Suggestions for restoring the moral character and the industrious habits of the poor : also for establishing district work-farms in place of parish work-houses, and for reducing the poor-rates / by George Pinckard.

  • Pinckard, George, 1768-1835.
Date:
1835
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Suggestions for restoring the moral character and the industrious habits of the poor : also for establishing district work-farms in place of parish work-houses, and for reducing the poor-rates / by George Pinckard. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

    17/36 (page 8)
    anticipated saving- could never be realized. In- deed the fanner would be a loser, instead of a gainer, by this abortive contrivance, for the in- jured and degraded labourer, knowing that his employer would pay him only one half of the wages, would, of course, contract his labour in the same proportion, and, becoming idle and careless, would give only half the work of a well- paid labourer ; nor could his employer, with any consistency, complain of this, since, by his own folly, he compelled the man to receive as a pau- per, from the parish, half the earnings of his honest industry. This measure has been most effective in reducing the poor to their present state of degradation and pauperism. Nor was it ill devised only with regard to its effect upon the labourers; it was not less deceptive as respects the pecuniary calculation involved in it, as may be seen by the following statement. Suppose the fair wages of the labourer to be two shillings ])er day, the account will stand thus:— I'o wages due lo ^ the labourer, f s. d. ]3y wages paid by the fanner . 1 0 iiy poor-rates paid by the far- mer, say 0 8 By poor-rates paid by tbe trades- men, say 0 4 2 0