The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-29
THE A9TEKICAN PAUPER.

One of the most comfortable documents
lately issued by the Census Bureau is Pro-
lessor Wines bulletin on pauperism in the
United States L viii not create much sur
prise here. but abroad it Will fill public men
with amaZemeHt
The total number OF paupers in aims
houses and all establishments maintained by
counties, cities or towns for the support of
paupers, other than hospitals, iunatic asy-
iums and cbuiren's homes, was, in $500
3. 045. something over one In a thousand Of
the total population On referring to the
statistics Of pauper.sm abroad we find that
u England, whose population is. in round
numbers. p 004.010, 7I,l5) Paupars are re-
ceiying public relief, either ID almshouses,
p1orhouses or at their homes-say 3 per
cent Of the total population; while in Ire
land, whose population is about :, 100000,
the number Of paupers Is 105 SOS, OF some
thing over . per cent Of the whole people.
This IS an Improvement over the returns Of
half a century agO. when every ninth per
son in Great Britain was said to be in part
Ut in whole supported by charity. But it
contrasts strangely with our figures. 1t
affords q grim confirmation Of travellers
stories. Americans who visit Great Britain
say that nothing in that country struck
them so much as the numbers Of persons
men, women and Childre0-who go barefoot.
1.-two or three out Of every hundred lnh2b-
ltauts Of the British Islands have to rely
upon public beuey0leuce for their dinner it
is go wonder they have 10 money to buy
shoes.
Tie distribution of our 73,045 paupers by
age, sex and residence IS instructive. The
male pauperS oUtuunber the female Ia the
proportion Of - per cent 10 -. But be
tween Tie ages Of - and 81 the females pre-
dominate over the men. 1t must be pre-
Sumad that at that age men are better able
to obtain work than women. Among cente-
narians the women d. not predominant.
though the cid Arabian pr0verb declares
taatf woman lives to be a hundred she
Viii live forever unless she is kiIlej.
just about half the paupeTs Of both sexes
are over - and under ~ years Of age That
is the age at which the bodily and mental
powers usually decay, and those who rely
on their daily labor for their support find I
difficult g. earn living. over 50 death re-
dJces the ranks OF tLe paupers. ana over 10
and under ~ it must be supposed that the
persons who are classed rs pauDers must be
disabled Jy some bodily or mental infImity
from gaining livelihood. In large areas
Of the country there are no separate inst.-
tuti0ns for idiots, the feeble minded OF Grip
pies: they are all sent to the pGorL0use,
and are classed as DaUpers. Even IN the Tu-
raj counties Of rich and enlightened New
York it is pitiable to see how large proper
| ton Of the inmates OF pOOrhouses have nc
! business there but ought to be in asylums
! specially intended to harb0r the victims Of
! iadrmilies The average Of the paupers Of
! the United States is u years; il is y years
| in the North Atlantic States, Is il
/ the South Atlantic States ard nearly
/ % in the Western States. In this
| part of the country people work to {
! later age than they do in the East or South.
| 1t may be observed Likewise, in contradic-
! ton Of the theory lathe poor are growing
! poorer with the Increase OF general wealth,
! that the number Of Daupers in 1880 when
/ the population was under 100000, was
/ 66,203, only 700 less than the number now
/ when the population is 100000.
OF the total number OF paupers in the
/ whole country only 1918 are credited to the
! Western States which is the lowest number
/ reported by any group. over two-thirds Of
the whole list Of paupers hail from the
/ North Atlantic aud North Central groups
/ California contribution 10 the list is 2600.
! These are mainly, as 20 the men, between
the ages Of 30 and 81. There are few fe-
/ male paupers IN this State. the largest sho W.
ing being below the age Of 5-eyidenuy
abandoned infants. One-fourth Of the male
paupers in this State are between the ages
! Of 90 and n; but there are I23 who are over
50, 46 over s., Is over 30 and who declare
that they are over 100 Among women pau
pers in almshOuses in this State II are over
20. 70 over -, over 80. over s.. 3 over 90
aud , over 100. Even pauperism seems in
| capable Of counteracting the effect Of Cal
! ifornia's climate on longevity.