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CHAPTER V 



Poverty not a Necessity — Contrasts in Home and 

 Foreign Statistics 



NOW let us put this belief in the necessity of 

 poverty to the test. Poverty as we know it; 

 poverty that is more widespread and which costs this 

 country, with a population of about 43,000,000, im- 

 measurably more than it costs any other civilised 

 country in the world; some ;£i6,ooo,ooo annually, apart 

 from all charities of a private and personal nature. 



Let us, first of all, turn to our near neighbours across 

 the Channel for comparisons. 



France has a population of 39,000,000 and spends 

 45,000,000 francs, or £1,800,000 on her poor, but this 

 sum is the aggregate of both State contributions and 

 private charities. 



Germany has a population of upwards of 60,000,000. 

 No statistics have been compiled since the year 1895, 

 but there is very little actual pauperism outside of the 

 capital, Berlin. 



Holland, with a population of 5,591,695, spends about 

 £1,629,201 on her paupers. 



Switzerland, with a population of 3,250,000, spends 

 about £635,000. 



Austria-Hungary, with a population of 26,969,812, 

 spends about £1,156,000 on the poor of the country. 



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