The Republican journal., 1875-03-11
Paupers and Taxes.

The first of these is pauperism. Pro
lessor Anderson, of the state board Of
charities, sums up in a report the result
of very extensive Inquiries among the
aims houses of the state. OF course the
figures of a great state like New DIRK are
greatly in excess of a state having pop
ulation like Maine, but the per cent. ought
not to differ much, and the deductions OF
equal value to U.S.
Professor Anderson bases his arguments
on these truths; that the suffering which
society is bound to alleviate is appalling
in amount, that this duty should be appre-
ciated by all who love their fellow-men,
and that the burden it imposes is liable tc
increase with our population. Amid the
general prosperity arising from the vast
resources of our country, economical con
siderations as to pauperism, as well a:
other subjects, have generally been little
regarded.
"Americans," he says, "have beer
prone to assume that the terrible enigma,
Of pauperism as they are propounded te
the Old World, would never trouble the
New We have been profuse in our pro
vision for the relief of suffering humanity
but have not studied, as we ought, the
means of reaching it and Graduating it;
causes"
The statistics presented by President
Anderson show that the number of per
sons who have received outdoor relief OIL
support in almshouses decreased gradu-
ally during the last six years. According
to the per centage OF population it was
6.O2 in 1868 and 1927 in 1875 1t is graft
tying to see that during so long period
part of which was time of great indus
trial depression, paupe rism in that state
deceased nearly one halt
The cost of maintaining the poor in the
almshouses has in the aggregate slightly
increased from So 30S, 1OS in 1868 tc
$2,445 ,9O6 in 1878. During the same
time the per centage Of this class of pau
pers in comparison with that of the popu
lation at large increased from 1.2l in 1868
to Al in 1878, and the average cost o.
each individually diminished from S31.1.
to $27,93.
The whole number officially aided dur
ing the period of six years was 1,064,50
of whom 71S,473 received outdoor aid
and $4,000 were supported in aims
houses. For the six years the expendi-
ture was S14.7S6, 091 80, of which sun
SO ,946, 93477 were used in almshouses
and $4 ,S39, 1902 in outdoor relief. This
would make the average yearly eXpendi-
ture torboth kinds of charity s., AGA, 34S 5G
outdoor relief $500, 526 10, almshouses
81 ,657 1922 46 The number of those sup
ported in the almshouses has increased IL
per cent, the cost of maintenance only
advancing per cent. On the other hand
there has been reduction of 60 per cent
in the number of recipients Of outdoor
relief, and an actual increase in eNpendi-
ture of per cent.
One Of the main ideas running through
the report is pithily expressed in the ex-
cellent old adage that che who can work
and won't work should be made to work. y
Hence more severe laws against actual
vagabonds and professional beggars are
decidedly recommended More than five
hundred years ago the subject received at
tention from the British Parliament which
early as 1349, passed an Ordinance OF
Laborers," providing that none shall I'M
der color of pity or aims give anything to
such which may labor, or presume to IA
vor them in their sloth, so that thereby
they may be compelled to labor for their
necessary living" Another sound lead
ing principle of public and private charity
is that to help men to help themselves is
the best possible form liberality and aid
can assume. But there are many who
BY bodily or mental defects are unable to
support themselves, and who properly are
rather SUBJECTS for hospitals or intirmaries,
or special schools than modern poor
houses. On the other hand men and wo-
men who are able to work should not be
supported at the expense Of the rest of the
community.
Taken altogether the tendency of Presi-
dent Anderson's report is to provide for
destitute children in private families Or,
where this is impossible, in suitable asy-
lums, distinct from the poor-houses, and
by making all those work who can do so,
to have in reality no such poor-houses as
we now have. but instead Of them to have
for the relief Of the poor two classes of
houses, one of which would be, in fact,
industrial institutions, and the other be, as
we have already intimated infirmaries or
homes for the aged and those who from
various causes are actually unable to
work.
The other sublect-that of the assess
ment Of taxes--is engaging the attention
of the Legislature. 1t is an attempt to
stop some of the many leaks by which
property escapes taxation. A bill is now
before the state senate which makes it the
duty Of every taxable inhabitant of the
state, on or before July LIST of each year,
to deliver to the assessors of his locality
a sworn statement of all his property, real
or personal together with the value Of the
same. False swearing as to any essential
fact in such statement is made perjury and
punishable by two years in state prison or
S. 900 fine, or both. If any one neglect
or refuse to make such statement, the as
SCISSORS are required to assess his property
for the year in which he is thus delinquent
at twice its full value. The bill also en-
acts stringent provisions empowering the
assessors to summon taxable inhabitants
and make inquisition as to the correctness
of their statements. Neglect or refusal to