9.6 ASPECTS OF OLD AGE PENSIONS. 



THE COMPOSITION OF A NORMAL POPULATION. 



A normal population in a civilised State at the present 

 time consists of : — 



1. Independent breadwinners. 



2. Semi-independent wives and other relatives en- 



gaged in the domestic duties of the household. 



3. Dependent children, and helpless and infirm rela- 



tives. 



4. Friendless and helpless poor, young and old, main- 



tained by breadwinners through the medium of 

 State taxation. 



The following abstract, taken from the analysis of 

 "Occupations of the People" in Tasmania at the last census, 

 aiffords a clearer notion of the character and relative num- 

 ber of these important groups per 10,000 of the popular 

 tion : — 



Composition and Relative Proportion of the Four Great 

 Divisions of the People. 



(Per 10,000 persons.) 



(A.) INDEPENDENT BREADWINNERS. 



(a) Rendering personal and immaterial 



services for express salary, com- 

 mission, or wages: — 



Professional services 290 



Domestic services 460 



750 



(b) Rendering material services for 



equivalent value in salary, commis- 

 sion, or wages : — 



Distributors of materials 716 



Modifiers of materials 1,088 



Primary producers of materials ... 1,617 



Other independent services ... 90 



3,511 



Total independent breadwinners 4,261 



(B.) SEMI-INDEPENDENT GROUP. 



Wives and others engaged in do- 

 mestic duties of the household, 

 but not receiving an express 

 equivalent in a monetary form 1,946 



