POVERTY AND THE POOR.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 951, 19 October 1910, Page 7

POVERTY AND THE POOR.

SPEECH BY MR.LLOYD.QEORQE FIVE-SIXTHS OF BRITISH PEOPLE ';;; OWN NOTHING./ AVARICE AND DEGENERACY. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. ■■;■.■ (Reo. Ootober 18, 10.5 p.m.) : ■::",': •;: -.. .-'.- V;-, UOndon, , ;October 18. ;.. > Mr..'Lloyd-George, Chancellor.of. tho Exchequer," . addressing t the : Liberal Christian.League,at tho City Temple, declared, that', for'the causes of the destitution, unrest, and . 'discontent— which were .common: to both Free-trade .England and .tho -Protectionist 7 :Con- | tinent—they had to look beyond tho national fiscal systems.' Mr.: Chamber- i lain's ■ tariff . reform/ ■, agitation, had, however, rendered an .outstanding vioejbyfcalling attention'to/the crying evils, festering amongst: them. '"'-. ~ '■ '■'Continuing, Mr. Lloyd-George said:—. "I never realised , the ■ poignanoy ■ ,of poverty .until -I. .' : adminietered."the Old Age Pensions 7 .420,000 adults'who'died ; .annually; ; in the. United ■Kingdom, I saw that five-sixths had no property. s'.On • the other' hand;. of ;the £300,000,000 passing; annually at death,. half .belonged to.under' 2000- people. This fact betokens the organic diseases of the : British : system.^.-'•;.;;■;:; ■: Mr/ Lloyd-George said ;.\hs ,.■: doubted the' alleged;. waste and thriftlessness ■• of the-' wage-earners.;- • Civilised countries spent -five hundred .'millions', annually 1 upon the machinery; of; war.;. 'If Great Britain , s.. burden: : were:;:removed, : , .they. 'could , pay "the '• wage-earners four'; shillings more weekly, v without : interfering with .'the; profits'.of''capital.-'Britain's; was> hard, climate for poVorty... Millions, of .acres were"devoted to'.the enjoyment; of ■.those.. , who. preserved .' game, whiie : :the:;ayarice. 'and'selfish iniggardli-. ness :6i other people perpetuated, ~the cohgiestion of the. cities, i.whici: had; its the 1 Army;,being-; rejected, as 'unfit;'.':-'; :'.' ; ,.: : ; : .>. :' : ;^.;;.'"; : H|';; : ;-yO:; '"•"•.::' ;,'.-Mr;i Lloyd■ .GeorgeA'condemiied .....the idle rich,':who, with'-their;.families., and retainer's,i numbered;two /million.•;: Britr ; ainji-he .declared, J caitaot afford'so .largeaifrTO;]M:^r.^' v'.The ovefhauliag.'of, national 'and Imperial: conditions.-.'The masses- were expecting I great-■things,: :.anci wag... dishearten--■•ing', to ..witness" a sweepjhg., .iburst ;;bf popular; enthusiasm-'-spending ,'itself' on triv.ial^proiects^ '■:'. \i^!^}'\- : -.- :'■ '■■■'~( ■ l ;-; ; "■;.. ": :■' !My : .counsel to the people,", declared tho '.Chancellor, "is to;enlarge; the-pur--2os e ::of:tlleir .: politics, 1 : andttneai, adhere; to -that.purpose/nn-til.their';redemption-is., ; ;''.'4.'"->,;■, -: '''^ :, r.'):-' \MR.y LLOYb-GEORCE; iASSAutTED. W :J:o: =;:!(Rei:J;:October,_;lß J ;^l2 : p;in. j=; \ : : jtondon;-' October 18, ■;; J.vTh'e 'suffragists ■ assembled 'outside the City^Temple,'and 'on* Mr;V ; Lloyd r George emerging : he 'was: greeteo! :.by ; ; them with' pries I:iof,- : ,'"Hypocrite I'.V. v'fScoundrell" ;.:•. (Two: .men /.we're ■ arrested .-'for. 'striking Mr/r Lloyd-GeorgeVon the facie'arid;,back. "hoeS : (wym^W^^^ ' ■'.'■ Kve "facts of iprofonnd Bignificance from , ..their; bearing: on ."the''i'.''prbsperi<y.s.of the .TJnited .Kingdom;.'arp ! ;disclosed : in; the; Re-: 'port; b£.:the ; Commissioners.: of r the".. Inland Beyeniie. for;thß.year'ended'-March , .3l, 1910/; issued; on ; September ; .s:—;. ■ ."-:.'' ~ Vl'. An'increase in the -'gross income of the; United 'Kingdomj which' for the,first time exceeds. 11000.imiUionsl; sterling. .■:. , : '.■.■'; '»'2..: A; decrease-in.the ayerage salary re-* ceived by : with an in- , crease-iin 1 the.nuraber.iof .emnloyee's.'■.'..' I'--,:.-3;■:'An''enormous"increase,.in :the- .three years,; 1906,-1007,. and: 1908,'3n the income from''British' investments.,'abroad,,; indicating'a' great emigration -of; British ■capital.;! >■;;;;::'> ■;•;• ■;. :;:iK-v;-;iS;i A..v'j. ;•■.; :

.r ; .4;-: A: decrease as compared with 1899-1900 in;.the ■'.total \ valuei 'of 'estates passing at death'.' , .; ) .'\-^: :;j :" : :''-'_ r '\,'i'':-; ; ::■■:)■ ■■■.:'.'■.:.!- : i^s; 1 . Twenty; business : ; :men ■■'■ earn " over : -£50,000; each.. :<:.'':':\ :^-:: ' ;:.v:::;;.. . .The.following figures''Bhow\the number of persons.deriving incomes from.business andi; eiriployinent.\in the .various' stages ;— ':''■ ■ Persons. ! •:■ Persona. ;jei6(M-200:,.....:. 237,186 .: i; .1...'. v 6,344 -:200-300 ....„,■' 215,321. ■• 900^-1000i-..._. ; - 8,312 ■3(10-400 ;..-• H;ls4.Vv ; ':_„;.; 21.172■ ......-'; 45,032 :: 2000—S00O 5.680 , ■• :.^_";,-23,943, ~3000-4000 ...;.. 2,468 r 6oor-700 :,_.;.. .14,357 "• . 4000—5000.-.;-...' 1,619 ■ 70^600.-;:u:- £5000 ;.■:..; 3,802 ; These figures show that!a total of under 608.000 iout. of 45,000,000 received over'£l6o : per 'annum, y The figures' 'do not include persons;:drawing; income; from land and ;trbm investments, 'and are therefore in-, complete. .;•;■' -/-.'v •'; V; '■'V^;':- , ;/."■■: ■■■ -~-;'/ ..'-.' fiiTwenty persons draw 'incomes'.iof over >eSO,000: from business/, as is; shown by 'the following table of' incomes of firms and persons' who are, not employees:— ;■. ' ■ v 'v Persons!-: : -OPirms; .. '"■ : C'.:. :/.; -vsvi.;'. . ■.' 1909. V.1908; ;.■ 1909; 1908. -£S,OOO—JEIO.OOO' „..'„.;''sßl '"!'«t :- 1615!, ;1657 £10,000-;£50,000: _^.i.: : 284>i219: ; 1021; :936 : J 0ver,;.£50,000 ~ ..„......; .20 y/^U,^ :. 79 : . .; .9?: ; ' 'The .total.iincome, of-'585,000' employees", including, those, in; the: employ; o£. private firms, as well as of eompanies'iand the State, was last.year .£136,000,000, an aver r age: of. ,£233. per. head..' In 11908 there were 513,000 employees drawing : an: average of >£239.-Thus in , a year the average salary ~of the employee has.fallen by: At the; same time the number: of- employees with salaries' over '.'£sooo' nearly doubled, 1 rising from 109 in 1908 t0:202.in. 1909.■;, ■•.'. ... ;The income from foreign'investments was 88 millions sterling in'l9o9 as: compared with 73 millions at .the beginning of 1906.- Thus in three y'earsvthere.was.an increase-in income arrived;from 'abroad of no fewer than-15 millions.''. This indicates an emigration: of capital of at least--300 millions during the, three'years.' ,;