The following is an extract from the 'Society' part of The Guardian for 25 October, 2000. It is part of a letter written by Bob Holman (a well known poverty worker in Glasgow) in response to a letter of the previous week.

"Jane Cotton tries to justify the huge salary for Oxfam's new director on the grounds that Oxfam does important work and that the commercial sector pays more.

"But important jobs should be undertaken because of our motivation, not because of enormous remuneration - and certainly not in comparison with the fat cats in private enterprise.

"Poverty stems from a system of inequality which tolerates the fact that some live in unnecessary affluence while others exist in unnecessary poverty. Those who accept incomes of £75,000-plus reinforce and legitimise poverty."