Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-12-09
AN IMPORTANT CONFERENCE.

Inc conference Oh OHdTIllSsj nOM III SIS
sion in San Francisco, is a Convention of
the highest Importance, and can become of
inestimable service to the State. If all |
time is not wasted in talk" if precious
moments are not monopolized by the theo-
rists who aim above the public thought,
there can be undesirable good done. The
body is reported to be one of especial ex-
cellence and broadly representative.
A chief end for attainment by these
philanthropists should be agreement upon
some system for mutual protection. As it
is, there is practically no systematized
mode of action; each charity moves indie
pendently of all others, and thus there is
vast deal of duplication, cross purpose
and overlapping and wasting of work.
What is needed is some protective union,
not in any way to interfere with associa-
ton labors, but rather to augment their
results. Some system of union, in short
by the Free Masonry of which, so to speak,
the premium upon poverty and idleness
may be removed This can be done by
central agencies in large population cen
tiers, accountable to one chief agency in
San Francisco Through these avenues
only should any applicant" for relief be
able to reach any of the charities or re-
ceive aid from private kindliness. To
these agencies should be reported in detail
every case of distress and of all relief al
forded. Thus they will become reposi-
tories of the history of all charity activity
in the land, and be able to note all misdi-
rection, imposture or uneconomic labor.
1t will be seen at a glance that such
system would absolutely prevent imposture
and ferret out and drive to labor the shift
less and unworthy willingly living upon
public, private and association aims
Thousands of worthy poor are now refused
aid because men will not take the risk in
volved in being the almoners of their own
aims, or aiding imposture by nisdirected
charities, while thousands of the unworthy
are given aid by those who fear that
in refusing they may reject real need.
But with central systems maintained-at
small cosby all charities, there would
soon be made and kept up perfect census
of the deserving poor, the Migrants and
the imposters. Human beings who now
suffer on rather than to appeal to societies
or individuals directly, through these
agencies could make their wants known
without humiliation. The travelling Of
the beggar and imposter class from city
to city, and town to town, to CLEAN in fresh
fields, would by this system be utterly
broken up, because every charity organ
ization, every charitably -inclined person,
would refer such leeches to these
agencies for certifcation of worthiness,
and thus be protected from imposture,
since the agencies would be thoroughly
mutual in their exchanges of information
and warning of the movements of the i'm
posters, such an army of whom now con-
sumo the bread of the worthy poor. The
agencies would not at all interfere with
the specific work of any association charity,
but would prove aids to all such by certify
ing applicants for relief to those upon
whom their claims would most directly
fall and Ct whom they might other
wise have no knowledge.
II this fc r,,esae4 o,,tls,,o =, ,,a.z.bI,
economic and feasible scheme that will
cost the charity associations but nomi-
nal sum each to maintain, and by which
the vast number of professional mendi-
Grants can be utterly driven out of idle
ness, and the aims wasted upon them be
wholly saved.
Another important matter for the Con-
ference to consider is the subject of labor
for the dependent poor. 1t ought to be
of one mind in resolving that all labor
for the able-bodied class, given as pure
charity, should be extremely distasteful
and uninviting. For the tramp and able
bodied poor labor test is absolutely
necessary, and it must be disagreeable and
under-paid, as Miss Lowell in her admir-
able monograph has so clearly demon
strated. 1t is the best of all methods for
helping people TO help themselves, and
does not deprive the working non-depend-
ent class of wage earnings due them. 1t
will the soonest remove the congestion of
workers which poverty among the worthy
able-5odied always typifes, for lit will
eliminate the unworthy from competition
with them, and bring the former to deserve
permanent employment, or punish them
for their deceit and laziness.
This policy of labor test and underpaid
and disagreeable work the conference
should strongly present to the State and |
the several counties, for as we last
spring pointed out, applied in counties to
tramps and Migrants it will clear the
country of them without one whit inter