Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-06
POVERTY IN IRELAND.
A Statement From Mr. Balfour and the
Irish NlcernN.

NlNtAbN VI lINldiAAAF anu NllAfl hNfAltlfAl y
-8alfour sign 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 distress during
the winter and spring There is neither
a resident gentry nor substantial mid
die class to give employment. Nor are
there charitable organizations 10 aid
those who are unable to aid themselves
Outdoor relief, except in cases of emer
gency, cannot legally be administered
except to persons holding over n quartti
of an acre Of land. Although one ac
quainted with the history of the Irish
poor law would regard the relaxing OF
this rule ~ other than public calamity,
its maintenance undoubtedly limits the
capacity to deal with periods of ex-
ceptional distress. The position thus
created leaves a part Of the social organ
ism sick at all times-stricken with a
disease from which, without 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, 10 what class, and for what
special purposes. Charity i'll admin
istered INJURIES the recipients every
where, but is especially injurious in
those parts with which we are con
cerned Elsewhere the injury may be
confined to class relatively small. but
in the worst portions of the congested
districts the whole community may he
affected, All are poor; all can plausibly
appeal for aid, and help recklessly given
in response may infect whole townships
with the vices and weaknesses of profes-
sional mendicancy. We have spoken of
this matter to many priests and others
acquainted with the condition of the
people. There was not one of them, |
however keenly they may have felt the
sutferings of those among whom they
lived, who did not admit that permanent
ill-effects followed from much charitable
expenditure within their experience.
Regarding the appeals for help, it il
needful to say that tales of distress need
not be taken as authentic because they
are cOuched in strong language and
seem to come from well informed quar-
ters. The desire to stimulate tagging
charity has been fruitful source Of ex-
aggeration We do not know that there
is any reason to suppose that in Ireland |
this tendency is likely to be controlled |
by long established habits Of severe and |
disciplined accuracy. 1t is not easy
adequately to check such statements. |
even by personal observation aided by |
statistics, however accurate.
"In regard to the failure of the potato |
crop, small occupiers in the west SEEM |
at first sight, all to live much in the
same way. They are lodged in the same
cabins, cultivate the same kind of hold. |
ings, and are clothed with the same lsind |
of dress.
1T would be natural to conclude thai !
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 ON the potato. Every district |
has means of livelihood independent of |
the cultivation of the potato, such as
fishing, labor in England. cottage indus |
tries, help making and sales of farm |
stock. The degree of the failure of the |
potato crop is. therefore, by itself, q mis- |
leading guide to the degtec nf distress |
existing among the people. Other ele-
ments in the +'nding of the position Of |
the people are the ariuuii; - - 'l'"ir sew
ings and their debt and credit with local |
tradesmen. FrltGerInors, IN .he orcgni-
Zation Of any plan of gra5nto,s assist
ance caution is necessary in order that it |
shall not interfere with the system of |
railway relief works Several thousands |
of pounds weekly are already distributed
in the form of wages in the districts
most in need, Those getting wages
through work ought not to get charity
without it.
1.-THE conclusions we come to are that
charitable aid ought to be confined, first.
to families which are in serious want,
and which, having an able-bodied per
son among them. cannot derive benefit /
from the public relief works; second, 10
providing meals in the schools for chill
dren attending them, and third 20 sup
plying clothes for children unable Ia pro-.
cure them elsewhere. These forms of
assistance are less liable to abuse than
Others
The declaration proceeds to discuss the
requisites for "a good distribution Of aid
the poor. The authority for such
it says. should be single; for
the vestng Of this authority IN more
than one person would canse confusion
as TO the areas and equality Of resources,
and would lead b. no rational adjust
ment between needs and means. The
single distributing authority ought 10
command all available means 1f in
formation rs to the condition of the peo-
pie throughout the country The declar-
alton concludes:
ITO those who think that we who can
obtain the services Of poor law inspect
0ys, school inspectors. relieving officers,
resident magistrates the police aud 9th
erH resident in localities affected, and
who alreaiy are officially responsible for
relief works Gar exceeding anything that
charity Il likely 90 effect 70 those who
think that we arr better equipped for
carving cut this work than persons not T.
having these advantages. we offer 10
undertake the mauagumeat ~ the distri
button Of any funds iafrusteG ga u.s. We
believe that money s0 spent viii - well .
spent,
"Au assistance Ia the shape II food oF
clothing through this channel or any
other which Reaches children ur helpls~g
persons. will tighten and remove much .
immediate suffering without exnggemt
ing chronic evils requiring different and .
continuous treatment tuf permanent
cure Subscriptions and clothing viii
ta received iy The Counties ui Iceland .