26 AGRICULTURE AND TARIFF REFORM. 



We find that in 1854 there were 864,617 

 paupers in England and Wales. 



The average for the 

 five years 



»> 

 >> 







1855-59 



1880-84 

 1885-89 

 18S0-94 

 1895-99 



showed there 

 were 



'J 



>> 

 99 



894,822 

 787,118 

 788,357 

 765,282 

 814,749 



In 1854 the cost 

 £5,282,853. 



The average cost for 

 the five years 



for poor law relief was 



>» 

 >> 



99 



>9 

 I) 

 »> 



9> 



99 

 '9 



1855-59 

 1880-84 

 1885-89 

 1890-94 

 1895-99 



was 



9> 

 9> 



>» 



£ 

 5,846,054 

 8,211,092 

 8,354,379 

 8,963,272 

 10,526,003 



The figures show : — 



(1) That the cost of pauperism has nearly- 

 doubled (but not the population) ; and 



(2) That the actual number of paupers is very 

 much the same as in 1854, the tendency more- 

 over at the last five-yearly period being to in- 

 crease. This is in spite of the serious fact that 

 the number of charitable agencies is now infinitely 

 greater than in 1854. If these were not in exist- 

 ence there is every reason to suppose that the 

 number of paupers now would be hugely more 

 than before 1854, or before our free imports 

 system was adopted. 



Cost of Living Abroad, Etc. 

 A good deal of misrepresentation in regard to 

 the above point is made by those who oppose 

 Tariff Reform. We have seen it said that if Tariff 

 Reform is adopted, black bread, horseflesh, goose 

 fat, and other curious articles will have to be 



