year, and for any year since the early seventies of last century. In the months ensuing there was a small gradual diminution, but at the end of March the figure was still over 130,000.

' In April the figures began to show a I substantial diminution, and a steady and I progressive decrease obtained until at 1 the end of June the number was 118,127. Towards the end of July the lowest I total was recorded, namely, 116,504. Thenceforward the total commenced to rise s'teadilv, until at the end of December—in spite of the winter's mild, open weather and improving trade conI ditions —the number of recipients of re- ! lief aggregated over 120,000, or rather' over twenty-six per thousand of population. Of this number over 81,500 were in the workhouse and infirmary's of the metropolis, as against 66,100 in 11900, whilst nearly 44,600 were in re(ceipt of outdoor relief, as against 37,000 ten years ago. As' the average cost per .head to the rates of indoor and outdoor paupers is prooably nearly £27 per j annum, the terrible burden London has 1 to shoulder in this connection easily !be seen. As a matter of fact, the total expenditure 011 Poor Lav. relief in the j metropolitan area at the present time /does not fall far short of £3,700,000 per annum. Over the whole of England iand Wales the total number of paupers of all classes' closely approximates a j million, or about one in every 37 of the I entire population, and the total cost of j the relief is over 14y a millions sterling,' lor about 8s 6d per head per annum of the estimated population.