"Go on the rates"?

[raggedtrousered]

Could someone please tell me what "on the rates" is supposed to mean?

From From Wilde's "The Soul of Man Under Socialism:"

"He should decline to live like that, and should either steal or go on the rates, which is considered by many to be a form of stealing"

Thanks!

[kiki1982]

It seems to be something like 'being on poor-relief' (relying on society to give you money to live on).

That is at least what this link says (go 'Ctrl f' on you keyboard for rates and at some point it should come up):

http://www.uncharted.org/frownland/books/Polanyi/POLANYI%20KARL%20-%20The%20Great%20Transformation%20-%20v.1.0.html