The New York herald., 1874-05-23
SOCIAL SCIENCE.
Concluding Sessions of the Asso-
citation Yesterday.
Papers on Pauperism and Reformation
Of Prisoners

VI xIlbOU6IBe
The Social Science Associations sessions yester.
DAY were attended IS usual by small audience.
The paper which attracted the most attention and
ELECTED the most discussion during the day sessions
was that OF Professor Davis on "Pauperism.n In
concsuding the reading Of the paper the Professor
said:-On the lst OF July, 1879 the whole number
or paupers reported In England and Wales, with
population OF scarcely 22,o 900. was s2232a. Of
whom $50 900 were outdoor and only about l72, 900
Indoor paupers That Is to say, in the season
OF the year when outdoor reief is most
simply provided by nature for the poor,
and consequently when the Poor Law Guar.
dtans have the least occasion to furnish 1t,
they do IN fact maintain or aid nearly four times
Is many persons outside OF the almshouses or
warehouses; as are supported inside. Now, In the
state OF New YORK 1t s safe to say that the lst
OF July, 1873, there were more than twice as many
persons inside the amshouses as we're receiving
liei outside, and in Massachusetts the proportion
was fully as great; so that the relative abuse or
necessity for outdoor relief must have been SIX or
seven times as great in England last summer IS In
New York or Massachusetts, and the same can be
said OF Pennsylvania, for which the statistics OF
pauper relier have been carefully collected by the
State Board OF Charities, as is the case In New
York and Massachusetts 1t must also be said. in
regard to the American recipients OF outdoor re.
liel that 1t would be unfair to reckon them as per-
manent paupers. They are sel-supporrng
she greater proportion of the year, and
are only dependent on the authorizes for very
small portion OF their subsistence. 1t IL in es.
timating these persons as paupers. and In count
ing them TWO or three times over, that such
fearful statistics oil pauperism have been deduced
from the records OF American cities. Could the
actual figures OF the number and OF relief ad-
mintstered by public authorities IN these cities be
correctly given they would show the incorrect
ness OF the high authority on this subject. Professor
Henry Fawcett who, In his volume on pauperism,
states the cases OF outdoor relief In Philadenhla
as 10000 In 1869. or about double the number
t57.82l really relieved both in that city and the
whole State OF Pennsylvania, OF whom probably
aess than 10000 were receiving relief on any
given day. The statement OF Professor Fawcett
includes many persons reckoned twice. thrice or
perhaps ten times during the year when the relief
was furnished In Philadelphia, and. If correct,
would show that nearly every sixth person in that
city was pauper IN 1869. According to the Pro-
lessor, person in 20 IN England, in 20 In Scot
land and only IN "A In Ireland Is a pauper.
Using the same basis Of computation. we should
perhaps find person In 100 paupers in New York,
Pennsylvania ana Massachusetts the three States
IN which pauperism In America is most common.
few years ago the Pennsylvania authorities put
series OF questions in regard TO outdoor relief
TO the officials in the different countries. The first
was, Does the giving OF outdoor relief prove to
be permanent or only temporary ~ The answers
wero Is for temporary. for permanent and 10
permanent to great extent Another question
was. "does 1t encourage pauperism by encour.
aging persons to apply for public aid who would
support themselves 4 they were to receive
tWepy " ee6s Me5e
'tt does notn Similar questions IN Massachu-
setts show different ratio of answers. American
cn1AN
trustworthy, show approximately condition. Of
things In this regard in our most populous commu.
mites less alarming than had been supposed. Com
pared with England our position is favorable. yet
Il cannot be denied that pauperism advances
with rapid pace. In Massachnsetts, as a Whole, It
IS not advancing. but. rather in comparison with
the statistics are as YET too recent To
show whether 1t Is advancing or diminishing; but
70 s ~ - our larger ces the tendency Is ior panper
pauperism are . thorough and discriminating su.
pervision OF oil charities public ana private; the
p0yment OF the poor and their children; the plac.
Ing Of pauper children III good families at distance,
II npossibe, from degrading socIatons A rigid and
exact system OF indoor relief accompanied with
labor the reduction OF outdoor relief in cities.
and the encouragement OF emigration to the rural
districts from the crowded centres OF poverty and
crime, which most OF our largest cities now have
become the position 81 4 New YORK IN this respec.
Oi million oil emlgrants from foreign countries,
and this exposes It to peculiar evils ana dangers.
be made an apology Tor neglect or an occasion for
abuses but should lead to increased vigilance ana
activity on the part Of It's magistrates and citi-
The Rev. DR.. John Hall said It was true that at
t inc oeglnnlng mn OF tne winter we were threatened
table heart OF the CITY was not found wanting.
There always had been rush OF country laborers
to New York IN winter, he was informed, and these
'stramps" made their way toward this city from
distances & ey ;a as It were begging at the farm
need OF, not SO much because the owners gave it
as charity but because they were fearful ir they
nG might not be sDs sae wss' 10 susl asked S
that there was no necessity Tor paupersm in this
country. The people Of this city gave away too
the paper had announced last winter as predc-
tons the views OF the situation as he had given 1t
down by a howl OF popular Indignation He said
the tendencies OF the day were to get rid or the
marriage tie. 1t was becoming a temptation for
parents to shake themselves Iree ol those who by
the arrangements OF the Creator, have claims
upon them hem For instance wife dies S and the
abandonment, and vice uersa. ECONOMY
was not thought OF beforehand. A man who would
annually think that he was likely TO die at any
time, and VINO would. Tor tnat reason. annually
put something in the savings bank for his wife
and children, would be the better Tor the thought.
He was sorry to say that there was growing up
sort OF business competition between charitable
This was seen even between Churches, and money
that was contributed by private individuals and
appropriated ny the Legislature was wasted aud
made away with lor purposes that 1t was not con-
tributed TO aid.
Mrs. Tell. nom Boston, told Of her experience
after the great Dire In that CITY, and declared that
there had been cases which came under her notice
where young women so long as they could get
charity refused TO 60 into service In good families
at good wages
MI. j. W. Skinner did not believe IN outdoor re-
lief. It did not, he said do anything to decrease
pauperism. Relief ought TO be accompanied by
work so long as the parties asking or reler could
work. This would prevent pauperism and he had
an idea that prevention was better than cure, IN
charities as well as IN all other things
Dr. Bishop said the subject treated OF In the
paper was exhausJless and could only be treated.
therefore, in parts He sald II wCuo be difficult TO
enforce the new compulsory education act, and