Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-10

| and have visitors of the poor to assist
| them. Both directors and visitors serve
without pay. All assistance given is record
| ed on the administration books. and each
| person assisted has a book in which IS en-
| tered all help bestowed. Each ward reports
! to and draws its supplies from the central
board, and 1t can be seen that the system
has as good facilities TO- detecting repeat
ing and imposture can be found
The arrangement for supplying the poor
with medical care is the same ours, ply
siclans salaried by the city, and free dis
pensaries.
Any person having children who applies
for relief is refused if the children are not
sent TO public school, The revenues ad-
rninistered by this system are largely de-
rived from endowments, some of which
date back for centuries.
The most peculiar feature of the cha rites
IN Belgium is loan Office. This institution
was created by royal decree, but unendowed
II was authorized, subject to control of the
city authorities. to loan money on pledges
OF personal property of every description at
INed rate OF interest, now seven per cent.
1t started business on a apital loaned to
IT By the board Of administrati ton of nos
pltals, al I'VE per cent.
The profits of its ope- a tons have been
such that at present it has a fund of its
own OF S32o,GO. When this reaches SoIo-
wv the profits of its business are to be Gi-
vlded equally between the hospital board
ana the general charity board.
Holland Has No Trarnus.
Dutch character. Even the lew born do
not sink TO willing :aendicancy ana sloth.
Consequently charitable work in Holland
is not perpleXed by the hopelessly helpless
moral condition of the Thoroughly hammer
lied.
mere Is, however considerable poverty
ana the system for relieving it is very
thorough There are numbers of private
Charitable societies, but all report their
| operations to officers OF the general govern
melt.
The municipal charities employ inspectors
also to sec that applicants are not provided
| Tor By these other societies before giving
, them relief.
Religious and private societies may refuse
20 give AID, but the civil authorities, through
the police, are bound to relieve and do re-
heVe every case OF actual need not other
wise pirs.deu fer. This relief is extended
10 strangers in need Of all until. in the dis
reIion or the authoritieS, they can be SEM
home.
In severe winters soup AMI coffee kit
chens are supported By private means TO
relieve temporary distress.
When persons are found begging or act
inS as Migrants they are treated as they
are here. sentenced 10 the Morkhouse, but
the work they do, after paying a minim um
sum for their expenses. goes to create a
small surplus which is paid them at the
end of their term.
sweden Sc.ids Them Gu: of Town.
Sweden has an organized charitable sys-
ten somewhat similar To that of belgium.
"A noteworthy feature of 1t is society in
Gothe1burS which works to counterfeit the
constant drift CT the poor frcm the country
into the cities. The ain Of the society is
to get the poor into the country districts
where fern labor is often scarce, Instead
of remaining in the city and sinking into
the condition of pauperS
The Oid-FasiiiOncd Way.
Everywhere throughout the north of Eu-
rope begging is frowned on, and as tar as
possible prohibited, even made a penal Of
Tense If persisted in. In the south Of Eu-
rope, however, the conditions are radically
different. There charity may lie seen In its
old original form of individual hand 10
hand giving, and the beygar is Il feature of
the landscape. Spain would hardly be it.
SELF without its picturesque mendiCant.
Italy also aboUnds in begSars and indis-
criminate aims giving. There are organ.
lied charities there, numerous and bounti-
frl. and lately they adopting more sys-
TEN, but the industrial conditions in Italy
are terrible. and ii may be briefly sa id that
the only lesson 1t affords in the way of
chaflty Is by showing how not to do il.
GerIiany's Admirable system
In spite OF the wonderful progress in
charitable WORK in other countries, it is in
Germany that the most complete charit-
able system is to be found
The scheme of organized charity that
reaches to every hut and garnet of the
German empire, and distributes eduitably
the burden of maintaining the worthy poor.
without impairing their self respect has
been justly called the most consummate
product Of phiianthropic legislation"
German thoroughEess shows itself in the
Intelligent study ana treatment of benevo-
lence that lifts ii from a sentiment to q
science.
The German system is based on the idea
that every citizen whom the chances of
life have made destitute is entitled to re-
lief, not u charity, but as a right in
volving no more discredit than any other
temporary debt. The law gives him relief
in time of misfortune, as a loan, which, if
circumstances permit, he is morally bound
to repay.
This relief is required by law to be al
ways ready, not at a distant county seat
or behind the plodding formalities of
committee. but IN shape to meet emergen-
cies.
To apply a principle so generous without
gross abuses occurring Is the task which
the German love of system and painstak-
ing thoroughness has accomplished.
The Citizens Duty.
The examination of ordinary German
city will give an idea of the theory and
practice, which are the same everywhere.
Frankfort, which has a population OF 1885,
OOO, is divided. for charitable purposes, into
twenty-four precincts. Each precinct has
a committee, which is appointed and con-
trolled by a central board. which includes
the mayor, a chairman, who is a member
of the city council and specially designated
head of the department of charities, the
chief city physician and four working men,
berS, who are usually wealthy men OF Spe-
cial philanthropic tendencies.
This central board meets once fortnight
and the cnairmen of the twenty-four pre-
cnct committees are expected to be pres
ent to report, compare notes and answer
Inquiries. Besides these officers of the
army of charity there are the privates who
do most of the work. These are armen-
pfieger (poor visitors), and there are from
fifteen to twenty-seven in each precinct
described.
These visitors are appointed by the CEN
trail board. and are chosen from the best
class of citizens. No citizen. however rich
or busy, is exempt. Only reasons of the
greatest urgency are ever accepted by the
board as excuses for refusal to serve. In
fact, the service as armenpfieser is looked
upon as one of a German citizens most
sacred duties He enters upon his office by
a solemn oath. after due instructions in
his duties, and if he is not Jealous and
faithful he is reprimanded and may be de-
prived of his civil rights for term OF years,
with an increase of his municipal taxes of
from II to ~ percent, and there is no COM
pensation whatever for his services. All this
work is gratuitous.
There is annually published a handbook
criX. nth pr hintp na