TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION F. 821 



millions. Still, owing to increase of wealth, the burden is computed to hare 

 fallen from three pence to two pence in the pound of the national income. 



I shall conclude this statistical summary by adverting to a group of subject.* 

 into which moral considerations largely enter, namely, thrift and education. 



The savings banks in the British Empire have 90 millions sterling of deposits and 

 about 5| millions of depositors, of which numbers eight-tenths are in the United King- 

 dom, and the remainder in India and the Colonies. The amount, though absolutely 

 great, is not extraordinary for so wide an empire. 1 The amount of 80 millions for 

 the United Kingdom compares moderately well with the total amount for the 

 Continent of Europe, namely 338 millions, but unfavourably with Germany and 

 with some thrifty little nations like Switzerland or Scandinavia. The comparison 

 is still more unfavourable in respect to the United States, where the savings have 

 risen to the noble sum of 202 millions. On the other hand, the development in 

 the British Empire of friendly societies (including provident building and registered 

 societies) has been wonderful. The registered societies in the United Kingdom 

 are 18,200 in number, have 5,800,000 members, and 56 millions sterling of funds. 

 There are also many unregistered societies, of which the statistics are unknown ; 

 the addition of these would, it is believed, bring up the total to 7 millions of 

 members, or one-fifth of the population. In Australia there are 880 such societies, 

 with 55,000 members, and nearly a million sterling of funds. In Canada there 

 are 40 societies with 80,000 members, and more than five millions sterling of funds. 

 The average of funds per member is 9/. in the United Kingdom and 13/. in 

 Australia, but in Canada it is very high, being 63/. 



The amount of life-insurance, 423 millions sterling of policies in the United 

 Kingdom, exceeds that of any other country, but hardly exists at all in India. 

 But of tire insurance, the amount in the United Kingdom is not remarkable. 



The charitable expenditure in the British Empire can hardly be stated in full, 

 but it is enormous. In the United Kingdom it amounts to more than 10 millions 

 sterling annually, the income equalling this honourable sum. Of this income, 

 about one-fourth is derived from endowments consisting of real and personal 

 property. 



The number of indoor patients (irrespective of those who receive outdoor relief) 

 in the charitable hospitals of the Empire is not less than 450,000, of whom 

 145,000 belong to the United Kingdom, and 270,000 to India. This number is not 

 remarkable in comparison with other nations. The fact is that in the United 

 Kingdom the poor-law organisation provides for many who would otherwise be in 

 hospital. 



In regard to the Post Office, the letters posted annually in the world are 

 returned at 5,200 millions ; of this total there are 1,500 millions, or 34 per cent., in 

 the British Empire. This is a smaller proportion than might be expected, the 

 cause being that letter-writing is still in its infancy in India. But in the United 

 Kingdom the average of letters per inhabitant is greater than in any other 

 country. 



Respecting education, there are 5,250,000 pupils at schools in the United 

 Kingdom, 860,000 in Canada, 61 1,000 in Australia, and 2,200,000 in India, making 

 up a total of 8,921,000 pupils in the British Empire. The number, though large 

 absolutely, appears very small for so vast a population. The fact is, that in India, 

 although education has made a remarkable progress within the last generation, yet 

 the lee-way to be made up was enormous, owing to the neglect of many centuries, 

 and many children of a school-going age still remain out of school. The number 

 in the United Kingdom compares moderately well with the Continent of Europe, 

 but unfavourably with some of the lesser kingdoms, where the progress is most 

 satisfactory. But the comparison attains special interest when made with the 

 United States, where a truly noble progress is exhibited, and where the number of 

 pupils reaches to 10 millions, the annual expenditure being 17 millions sterling. 

 Doubtless the returns in the United States are more complete for the higher 



1 In some of the Colonies there appears to be some difficulty in discriminating 

 the savings banks depositors from ordinary depositors. 



