Los Angeles herald., 1891-01-05
Balfour and Zetland Issue a
Declaration.
They Say Poverty is Chronic
in Some Districts.
Ill Administered Charity's Inju-
ri0us Effects.
Parnell Places Himself in the Hands Of
His Friends-His Abdicasion
Possibility.
Associated Press Dispatches.

Associated Press Dispatches. ,e.s
DUBLIN, Jan. 4.-The Earl of Zetland,
| viceroy OF Ireland, and Chief Secretary
Balfour have signed declaration which
has been issued on the condition of the
poor in the western part of Ireland. The
declaration says: Poverty is chronic
in some districts, and will, if the people
are not aided, reach stage of acute dis
tress during the winter and spring.
There is not resident party nor SUBJ
stantial middle-class to give employ
ment, nor are there charitable organiza-
tions to aid those who are unable to aid
themselves. Outdoor relief, excepting
in cases of emergency, cannot legally
be administered, except to persons
holding over quarter Of an acre OF
land. Although none acquainted with
the history of the Irish poor law would
regard relaxing this clause as other than
apublic calamity, its maintenance un-
doubtedly limits the capacity to deal
with periods OF exceptional distress.
The position thus created leaves part
OF the social organism sick at all times,
stricken with disease, from which, with
out extraneous help, it has no power to
rally.
"The question is, not whether money
ought to be given, but how it ought to
be given, to what class and for what
special purpose. Charity i'll admins
tered INJURIES the recipients, everywhere.
but is especially injurious to those parts
with which we are concerned. Else
where the injury may be confined to q
class relatively small, but in the worst
portions of the congested districts the
whole community may be affected. An
are poor; all can plausibly appeal for
aid; and help. recklessly given IN re-
sponse may infect whole townships with
the vices and weaknesses of professional
mendicancy. We have spoken OF this
matter to many priests and others ac-
quainted with the condition of the peQs
pie. There was not one Of them, how
ever keenly they may have felt the suf-
sterin9s, ct those amongst whom they
lived, VINO did not admit that perma-
nent i'll effects followed from much
charitable expenditure within their. ex-
perience.
Regarding appeals for help, it is
needful to say that tales of distress need
not be taken as authentic because they
are couched in strong language and
seemsto come from well-informed quar-
ters. .;sg.,
In regard to the failure of the potato
crop, the small occupiers in the west
seem at first sight all to live in the same
way. They are lodged in small cabins,
cultivate the same kind of soil, and are
clothed with the same kind of dress. It
would be natural to conclude that in all
places where the failure of the crop is
the same, the distress is the same; but
such is not the case; in no district does
the bulk of the community live wholly
upon potatoes. Every district has
means OF livelihood independent of the
potato. The degree of failure of the po-
tato crop is, therefore, by itself mis-
leading guide to the degree OF distress
existing among the people. Other ele.
ments in the finding of the position OF
the people are the amount of their
savings and their debt and credit with
the local tradesmen. Furthermore, in
the organization Of any plan OF gratui-
tous assistance, caution is necessary in
order that it shall not interfere with the
system of railway relief work. Several
thousand pounds sterling, weekly, have
already been distributed in the form of
wages, in the districts most in need.
"The conclusions we come to are that
charitable aid ought to be confined first,
to families which are IN serious want
and which, having no able-bodied per-
son among them, cannot derive benefit
from the public relief works; second, to
providing meals in schools for children
attending them, and third, to supply
ing clothing for children unable to pro-
cure it elsewhere"
The declaration concludes: ITO those
who think we, who can obtain the SER
vices OF the poor law inspectors, school
relieving officers, resident
magistrate, police and other residents in
the localities affected, and who are al
ready officially responsible for reliefworks
far exceeding any thing that charity is
likely to effect; to those who think we
are better equipped for carrying on this
work than other persons not having
these advantages, we offer to undertake /,
the management of the distribution of
any funds entrusted to us. We believe
that money so spent will he we'll spent.
"All assistance in the shape of food
Or clothing, which reaches children and
helpless persons, will tighten or remove
much immediate, suffering, without ex-
aggerating chronic evils requiring diff
ferent and continuous treatment for per-
manent cure. Subscriptions and cloth
ing will be received by the countess of
Zetland, at the viceregal lodge; Miss
Balfour at the chief secretary's lodge, or
by the viceroy or Balfour."
PARNELL WEAKENING.