[ 33° ] 



In the article labour there is no kind of 

 proportion to be found. Where the labourers 

 earn y s. id. a week, rates are 2 s. 6d. in 

 the pound higher than where they earn but 

 5 s. 7 d. Where they are paid 6 s. 10 d. the 

 rates are 1 s. 4 d. \ : But at 6 s. 9 d. earnings, 

 they are only 6 d. which are fuch contra- 

 dictions, that they prove evidently that let 

 labour be ever fo dear, rates are not thereby 

 eafed, as it is extremely natural to fuppofe 

 they ought to be. The table of total earn- 

 ings alio prefents the fame contradictions. 

 Rates 1 s. in the pound, where the earnings 

 are above 52 /. and 2d. at 49/. &c. &c. 

 And this is a very llrong argument againft 

 railing wages upon every rife of provilions : 

 The high wages continue when the occafion 

 is gone -, and fo far from being really fervice- 

 able to the poor, they come to the parifh 

 while amply paid, as much as when their 

 time was of the lowed: value. 



But to fhew how little the amount of rates 

 depends on the necefiities of the poor, we 

 need only turn to two or three places, where 

 provifions are high and labour low: If any 

 thing could caule high rates it would be fuch 

 an union of circumftances ; whereas at Orm- 

 Jkirk and Shenjlone labour is very low,andpro- 

 vilions high; and yet rates at only bd. Many 

 other fdch inftances might alfo be produced. 



LET- 



