The  Committee  propose  that  there  should  be  a  pensioning
authority  in  each  parish.  If  the  pensioners  were  to  be  selected
from  a  larger  number  of  applicants,  the  applications — unless  the
pensions  went  by  favour — would  demand  inquiry  and  adjudication.
The  shifts  and  subterfuges  that  would  be  adopted  to  make  it  appear
that  incomes  of  15s.  or  20s.,  or  even  more,  were  less  than  10s.,  would
be  endless.  There  would,  therefore,  require  to'  be  a  staff  of  officials
to  make  inquiries  and  aid  the  pensioning  authorities  in  the  discharge
of  their  duties.  The  expense  that  would  thereby  be  entailed  may  be
guessed  from  the  present  expense  of  the  administration  of  relief  to
the  poor.  In  Whiiakerz  AlmaTwxk  for  this  year  it  is  stated  (page  325)
that  the  total  cost  of  relief  to  the  poor  in  England  and  Wales  in
1897 — number  relieved,  836,913  persons — was  £10,432,189,  whereof
the  officials  received  £1,781,509,  being  3s.  M.  for  every  £  disbursed.
In  Scotland  a  similar  state  of  things  prevails.  In  the  Beport  of  the
Board  of  Supervision  for  1893-94,  page  10,  it  is  stated  that  for  the
previous  ten  years  the  average  annual  expenditure  on  relief  of  the
poor  had  been  £896,866,  of  which  there  had  been  spent  on  main-
tenance of  the  poor  of  all  classes  £677,268,  and  on  management  and


278  The  IVestminster  Review.  Sept.
legal  expenses  (but  ezclading  the  cost  of  collecting  the  fands)
£111,790,  equal  to  3s.  Sjrf.  per  £.  On  page  12,  the  cost  per  head
for  relief  and  management  of  ordinary  poor  is  stated  to  ha^e  beea
£7  125.  lOc^.  per  annum,  and  if  the  cost  of  management,  3«.  3|i^.
