Page 376 - clra62_0019-(GIPE)
P. 376
368 ECONOMIC INQUIRIES AND STUDIES
f
-for food, for shelter, for clothing, for defence against
internal and foreign enemies; and that only a small
surplus, comparatively, remains for the higher ends of
life-for education, for assisting in religious c4lture,
for amusement, for literature, for art, and the miscel-
laneous objects of civilized existence. But to show how
the matter looks on a large scale, I may be permitted
to refer to the method and the figures employed in re-
ports to the British Associat<;on twenty to twenty-two
years ago by a special committee comprising Mr. J evons,
Mr. Leone Levi, Mr. Stephen Bourne, and other dis-
tinguished authorities, Mr. Leone Levi being the re-
porter of the committee. l This committee then found
that out of a total estimated expenditure by the people
of the United Kingdom, amounting to 878 million £,
no less than £500,400,000, or 56.9 per cent., was spent
on food and drink; £147,800,000, or 16.8 per cent.,
on dress; £121,700,000 on "house," including house
rent, furniture, coal, gas, and water, while, among other
items, there were 1.5 per cent. spent on tobacco, 1.3
per cent. on education (less than on tobacco), 1.4 per
cent. on church (also less than on tobacco), 0.8 per
cent. on literature, 0.6 per cent. on newspapers, and
0.7 per cent. each on "theatres and music halls" and
other amusements. This statement, I believe, was
obviously incomplete, and defects were pointed out in
it at the time, as, for instance, its omission of locomo-
tion and its failure to deal sufficiently with the expense
of government, while a farther distinction was drawn
between gross and net expenditure and figures differing
from the above given for the net expenditure, the total
being about 200 million £ less; but the calculations, as
far as they go, are most carefully done, and leave no
dou bt as to what are the main purposes to which the
aggregate income of the people is devoted.
Applying and adapting the figures thus given to the
present time, .I have drawn up a table (see Appendix A)
1 See" Proceedings" of meetings at Southampton and Southport
in 1881 and 1882.

