8 45.1

&"That thoſe who poſſeſs the wealth of a ſociety are bound “ to ſupport ifs poor, there is no doubt; but to proportion « this burden to the ability of individuals, and, without en- « couraging indolence, to aſſign th& neceſlaries of life to “« thoſe who are unable to earn them, ſeems to be extremely « difficult. All the methods which laws have eſtabliſhed for “« this purpoſe, are liable to great abuſes."(Statiſtical Hiſtory of Scotland, pariſh of Portmoak, Vol. V. page 168.)

Price of Labour and Prowviſions.---Here, as every where eiſe in Scotland, the price of labour in agricultural and huſ- bandry work, has, of late years, riſen very high. The wages of a day-labourer throughout the year, is 13. a day. The wages of a woman for ſhearing in harveſt 8d. a day; and a man 10d. or 18., with vi&uals. Some farmers hire their reapers, for the whole time of harveſt, the men at about 305, and the women 258. with bed, board, and waſhing. The wages for harveſting depend, in a great meaſure, on the de- mand for reapers, and the ſcarcity of them. The average an- nual wages for a man ſervant is 71, or 81, with vi&uals, waſhing and lodging; and a woman ſervant has about 3L, or 30808.

The price of proviſions is commonly a little lower than in the Haddington market; but grocery goods are generally higher than in Edinburgh or Perth.

The expence of employing married or unmarried men in huſbandry is nearly equal,"The following is an account of the earnings and expenditure of a labourer's family, who has awife and two children; the one 2 child four years old, and the other two:

To vi&uals for the man, 23. per week,= L.;5 4 0

Yo clothing for ditto, including ſtockings and ſhoes, I 15 0

Carried over,= L61 0