Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-04-12
DISTRESS IN AUSTRIA.
There Are Thousands Out Of Work and
Without Money.

An object lesson for the whole world
Is afforded just now ny the social con.
ditions in Australia, where says a let.
ter to the Globe Democrat from Vic.
toria, Il, G., amid the uneNample,i
splendor ot few and the comfortable
competence Of the many, there are tens
OF thousands absolutely without means
10 obtain 4 nights shelter, sleeping IN
the streets W squares OF the grca
cities, and wherever covered spots can
be found around the public buildings,
Srautily clad and able TO beg little
moro than enough food to barely sus
tain their miserable lives. This condi-
ton Vt affairs is about eight wears old,
but has not improved with age, At the
outset government and municipal ~.
lief works On a gigantic scale provided
honorable employment Tor large pro.
collapse OF the banks and the general
financial stringcuCy compelled the gov
crnmcnt ~ discontinue this form Of
relief. which had been carried ON by
means Vt borrowed money, and now
there has been substituted the less OK.
penSive eNpcdient Of maintaining ~
lief bureaus through which food Is
dolei out to the needy applicants, and
tickets OF admission are issued en-
fitting the holder To n nights rrst In
tho "pcn0y doss houses" maintained
by the efforts ot charitable organiaa-
tons who are able to collect privately
the proportion Of expense of maintain
Ing the lodging places which the
Charge of a penny per head per night
does not m,et. Though this sad story
Of distress Is old and familiar In the
colonies, tho marked increase In the
victims OF poverty has OF hate forced
the press 10 give to the matter pub,
LEFTY which has hitherto been avoided
rs far as possible hut travellers ar.
irving by the Australian ships tell Of
distressing incidents beyond even
those mentioned In tho newspapers.
The plain facts are that there are in.
iinitCly more people in Australia than
there is work for, and that there Is lit
tie likelihood of securing employment
for this surplus labor until there is
radical change I'm the economic systems
for the colonies. In New South Wales,
FOR example, nearly all articles OF
manufacture are imported from the
Old World, and though the prices OF
these cheap products OF English or
German or other continental labor arc
very low, this is small consolation to
the thousands OF idle and pcnnilcss
persons who might have found employ
ment In making them at home. In the
country the condition of affairs parnl.
lels that In the cities; the good land
Is given up to the raising OF sheep by
the million mt the rate of one acre for
each sheep, and the number Of men
employed Is inilnltcsmally small com
pared va the occupied area, which
includes he best and most accessible
farming lands In the colonies, The ar
rogant attitude of labor and the high
rate of wages demanded has undouht-
eddy had much to do with making
home manufacture an imposslblity,
and has been n main cause of the
present dcplorablc condition of affairs.
But 1t is the effect, not the cause,
which now engages public attention,
The government has already cstab-
lishcd n number OF experimental Evil
lagc settlements" where men work
small patches Of land under official in
spcction. and thousands have been
equipped with tools and supplies, 80
that they may "fossick" for gold In
abandoned fields. which will still pay
fair wages The steady increase, how.
ever. in the distress makes 1t more and
more apparent that to secure permn-
nent relief they must adopt n policy
which will make 1t possible for the
men OF wealth to probably employ the
willing hand that now can find nothing
to do.