Page 65 - clra62_0019-(GIPE)

ON INTERNATIONAL STATISTICAL COMPARISONS 59
to Germany, and in subsequent years to re-equip their
army and extend their railways, the number of inscrip-
tions in the books of the Ministry of Finance enorm-
ously increased, but it did not follow that the num-
ber of separate holders of French rentes increased in
the same degree, or even increased at all. The same
with the holding of land. A broad distinction has to
be drawn between the number of separate occupiers
and the number of separate occupations, the latter (as
in Ir~land) being often far more numerous than the
former. But, admitting that the figures as to one
branch only can be got hold of, it is plain that, unless
saving habits in all directions can be compared, no use-
ful comparison can be made at all. What is done by
friendly societies, building societies, insurance com-
,panies and the like, must all be taken into account as
we)) as the savings banks, which are most often quoted,
or the holdings of the Government debt, or the hold-
ings of land, which are the favourite investments of the
masses in some countries. But I do not know of any
comparison of the kind in which these conditions are
complied with. French peasants and working men are
often assumed to be much more saving than the corre-
sponding classes of England, but the statistical proof
seems to be wanting, and I am not sure that if the
accumulations of English unions, friendly societies, and
co· operative societies, were properly taken account of,
as well as savings banks. holdings of Government debt.
and investments in land, that the English working
classes would come so very badly out of the compari-
son. At any rate, the comparison is more difficult than
is often thought.
Even if comparisons could be made, there would re-
main the question of the comparison of character. A
working population which feeds and clothes itself well
and makes itself in all ways efficient, provided it saves
enough (or security, may reaUy be making more of life
than a population which starves itself in the present
through fear that it may starve in the future. The