New-York daily tribune., 1845-01-28
The Poor and their Needs.

In communication Which found It's way tC
our columns some days since, the opinion was
expressed that there is very lille suffering for
food in our City. We presume this opinion is
nearly correct. a very little food-wc mean a
very small SUN lldiciously expended IN food
will keep human being within the range OF e1-
;reme suffering from famine. Then this winter
has thus far been extremely mild and open, the
demand for fuel consequently moderate, and
many departments Of Labor have been prosecu-
ted which must be arrested by severe weather.
Our daily observation in the upper part of the
CITY inclines US to believe that there has rarely
or never before been SO much Blasting, d,g-
gipg. building, carried on in winter as 50 far
this season. The number of houses now be-
ing built is remarkably large. Added to this
that the last business year was an active ana
prosperous one, and that the disbursements OF the
more fortunate classes are proport:onally liberal,
while the rivers inles, &c. all around us are still
nayigsted by steamboats,, and provisions are thus
poured into our markets at reasonable prices, and
it must be confessed that our City has seldom in
id.wintef witnessed so little extreme suffering
from destitution now.
And yet there is suffering from 6esitu,ion-
and not a little. We know instances in which
families have been broken up and scattered be-
GAUGE the husband and father could find nothing
TO do. Three dollars week would have secured
then home tiit s?rng, but ne could not fiud an
opportunity to earn three collars week BY his
most strenuous exetuons. So his chidren are
cast upon the kindness of relatives, their mother
seeks situation at domestic service, and ,he
father Is to shift for himself as ne can-earnog q
trife now and then b shoveang snow or carry
ing package, and thus holding on for bstter
times. Wo know of widowed mothef with an
infant, (wao cannot obtain employment because
she cannot dispose Of her child ~ho earns q
shilling now and then b. selling apples, pays nifty
cents week for iodging-no, the City pays
iha, for her-end ekes out sort of living By char-
ity. In third case, father Of family, rem.
dered nearly helpless by stroke of paralysis, oo-
tains little employ yment occasionally as Z copy
,st, and keeps his family together, out of the
Aims House. by continued appeals to the cha,ita-
Bile. A literally educated man and his wife sub
sisting on Il united income OF TWO d5ars week
we did know, but they have passed OUT OF our
circle oi our acqGain,ance-we hope throue h
some access OF better fortune. Altogether, we
estimate that there are Fifty Thousand People in
this City who have no. the means of week 5
comfortable subsistence and know not where 10
obtain it. Snil, most of them win work elong,
somehow.
The woss, feature oil ;his destitusipn is ITS in.
cessant temptation TO beggaIy ii no; to crime
AroQnd the Asior House steps, 10 the Park, and
a, other places, we meet, IL nea, ,aidnight, Ette
childrea whining out theit stcreotyped peti.ion,
Mother is sick at aome and has nosbiog to eat
please, sir, give me penny TO buy some
bread" Most Of these children are dsublless
beggaTs by profession, sent out by drunken and
worthless parents TO procure by Importantly The
means OF supporting them III The zoos, brutal
degradation. The really destitute aud deserving
shrink from beggay as pollution. But Neces
sity hath no law, and, once drivea 10 btg, and
having mastered the sense of degradation, they
find it easier 10 live by asking successfully for
aims than by asking IN vain for work aad so the
circle Of wretched dependents on chance chuity
Is daily widening. Although the arrangements
and appliances of both public and private charity
have been greatly improved within the las, len
years, still the number of beggars has immensely
increased, and their pertinacity as WE'LL How
long shall this continae2
Bot the more direct road to Crime is also fear.
July crowded by reason of destitution. The
"'eses' burglars and PockeLbook d.oppeIs CT to.