Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-05
A SCHEME OF RELIEF
Suggested for the Irish by the
Yiceroy and Secretary Balfour.
READY TO TAKE 1T In CHARGE.
Failure of the Potato Crop Not the Sole
Cause of Suffering,
HOW THE WORK SHOULD BE CARRIED ON

DUBLIN, Jan. 4-The Earl Of Zetland,
Viceroy of Ireland, and Chief Secretary
Balfour sign document 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.
II tne people are not aided. reach stage OF
acute distress during the winter and spring.
There is neither resident gentry nor sub
stantial middle class to give employment, nor
are there charitable organizations to aid those
VINO are unable to aid themselves. Outdoor
relief, except in cases of emergency, cannot
legally be administered except to persons hold
ing over quarter of an acre of land.
although none acquainted with the history
of the Irish poor law would regard the relaxing
OF this rule as other than public calamity, its
maintenance. undoubtedly limits the capacity
to deal with periods of exceptional distress.
The position thus created leaves part of the
disease from which. without extraneous help.
IL mas no power to rally.
Clear Judgment Is Needed.
The question is not whether it ought to be
given, or how it ought to be given to q class
and FOR what special purposes. Charity yill-ad-
m1nistered Injuries the recipients everywhere,
but is especially injurious in those parts with
which we are concerned. Elsewhere the injury
may be confined to a class relatively small, but
the whole community may be affected.
All are poor, all can plausibly appeal for aid,
and help recklessly given in response may in
feet whole townships with the vices and weak
nesses of professional 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 sufferings of
those among whom they lived, who did not ad-
NIT that permanent ill-effects followed from
much charitable expenditure within their ex-
pefience.
Accuracy of Appeals for Help.
Regarding the appeals for help, it is needless
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 quarters. The desire to stimulate
tagging charity has been fruitful source of
exaggeration. We do not know that there is
any reason 20 suppose that in Ireland this
tendency is likely TO be controlled by long es-
tablished habits of severe and disciplined ac-
curacy. 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 holdings, and are clothed with the same
kind of dress. 1t 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 on the potato.
Every district has means of livelihood inde-
pendent of the cultivation of the potato. such
as fishing, labor in England. cottage in
dustries, kelp, making and the sales Of farm
stock.
The Degree of Distress.
The degree of the failure of the potato crop
is therefore by itself a misleading guide to the
degree of distress existing among the people.
Other elements in the finding of the position of
the people are the amount of their savings
and their debt and credit with local tradesmen.
Furthermore in the organization of any plan
of gratuitous assistance caution is necessar ~
in order that 1t shall not interfere with the
system Of railway relief works. Several
thousands of pounds weekly are already DIS
tribured in the form of wages In the districts
most in need. Those getting wages through
work ought not to get charity without it.
The conclusions we come TO are that charity
ought to be confined; first, to families which
arc in want which, having no able-bodied per-
son among them, cannot derive benefit from
the public relief works; second, to providing
meats in the schools for children attending
them, and third. to supplying clothes for chill
dren unable to procure them elsewhere. These
forms of assistance are less liable to abuse
than others.
There Should Be Only One Head.
The declaration proceeds to discuss the
requisites Tor a good distribution of aid
among the poor. The authority for such
distribution, it says, should be single for
the vesting of this authority in more than
one person would cause confusion as to
areas and inequality of resources, end
would lead to no rational adjustment be-
tween needs and means. The single dis
tributing authority ought to command all
available means OF information as to the
condition Of the people throughout the
country.
The declaration concludes:
To those who think that we who can obtain
the services of poor law inspectors, school in
spectOrs. relieving officers, resident magis-
trates, the police and others resident in local
ities affected, and who already officially re-
sponsible for relief works far exceeding any
thing that charity is likely to effect-to those
who think we are better equipped for carrying
out this work than persons not having these
advantages, we offer to undertake the manage.
ment OF the distribution of any funds lntrusted
to us. We believe that money SO spent will be
well spent.
All assistance in the shape of food or cloth
ing through this channel, or any other, which
reaches children and helpless persons will
without exaggerating chronic evils requiring
manent cure. Subscriptions and clothing will
he received by the Countess of Zetland, at the
Vice Regal Lodge; Miss Balfour, at the Chief
Secretary's Lodge, or by the viceroy of Mr..
Balfour.
CRITICISING THE EMPEROR.