Morning journal and courier., 1880-08-14
PAUPERIsM AND ITS REnIED


 The philosophers who are talking together at Concord on Thursday had something to say concerning one of the most important and difficult problems with which civilized governments have to deal, namely, that of pauperism. They did not solve this problem, but much that was said about it is, neverthe- less, very interesting. notable feature of the talk was the remarks of MT. Alcott, who thought that the fact of pauperism implied a great want in our institutions. Society, said he, has not done it's duty toward the poor Others who participated in the conversation seemed to be of the same opinion.
 This opinion, which we believe to be just one, is held by many outside the ranks of the philosophers, and various propositions have been lately made designed partially to remedy society's neglect of it's duty toward the poor. Thus, in England bill was recently introduc ed in the House of Lords by the Earl of Car narvon, whose object is to secure to the worn out workingman means of subsistence in his old age other than that which the poorhouse offers. In order to effect this, it proposes that each man working for wages shall be obliged by law to pay the government fifty dollars before reaching the age of twenty-one, and q convenient way of collecting the money, the bill directs that employers shall be required to deduct weekly sum from the wages paid until the required amount is made up. On the other hand, the govern ment, in consideration of the amount paid, undertakes to maintain the laborer in sickness and old age by paying him a small annuity, to which the stig ma inseparable from public char itable relief is not attached. measure iden- tical in it's ends and very similar in it's propo- sals has also been brought before the French Chamber of Deputies. M. Nadaud, it's pro- jector, suggests that five per cent. be deduct cd from the gross wages of each working man. and that to this sum an equal amount be added by the employer and the govern ment conjointly in equal proportions. The grand result of this arrangement Is to be that at the age of fifty five the, employe will receive from the government an annuity of four hundred francs.
 Neither of these plans will commend itself to American readers as adequate or even prac- tieable solutions of the problem to which they are directed. They are, however, based upon sound principles. AS the Philadelphia North American says: 'tIt may be taken for granted that the average man earns enough to admit of his making a provision for old age if he could only be brought to ex- ercise the necessary self denial. This how ever, he will seldom do except upon compul- sion, and the great point is to bring this com pulsion to bear in manner that shall be at once efficient and acceptable. This is done already to considerable extent by building and mutual benefit societies, and by insur- ance companies, for when man takes out a policy, or joins society, he feels bound to keep up his payments, and is much more likely to do so than he would be to save a like amount independently of such constraint. AS yet the field of cooperation and insurance is only partially developed The principle of insurance is capable of much wider ap- plication than has yet been realized, and it is l in the working out of this principle that the most efficacious means of restricting pauper- ism is to be found.''
 In this country, with it's vast territory still open to settlement, the problem of pauper- ism is not yet so pressing as in Europe, but it is sufficiently troublesome, and bids fair to become more so. If our philosophers philan- thropists and legislators, profting by trans atlantic experience, can invent some plan that will decrease instead of increasing it they will do a much needed work for their country and the world. As human society is at present constituted, it would be impossible to blot out pauperism, but it is not impossible to lessen it.