The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-02-19 00:00:00

THE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER.

MANSION - lIOUSE - COUNCIL ON
METROPOLITAN POVERTY, 1886-7.

The fourth and final meeting of the Mansion House
Council on Metropolitan Poverty was held on Friday
afternoon, Feb. 11 inst., in the Drawing Room of the
Mansion House, under the presidency of the Lord
Mayor Sir Reginald Hanson. This council, it will be
remembered, was formed in the early part of
November on a requisition to the Lord Mayor, signed
by Mr. Francis Peek, Mr. Albert Pell, and the Rey.
M. S. A. Walrond, for the purpose of examining into
the actual condition of the working classes of the
metropolis, and also of organizing agencies to deal
with exceptional distress should it occur. The
members invited to form this council were either re-
presentatives of societies workirg amongst the poor,
or persons specially conversant with their condition.
The treasurer, Mr. Peek, reported that he was glad
to be able to state that the whole expense of the
council and committee had been met by contributions
from members and a few friends, and that a small
balance remained over. He particularly desired that
the thanks of the council should be given to their able
secretary, Mw, Birley, and also to their honorary
secretary. Major Gaskell, whose efficient work had
been invaluable to the committee.
The report was agreed to and is as follows:
At the last meeting of the council the committee
reported that although fewer replies to the circulars
sent out had been received than they had hoped—
namely, about 000 out of 1700 forms of inquiry
issued—yet the/ believed that these gave a fair
account of the present condition of the wage-earning
classes and of the chronic poor of the metropolis, in-
dicating that the actual distress is not much more
than usual, though certain districts are effected by
unusual slackness in the industries special to them;
and that tbe lone-continued depression of trade had
generally reduced the resources of the working
classes. Since then a considerable further number
of replies have been received from the officials of
industrial dwellings, the secretaries of savings banks,
employers of labour, School Board teachers, and
visitors, and pawnbrokers, together with some valu-
able replies from trades unions and friendly socie-
ties. On the whole these confirm the teport then
made.

Section I. One important part of the work of the
committee was the organising of local agencies, by
which, in case of a centsal fund being needed, the
money could have been distributed with the least poi.-
Bible harm. This organisation has been virtually
completed, but the breaking up of the frost and the
prevalence of fine weather have, it is hoped, taken
away all probability that any such fund will be sug-
gested. They would call attention to the remarks of
Mr. Ritchie, the President of the Local Government
Board, as to the numbers that have this year come to
London from the country in order to share in the
scramble for alms, which they heard were so lavishly
bestowed last year: and the council would strongly
emphasise their conviction that no central fund should
ever be stetted, unless in case of extreme urgency;
even with all possible precaution, it could not fail to
do some harm, and the authorities most conversant
with work amongst the poor express strong views of
the evil effects of such a fund.
Section 2. The committee would, however, express
their bel:ef that the Mansion House Council has been
of considerable use. In the first place, it has soothed
the fears of those who were looking forward with
much alarm and anxiety to a repetition of last year'e
panic; it has also provided a trustworthy account of
the actual position of the poor, which was much
needed, to counteract the extravagant statements
which have obtained a wide circulation. Some of
these the committee have made efforts to test, but in
each case the needful information has been withheld
by those who made the statements. On the other
hand the report of the committee is not the expres-
sion of their own view, but the outcome of reports
furnished from every trustworthy source from which
they could be obtained.
They would, howtiver, Lore repeat that there is,
without doubt, a large amount of individual distress
on account of the depression in trade, and would urge
all those who desire to relieve it through others to
support liberally those societies which, acting on the
principle of the Society for the Relief of Distress
and the local committees of the Charity Organisation
Society, relieve only after strict and thorough investi-
gation of each case, and without respect to creed; they
would at the same time impress upon the public the
great necessity that all persons engaged in alms-giving
should arrange n.ethods of co-operation with one
another, and with the guardians of the poor. By this
means, not only would many present evils be avoided,
but a basis would be provided for the immediate
creation of a good provi§ional committee if nay emer-
gency arose.
Section 3. The committee would again call atten-
tion to the immense harm done by indiscriminate
alms-giving. This not only demoralises the recipient,
but tempts all those who find work difficult to obtain,
or arduous to endure, to enlist themselves in that
large army of mendicants, loafers, and vagabonds,
which is a disgrace and a danger to the community.
They would particularly urge that the authorities
should act more firmly and consistently in putting
down street begging—one most fruitful source of
demoralisation-and crime.
.-In conclusion, the committee feel it right to express
their deep sense of the magnitude and importance of
the problem of the condition of the artisan and hum-
bler classes of the metropolis. The irregularity and
casual nature of much of the labour recluired, its de-
pendence on weather, fashion, and special circum-
stances, all tend to complicate the question, and are
the cause of much misapprehension in the public
mind.

The committee trust that the "Rules for Relief,"
and the "Suggestion for Dealing with Exceptional
Distress," prepared by the executive committee, and
approved by the council, will prove of service here-
after should the condition of things be such as to call
for action in reiation to metropolitan poverty.