CHAPTER X 



PROBLEM FOR THE BRITISH TAX-PAYERS — PAUPERISM 

 UNNECESSARY — WILL THEY CONTINUE TO SUPPORT 

 IT ? — HOW TO DEAL WITH VAGABONDAGE 



While the social and economic troubles of the British people 

 offer overwhelming evidence of social and economic maladminis- 

 tration resulting more from the unsuitableness of the Free- 

 trade system than anything else, anti-Free-traders contend 

 that one of the most practical, up-to-date ways of dealing with 

 this big question of the poverty of the British people, among 

 others, is to ask the British tax-payer whether he would prefer 

 his money being wasted in bolstering up national pauperism or 

 usefully spent in developing national industries ? 



This, at first sight, seems a ridiculous question to ask, but 

 there is more in it than meets the eye. 



The British tax-payer has really a choice betw^een pauperism 

 and prosperity, but he must look at the whole question from 

 quite a different standpoint from that from which he has 

 hitherto been in the habit of viewing it. 



So long as he regards the poverty of the people, as he knows 

 it to-day, and the host of paupers bred therefrom, as a necessary 

 outcome of economic " laivs," so long will the civil administra- 

 tion of the day call upon him to hand over the £35,000,000 

 annually, which it costs to support and maintain this belief; 

 but the moment he realises that he has been throwing his 

 money away on false ideas, and that he has really done more 

 harm than good by his misplaced lavishness, the necessity for 

 raising this colossal sum, at least for that purpose, will cease. 



Eeduced to its proper denomination, all this poor relief, 

 whether by State aid or from public or private sources, is 

 nothing but a Stupendous CHAKixy, and the moment we begin 

 dispensing charities we must " go slow," or we shall do more 



harm than good 



72 



