'the Liberal crisis 1906-1914' social issues

Question 1

What were the three broad classes that British society could be split into in 1906

Answer 1

1. The upper class
Wealthy landowners whose families had dominated British society for generations. Addition of those who had obtained wealth from industry and commerce.

2. The middle class
The number of professionals had risen rapidly since the end of the nineteenth century and in 1911 numbered 796,000. Their incomes varied dramatically. Whilst a barrister could achieve an income of up to £28,000, teachers earned £200-300 annually.
(The lower middle class)
non-manual employees such as shop assistants, although many of these actually earned less than skilled workmen, their social standing was higher.

3. The working class
   75% of the population made up the working class.
   Manual workers.
   1911 census= 28.7% skilled workers, 34.3% semi-skilled workers, 9.6% unskilled.
   Unskilled workers earned around £1 a week and was unlikely to provide for a family thus many lived in poverty.

Question 2

Charles Booth’s scientific estimates into poverty

Answer 2

1889
London
interviews with 4000 people
conclusion=
30.7% lived below the poverty line, unable to afford adequate shelter, food or clothing.
This was opposed to the 25% claimed in the government statistics.

Question 3

Seebohm Rowntree’s scientific estimations into poverty

Answer 3

York
28% of population in York was living in poverty
He concluded that people needed to earn 21 shillings a week to stay out of poverty. If they earned less than this, they were living below the poverty line.

He concluded that the main causes was:
unemployment
economic
low wages

Question 4

What did both Booth and Rowntree also find?

Answer 4

Even those who were meeting the bare necessities of life could fall into abject poverty through factors being their control.

Not just weaknesses of individuals such as idleness or wstefullness.

Factors beyond their control:

• economic forces that led to unemployment
• irregular work
• old age
• sickness
• premature death of the main wage earner

Families also affected by:
lack of education
Poor diet
Decent housing

Question 5

How did the findings of Booth and Rowntree contribute to the ideas of New Liberalism

Answer 5

The answer to their problems requires an approach by society as a whole, rather than leaving things entirely to the individual.
Impacted on the range and extent on social legislation that was passed after 1906.

Question 6

How much were the liberal reforms going to cost

Answer 6

Around £16 million

Question 7

What was passed in 1909 to fund the social legislation

Answer 7

The Peoples Budget 1909

Question 8

What did the Peoples Budget introduce

Answer 8

• Income tax on a sliding scale- known as ‘progressive taxation’. Those with incomes under £3000 paid 9d for every pound that they earned; those with incomes over £3000 a year paid 1s2d for every pound they earned
• A super tax for people with incomes over £5000; they had to pay an additional super-tax of 6d on the pound
• A tax on cars according to horsepower
• A 3d per gallon tax on petrol
• an inheritance tax (death duties) on estates worth over £5000
• A new tax on profits that were gained through selling land.

Question 9

Reasons for the Liberal government’s social and welfare legislations

Answer 9

Start of the 20th century there was virtually no state provision for the poor because of the prevailing belief of ‘laissez-faire’.
Dr Barnardos set up in 1867 helped orphan children

Scarce help for the elderly.
For them, the Poor Law remained the last resort which offered with ‘outdoor relief’ or the parish workhouse. Accepting poor relief meant being labelled a ‘pauper’ and much shame and disgrace was attached to this.