MONTHL 
No. XL1.]. ~ For 


For 

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
Should not trouble you with any fur- 
ther obiervations relative -to Mr. 
Good, if the point in difcusfion between 
us, did not appear tome to be one in 
which the public are at this time parti- 
cularly interefted. Mr. Good ailerts, 
that it is impoflible to perufe the Shrew1- 
bury account, without deducing the ex- 
traordinary conclufion, that the poor there 
are fupported, upon terms incomparably 
Jowet than in any other part of the 
kingdom.—Surely this is difingenuous! 
—tThe fac I ftated was, that the poor 
avere fupported here iz 1791, for one 
fhilling and fixpence halfpenny each, per 
week; and I ftated this fact inthat very year 
1791, when the firft edition of the account 
of the Shrewfbury Houfe was publithed. 
After dwelling much at large, on the cir- 
cumftance relating to the mortality of our 
children, Mr. Good again adverts to this 
charge, and obferves that zz the year 1794, 
it appeats from the accounts, that our 
poor coft us in provifions upwards of two 
fillings each per week ; notwithftanding 
which, he fays, Mr. Wood now attempts 
once more to ftate the certainty ‘with 
which the poor ave maintained, at the 
weekly rate of one fhilling and fixpence 
 halfpenny each.——All this may, for ought 
T know, difplay Mr. Good’s great {kill in 
the arts of a Controverfialift; but it is 
that kind of acumen, which I do not feel 
the leaft ambition to acquire, or the leaft 
inclination to exercife. I have aflerted, 
and I do zow again affert, that this fac, 
refpecting the coft of provifions for our 
poor i# 1791, was “ correétly ftated from 
actual experiment, made by very intelli- 
gent gentlemen then in the direétion.” 
sind if the poor.at Norwich (where fome 
of the prime neceflaries are confiderably 
dearer than with us) were maintained, as 
is undeniably proved by the report of the 
guatdians, the laf? year, for one fhilling 
and eleven pence each per week ; the dif- 
ference furely will not appear fo very ex- 
traordinary, when the confiderable ad- 
vance on provilions that has taken place 
fince 1791, is taken into the account ; and 
alio, that one third of our poor in that 
year, were young children. 
But the faét in which the public is 
chiefly interefted, is this. Mr, Good 
Monruyy Mac, No. xu}. 
JANU 
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
cae | | 
Y MAGAZINE. 
ARY, 1799. [Vor VIL. 

ftated the coft of the poor at Norwich,in 
provifions, at 2s. Iod. and at Shrewfbury 
at 3s. 14. each, per week.. It appears, 
however, that the poor at Norwich were 
atually fupported the laft year for 1S. 
11d. each ; and, I am enabled to add, are 
nov fapported in the Shrewlbury Houfe, 
for 1s. 9d. cach, per week. Mr. Good 
may perhaps be inclined again to * de- 
duce extraordinary conclufions”’ from this 
affertion. It is neceflary therefore I fhould 
fupport it by a dedugtion of particulars. 
And, however lightly Mr. Good may 
hold attempts to deceive or miflead the 
public :—for he cannot ‘¢ trace any feve- 
rity’ in bringing forward fuch a charge 
againtt me.—I truft your readers will 
give me credit, when I affure them, that I 
recard all fuch mifreprefentations with 
the utmoft abhorrence. 
We have a contraét with the butchers, 
by which they ftipulate to ferve the houle 
(a certain number each week by rotation- 
with meat at 2id. per pound; to be iz) 
[pected by the directors ; and tor that pur- 
pofe fent up on the mornings of the board 
dzg-s: fuch as is not approved of, to be 
returned.’ As the board..day falls out two 
days after the market-day, they have an 
advantage in difpofing of fuch meat as 
is left upon hand provided it be of good 
quality. ‘The infpection of the directors 
operates as a check uponall attempts to 
fend in improper meat, and the publicity 
of the tranfaction, impofes caution upon 
-the butchers, who would fuffer in their 
reputation by any abufe. Whenever that 
is attempted, the meat is always returned. 
To this contract, twenty-feven of our 
butchers ‘have affixed their fignatures. 
We buy our corn at 6s. 8d. per bufhel of 
75 pounds: each bufhel yields from 58 
to 60 pounds of fine batch flour. ‘lhe 
prefent confumption is 30 bufhels per 
week. We brew our own beer, of two 
forts; the fmall beer lies us in’ 3d. per 
gallon, the better fort in 10d. per gallon. 
The amount of each week’s confumption 
is 134. gallons of fmall, and 22 gallons of 
better drink. Two days in the week, the 
poor drink fkimmed milk in the winter, 
at their dinners, and in the fupmmer whey: 
the produce of our own dairy. The 
weekly allowance of fkimmed milk, is 
156 gallons. We fell the butter made 
from the cream; and -eftimate the fkim- 
med. 
