20 THE IRISH AGRARIAN PROBLEM. 



assessments for income tax(" net assessments ") 

 amounted to : 



1854 



iSc> 4 

 1874 



[894 



^21,330,000 

 23,000,000 

 27,080,000 

 27,062,000 

 27,3s 1 . 0001 



The income tax is a somewhat deceptive 

 standard, as it only falls upon incomes of more 

 than 160, and the majority of incomes in Ireland 

 are, undoubtedly, below this figure. But other 

 statistics, such as the increase in cattle, lodg- 

 ments in banks and savings banks, and perhaps 

 railway traffic, show a certain progress. The 

 lodgments in savings banks amounted to : 



1870 ,2,700,000 



1880 ... 3,700,000 



1890 5,700,000 



1894 ... ... 6,970,000' 



From this we can scarcely derive any far- 

 reaching conclusions, except that the poverty of 

 Ireland is somewhat less to-day than it was a 

 few decades ago. A certain progressive activity 

 is showing itself in certain quarters. For 



1 Financial Relations Report, p. 58. [The subsequent 

 returns, however, show a marked decrease. Transl.~\ 



8 Financial Relations Report, p. 207. [In 1905 the returns 

 show a balance of ^12,496,000 in Post Office Savings Banks 

 and Trustees Savings Banks. Trans/.'] 



