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CHAPTER VI 



National Pauperism and Taxation — Poverty and 

 Private Charities 



THE question of National Pauperism should be 

 considered from a point of view that is practically 

 ignored by the vast majority of people, particularly that 

 section of the community which is especially benefited 

 by the constant outpouring of spontaneous philanthropy. 



We, as a nation, have become so familiar with this 

 widespread poverty and its dire results, that the heavy 

 imposts of Government and the stupendous efforts of 

 the philanthropic public in aid of the poor are regarded 

 as a necessary item in the economy of life; while the 

 poor themselves look upon the prodigious charities, to 

 which we shall presently refer, as a matter of course, 

 indeed, as a right. 



We have seen to what extent tax-payers are called Enormous ^ 

 upon by the State to assist in relieving our pauper popu- to t^e Poor 

 lation by direct taxation ; let us now form some estimate 

 of the extent to which the well-to-do people of our 

 country help the poor in a more general, though in- 

 direct, manner. 



It is impossible to arrive at anything like accuracy in 

 respect to the value of this indirect aid, because of the 

 lack of statistical information on the subject; and also 

 because those who give do not care to talk of their 

 charities; we must, therefore, fall back upon a process 



