[154b-475]

Numbers

Of the repulsive effect /force/ of the principle of House of Industry /community/ maintenance clear of that of the other principle of interested economy management and combined with only that of permanent management /instead of annual/ in contradistinction to annual, the most recent and /as well as/ instructive example is that /the one/ afforded by the Shrewsbury House of Industry. By the very intelligent Reporter of the transactions of that House in the average expence per head is in 1791 (and therefore for the year 1790) stated at ,8:17:0: and again in the beginning of 1795 (and therefore for the year 1794) at the same sum.

But at those times when the total expence was ,8:17:0. 1 s6 d: only is stated as "the expence of the weekly provisions per head": whereas in Nov r 1795 the expence under that same head ("meat and drink alone") is reported by Sir Frederick Eden to be then estimated at "22 d or 23 d a head": - say 22:, making 4 d a head more, weekly: that is annually 17 s8 d more: making in round numbers ,9:14s a instead of ,18:07

Note

a This rise may naturally be referred to the dearness of the year 1795: when Wheat was \ZS\ a quarter above the average price of the last ten years ending 1796. But if this be the sole cause, it will in the course of the present cheaper year have been reduced to the old rate.