Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/161

 PAUPERISM

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Scotland, and 205,317 in Ireland. Of these pensions, 889,783 were at the 55. rate, 19,805 at 4s., 19,351 at 3.s., 8,867 at 2s., and 4,354 at Is.

Pauperism.

There is a Poor Law, under a variety of statutes, applicable to the Three Kingdoms, by which paupers, under certain conditions, are to be relieved in their own houses or lodged in workhouses or poor-houses built for the purpose. The law is administered by the Local Government Board, through Boards of Guardians elected for the purpose. England and Wales, including the Me- tropolis and the municipal boroughs, are divided into 653 poorlaw unions, for each of which there is elected a Board of Guardians. In some cases the union consists of only one parish ; in others several are included according to popula- tion. In urban districts and in the Metropolis guardians are separately elected, but in rural districts the rural district councillors act as guardians for the parishes they represent on the district council. Guardians are elected on the same popular franchise as district councillors. Women are eligible. In every civil parish overseers are appointed whose duty it is to make and collect the poor rate. In urban districts, which include boroughs, the local authority raise and collect rates for local government purposes, but in rural districts and rural parishes the funds for this purpose are, as a general rule, taken from the poor-rate.

Amount expended in poor-relief for year ended March 25 for England and Ireland, and May 15 for Scotland. For Scotland, the amount includes expenditure on buildings and loans repaid and interest : —

Year

England & Wales Scotland

1899-1900 1904- 5 1908- 9 1909-10 1910-11

£ 11,567,649 13,851,981 14,717,098 14,849,498 15,023, 130

£ 1,141,660 1,402,354 1,512,414 1,551,584 1,565,041

Ireland

Total U.K.

£

£

1,125,110

13,834,419

1,253,355

16,507,690

1,358,800

17,588,312

1,330,769

17,731,851

1,320,729

17,908,900

\

The aggregate expenditure by local authorities in England and Wales, which is or dinarily classed as relating to the relief of the poor, during the period of 77 years ended March 25, 1911, was approximately 627,000,000?.

Statistics of paupers, England and Wales : —

t?

Indoor

Outdoor

Indoor and outdoor

Insane in County & Borough Asylums, Registered Hospitals,

and Licensed Houses

3

a a i-s -(J to

Adult able- bodied

All others i

Adult able- bodied

All others i

Total

Total 2 relieved

1900 38,662 1905 50,757

1910 59,759

1911 58,308

1912 ! 55,247

183,985 214,992 239, 457 240,569 233,828

61,058 81,932 75,109 74,575 71,319

447,459 493,681 469,341 424,445 345,651

731,164 845,362 843,666 797,897 706,045

72,207 83,816 93,076 94,985 96,883

803,247 924,630 935,738 891,807 801,881

1 Including casual paupers, who, on January 1, 1912, numbered: indoor, 9,294 and outdoor, 438 : also insane paupers (not in County and Borough asylums, registered hospitals, and licensed houses) who, on January 1, 1912, numbered: indoor, 19,575; and outdoor, 4,576.

^ Deductions being made for persons counted twice in the preceding columns.