The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-05-17
The Enslish Relief system.

! Moncure T.. Conway, in letter TO
the Cincinnati Commercial, describes
the relief system of Great Britain as fol-
lows; 'sNot only Is poverty Pensioned,
but q premium Is put upon some Of its
causes. We're I at this moment to lay
aside my pen and go to the relieving
officer of this parish and tell him and
my family wsre in want, he would eth
er have to show it otherwise or support
me. x II he doubts my statement the
burden of proof rests with him. III he
finds me in /. house, and declare the
house and furniture belongs to some
one else, he must either take up his
time in ferreting out facts that would
show the imposture or else must give
relief. As q matter of fact, when the
relieving officer is applied to, his inves-
tigation Is not and can not be extensive.
(62 1-2 cents) per week for himself, a
shilling for his wife per week, roll of
bread for each of the children, and an
order for meat and groceries. These
meats and groceries are supplied by CON-
tract with large houses, and are much
better than most people get who work
for their living. Everybody, therefore,
in this country, has right TO demand
physical support without working for it.
1t Is true that the relieving officer is au-
thorized to make the applicant do some
work, and nominally he often does so !;
but 1t Is mere apology for work, such
as asserting papers for half hour or
other trife; for were it real or produc-
tive labor the trades would make row.
Therefore, the guardians support vast
number of lazy people, But there are
other singular facts. II poor man and
wife have ten children they may find an
important advantage in deserving them.
They go off to another part of London
or to another town. The guardians of
the poor take the children to COM
Portable home. They advertise for the
deserving parents. They are probably
found out and arrested. The man is
given few weeks in prison. When he
comes out of prison he may, If he cares
for his children, go to the home and de-
mand them (though the home would
then go TO the relieving officer and say !:
| Nobody viii employ me because l have
been in prison. / have ten children on
INV hands, Then the relieving officer
must support that big family. Any lit
tie money the man can pick up he may
keep; he hss always an excuse for de-
manding relief in the stigma OF his
crime. The more children he has the
more he gets. Instead, therefore, of
placing tax on every child brought in
to the world, which would be the better
course, this country virtually puts pre-
MUM on excessive breeding of paupers.
| And this it continues to do after the fol-
ly has been demonstrated thousand
times, simply in dread lest these masses
turn to criminals. Twenty-four hours
of absolute hunger would turn them in
to an army of bandits and burglars. To
deal with an evil radically is not in the
average English nature, consequently
the evil has gone on until now pauper-
ism, decreasing in many districts by
flooding London, has risen beyond the
i provisions of the metropolis for it. The
result is an increase of crime. There is
visibly growing great Python in Lon
don; and it begins to assume the inge-
nious fangs and subtleties of scientific
age. 1t shares the culture of q scientific
age. 1t is dealing largely in American
revolvers. All the law and the prophets
are for it summed up in two: Thou
shalt love thyself with all thy mind,
soul and strength, and put out of your
way anybody who stands init"