260 THE CONGESTED DISTRICTS BOARD FOR IRELAND. 



arising from the complete or partial failure of their crops, produced a con- 

 dition of semi-starvation.* 



The Board collected and published in its first report considerable infor- 

 mation as to the income and expenditure of typical families in the con- 

 gested districts. Four of these " family-budgets " are reproduced below : — 



No. I. 



Receipts and Expenditure of a Family in comparatively good circumstances, the Receipts 



being derived from Agriculture, Migratory Labour, and Home Industries. 



The home produce consumed by the family was valued at from ;^i2 to /^2o. 



No. 2. 



Receipts and Expenditure of a Family in ordinary circumstances, the Receipts bein§ 



derived from Agriculture, Fishing, and Home Industries. 



The home produce consumed by the family was valued at from £^ 10s. to £10. 



* The following significant description of the poverty prevailing in the Congested Districts- - 

 compiled from the evidence of Mr. W. L. Micks, given before the Royal Commission on Local 

 Taxation — is incorporated in the Special Report presented by Lord Balfour of Burleigh, and 

 Lord Blair Balfour: — •' In the Congested Districts there are two classes, namely, the poor and 

 the destitute. There are hardly any resident gentry ; there are a few traders and officials ; but 

 nearly all the inhabitants are either poor or on the verge of poverty. . . The people are very 

 helpful to one another — the poor mainly support the destitute." 



