ON THE APPROPRIATION OF \yAGES, KTC. 



301 



afc higher rents — another evidence of the increasing prosperity of the 

 country and of the productive manner in which the money is spent : — 



The distinction made in the object of the Committee's researches 

 between the wages and other sources of income suggests the inquiry into 

 the relative amount of expenditure by the labouring, middle, and hio-her 

 classes. It is difficult to ascertain the number belonging to each, the 

 different classes merging into one another. The Inland Revenue Com- 

 missioners give the number of dwelling-houses in Great Britain in the 

 year 1880-81 as follows : — 



Number 



Under 101 3,111,039 



lOl. and under 15Z 778,935 



15Z. „ „ 201 441,729 



201. and upwards 734,471 



5,066,174 



Assuming the houses charged to house-duty at 201. and upward to 

 represent the proportion of the middle and higher classes, and those not 

 so charged to represent the proportion of the working classes, the pro- 

 portions would be 86 per cent, of the labouring to 14 per cent, of the 

 middle and higher classes. It should be remembered, however, that the 

 great number of lodgers of all classes renders the house-test most im- 

 perfect. Moreover, many foremen, clerks, and teachers occupy houses at 

 comparatively low rentals, just as many of the labouring classes occupy 

 houses at high rentals, divided and subdivided, however, between many 

 families. Altogether, there is reason to believe that the labouring classes 

 represent 70 per cent, of the population and the middle and higher 

 30 per cent. In other words, 246,000,000 persons, 54,000,000 families, 

 at 4'5 persons each, may be taken to belong to the labouring classes, and 

 10,500,000 persons or 2,300,000 families, to the middle and higher classes. 



Upon this basis we may now endeavour to estimate the proportionate 

 expenditure of the labouring and middle and higher classes respectively. 

 We cannot assume the personal consumption of the labouring classes to be 

 equal to that of the middle and higher classes in quantities and value, 

 though the larger number of the labouring classes tends to equalise, in 

 many cases, the total amount of expenditure of both. It is well known 

 moreover, that whilst beer is more largely consumed by the labourino- 

 classes wine is mainly used by the middle and higher classes ; cotton and 

 wool constitute the dress of the labouring classes, linen and silk are more 

 largely used by the middle and higher. Bearing in mind these and other 



