Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1819-10-05

ueusOWt, tnattDe remaining Citizens have
even talked Of applying 70 the state to
maintain their paupers. What will be
done when the state becomes too poor to
support its paupers?
live seek for cause for this degene-
racy, externally, we are not able to point
lit out. Surely our soil Is not less pro-
ductiye than formerly II Is not oyerbur-
dened With population. All kinds Of la
Dor are 10 demand The Iaboter is well
paid and the same quantity OF labor will
produce certainly not 4 less quantity Of
sustenance. Indeed the n.ass OF the peo-
Iple being more wealthy, are better able to
lire and pay labourers than they were
len years ago.
The causes of increased pauperism are,
|. Bad management in our tovas. 2. Hdb
its of IdieneSs and ipte,gperance. En-
trauagance. To prevent being over
wheimed by our poor Expenses in less
than fifty years from the present, the peo-
pie must seek and persevere in the at
tempt to remedy them iaider these three
heads.
| |. Bad management Of our TOWNS
Those towns which have had the most
lexperience know best how to manage their
lpoor they are the seaboard towns, where
the causes which should produce paupers
are ten 10 one Of those Id the country
towns. 10 the first, families are deprived
of their sole support by disasters at sea |;
by the fluctuations Of tratIe; by the stag
lnation OF commerce, &c. &c. Yet, it is
believed tie careful management by the
poor oyerseers 10 most of these towns rem
lders their poor expenses less in proportion
to numbers and wealth, Ihan in most Of
our country towns. We have now before
us statement of the management and
Expenses Of the poor in the town of Bev-
Ierly, Essex county, Ms. for number of
years. This town by thecensus OF 1910
contained 44GS souls Ct Ct hem large
proportion Of the heads OF families are
fishermen or engaged 10 seafarine life.
The town, since 1906, has suffered very
much in its fishery and navigation, and no
longer presents its formfrfourisiling as
lpect: many of its most wealthy and en-
terprising citizens have removed out Of it.
Yet under all these disadvantages, instead
of increasing, its poor exIeases have been
iessened. The average expense Of sup
porting the poor IN that town from 1904
Ito 1919 was $l287 per ssaana the great
lest amount in auy one year, Sl887.
The difficulty with country towns in
THE management Of their poor seems to be,
The suant Of some regular and rigid sys-
Item. The most of them do little better
THAN hold out lure TO idleness and profit
gacy. Finding it easier to beg than dig
crowds who are abuudantly able to work
call on the overseers for assistance; and
this assistance enables idle persons to live
better than the poor industrious. The
disgrace OF asking aid of the town, from
the number aud frequency Of the appica-
ltious, soon becomes little more than noml-
InaI. Generally there is no poor house,
where those who are able might be made
to labor !; and the poor are either assisted
in their families or boarded out. Instances
are frequent, where the very bread and
meat furnished have been sold by the
Ipauper for ardent spirits /; and from one to
two dollars per week are often paid TO
support those who are able and ought to
be made to earn that sum besides paying
their board. A more rigid, but not less
faithful system OF management would in
some respects prevent the increase of pau
pers. Kindness and benevolence are lau-
dable but these may be extended too far.
Let every town, which has more than ten
Ipaupers, procure house and quantity
lof land, hire an overseer and commit to
Ibis management all who are determined
not to support themselves. Letthose who
are well be made TO work but let the
lsick be treated kindly. In some cases OF
distress it may be advisable to assist in
digent families out oil the poor house but
as soon as numbers Of them require per-
maneni assistance, they should be carried
there. A reluctance TO entr this estab-
lishment will soon discover itself; and
dozens of idle persons WHIP otherwise
might apply, rather than ent& there, will
struggle themselves TO earn ! livelihood.
Much may be done by the overseers Of
towns, as well to prevent applications, as
Ito prevent one of the causes of the many
applications, viz.
i 2. Habits Of Idleness and fItemperance.
: These, being the standing pests Of our
J country, should not only be prevented as
Il far as law can prevent them but should
be looked down by all s. ber people.
Those idlers who appear longing about
taverns and rog.shops, andmake their
! stomachs the receptacIes of iii the rum
they can lay hold of--are pure, il the
liquid fire. do not burn thl better part