In the first place, one naturally asks how many have availed themselves of the pensions newly and freely provided. These may be conveniently stated separately for Copenhagen itself, as well as for the whole country inclusive of Copenhagen. The population of Copenhagen at the beginning of 1895 was about 334,000, its suburb Frederiksberg having an additional 56,000, no other town having as large a population as 40,000. There was, however, what may fairly be called a town population of about 394,000 besides those mentioned above. The rural population amounted to 1,472,000, giving a total of 2,256,000. These figures are partly estimates, as a general census has not been taken since 1890, and though Copenhagen and a goodly number of other places have had local enumerations of later date, the totals depend in part on estimates for places where no enumeration has taken place. One might present the figures in many ways, distinguishing urban from rural conditions and the metropolis from other towns. I shall content myself with giving figures for the kingdom generally, and illustrating town conditions in separate details for Copenhagen. A consideration of actual populations will enable the real meaning of the figures to be read.

The following table shows the numbers of pensioners year by year in the whole kingdom, these numbers being followed by those for Copenhagen alone in brackets:

It may be observed that discrepancies in the tables in the figures for 1893 and 1894 arise from the fact that the totals are the revised figures published in later reports, while the figures of new cases and of cases going off the relief list are those given in the returns for the years concerned, that is, they are not finally revised. The rapid increase in the first two years of the table is, in part, due to the introduction of the system into the capital city. It may be noted, too, that the rest of the country supplied in half-a-year rather over seven times as many pensioners as did Copenhagen in a whole year, while its population was less than six times that of Copenhagen. This is in part due to the smaller proportion of aged persons in Copenhagen than in the country at large.

Another point worthy of note is that Copenhagen furnishes a much larger proportion of single persons, and it might be added that a larger proportion of these are women, than are found in the rest of the kingdom. A more serious feature of the returns by far is the more rapid growth of numbers in Copenhagen than in the country generally. This will best be seen in relation to the population and in relation to the numbers of those who might, so far as age alone is concerned, claim the benefit of the relief-law. In this form, too, the figures will have rather more meaning than when shown as mere numerical totals. For these comparisons I have assumed (except in the case of Copenhagen, for which actual figures are available from the 1895 Census), that the proportion of the whole population over 60 was the same in each year as in 1890.

The table which follows shows the proportion to the whole population, and to the population over 60 years of age, of all receiving old-age relief, including dependents, some of whom at any rate are under 60. There is also shown the proportion of actual to possible pensioners by sexes, dependents not being reckoned in this case. Wives, even though over 60, will not appear except as dependents on their husbands, unless they are separated from them, and therefore, the possible women pensioners do not include wives whose husbands were living and not divorced or separated. Some trifling differences between the following table and the earlier official returns are accounted for by the more accurate estimate of population made possible by the 1895 enumerations of population.

PROPORTION OF PENSIONERS TO POPULATION.

[The number in brackets refer to Copenhagen, the others to the whole of Denmark proper.]

The importance of showing the figures, not merely in relation to the population at large, but also to that section of it over 60, is clear here. The country at large had rather more than 10 per cent. of its population over 60. Copenhagen had but 7.5 per cent. over this age. This last figure had increased to 7.75 per cent. by 1895. Whether part of the increase is fictitious and due to hope of winning a pension, or whether the whole is attributable to the fact that the increase of population is proceeding at a less rapid rate than formerly, one may hesitate to pronounce definitely.

The preceding facts, so far as one aspect of them is concerned, may be conveniently summarised in another form. For every 20 single persons (of whom fully 15 were women) who were awarded pensions, 10 others were pensioned on whom there were dependent 12 wives, children or other members of the families which they represented. These 30 pensioners and 12 dependents were found for about every 220 persons over 60 years of age at the beginning of 1893, but there was needed only 180 persons over 60 to supply such a group of pensioners at the beginning of 1897. The round figures may convey a better impression of the facts than the detailed, and more precise, table.

While the numbers availing themselves of the pensions were large and increasing, there is a further fact relating to them which is of great importance, and that is the way in which they are distributed over the age-periods after the 60th year.

It will be enough to refer to the figures for the later dates on this point. Of men between 60 and 65 only about 1 in 16 was receiving relief at the beginning of 1896. Between 65 and 70 the number grows to rather over I in 7, and more than a quarter of all men who had passed their 70th year had applied for and were receiving old-age pensions. It certainly appears as if the administration of the law has been characterized by great discrimination, or that the independence of spirit of the people is far from being undermined, when so many refrain from availing themselves of honourable assistance, or are refused the relief, in spite of the mere age-qualification being more than met. In the case of women the proportion of pensioners is, as might be expected, higher than for men. In 1896, of women other than wives living with their husbands, 15 per cent. of those between 60 and 65 were in receipt of pensions, 24 per cent. of those between 65 and 70 and over 31 per cent. of those older than 70. For Copenhagen, the percentages of pensioners at the three age-periods were, roundly, for men, 7, 16 and 24 respectively, and, for women, 19, 29 and 33 respectively. Thus, as compared with the whole kingdom, there is a slight excess of the younger men, and a rather less proportion of the older, who are pensioners in Copenhagen. The excess among women is considerable at all ages, especially at the lower ages.

Two other points may be mentioned in reference to the numbers of pensioners. The first is, that in a number of places it has been found desirable to lodge the pensioners in homes, some of which, at least, are specially assigned to them alone. In 1896 there were 426 thus cared for in Copenhagen, and 339 others in various parts of the kingdom outside the capital. The second point is that the returns show that the cessation of pensions on the ground of misconduct or of cessation of need, though not excessively frequent, is yet a reality, and, moreover, not in process of vanishing.

It is now time to turn to what is, perhaps, the next most important feature of the scheme we are considering, namely, its cost. In giving the cost in dollars, the figures will be rounded off for convenience. The actual total expenditure has been as shown in the following table:

The increase of the cost has been, therefore, 50 per cent., comparing the last year of the five with the first. As between these two years the growth of expense in Copenhagen appears much greater than in the country as a whole; but by omitting 1892, Copenhagen's initial year, the growth of expenditure there is seen to be even slightly less rapid than elsewhere. The capital, however, spends more in proportion to population than does the rest of the kingdom. It is necessary, on account of the greater cost of living, and probably also because in the more strenuous life of the city men cease earlier to be capable of earning a living, to give larger amounts to pensioners in the capital than to those elsewhere. As before, the figures will become more pregnant with information if we deduce from them the cost per head, either of those assisted, or of the population at large, or perhaps, as a better clue to the real meaning, on account of the varying proportions of old people in different countries, per head of the population over 60 years of age. We have, then, another tabular statement as follows: