ABSTRACT
BY 1830 the Old Poor Law had fallen into disrepute, particularly in the southern agricultural counties. There especially it had degenerated into the indiscriminate giving of assistance and often into the unfortunate policy of subsidizing labourers’ wages from the rates. In the north, where township administration was more efficient and where the Speenham-land system of wage subsidy had not been introduced, the situation was by no means so bad, though even there the coming of the factory system was raising problems for the overseers.
