The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1894-05-11
RELIEF on WORK IN FRANCE



an innovation due to the initiative Of
private individuals. From the most
remote period Of our history IL has
been practiced by the state toward
men licants The national assembly
and the convention. ":hinking that la
Dor is the only means by which wise
and enlightened nations can relieve
povertv.' distributed considernbl ble
sums Of money among the departments
60 be expended i'm drainage. the clear
ing of land the digging OF canals, etc.
IL would seem ns 10 such measures
ought to have exercised a salutlry in
fiuence upon vagrancy and men iicancy,
and vet their failure was complete. II
we study the poor as whole we are
soon convinced that the best argument
in favor of work is that the profession
al Icguar breads IT most. Private ac-
tion makes use of this very repulsion
To unmnsls impo,ture and all The truly
unfortunate In 1881 Monsieur the
Pastor Robin founded at Bellcville. the
most populous quarter of Paris. the
Maison hospitaliere. Here we find the
work ticket which Is in use in nearly
all French institutions A work ticket
Of from one cent TO fifty cents, torn from
"A sort of coupon book, permits the sup
porters 70 send poor and unemployed
10 this institution, who here find
"a kind reception. cordial and com
| forting words. food. shelter and place
in the workshops, or liberty to go out
In the morning TO look for work at
their own trades" Assisted persons
are employed at making small fagots
called "margotins" They are not paid
in money. but in this way they meet
their daily expenses, and IL they are
skillful can lay by "a sum against the
time of leaving. They are required to
make fifty margotins day TO pay for
two meals and their lodging All that
they make above this number goes to
their credit The object which Pastor
Robin has pursued for thir cen years Is
TO provide the worlSingman with an
outfit of tools and to make him the ben
edciary of his own labor. Charles Robin
said of the Maison hospitaliere: "The
work is beautiful and the idea which
it realizes is IA grand one"
The gift of considerable sum en-
nbled an institution known as the Cen
trail Office for Charitable Works to con-
struct in 1891 some buildings designed
10 receive the unemployed. The men,
coming from all parts of Paris, soured
by poverty and employed at work of
which they are generally ignorant, arc
separated into groups of ten under
charge of overseers and make common
furniture. tables wardrobes, side boards
which is sold at low price in the large
stores of the capital There are about
seventy of these men, and they are
limited to twenty days Their wages
are two francs IA day: of this they re-
ceive portion in cash in the morning
for their food, which is supplied by the
establishment, and also lodging
ticket, which entities them to lodg-
ing out of the house. A reserve is
made from their wages, which goes to-
wards defrayng their expenses when
they are looking for permanent en-
ployment They are allowed two days
a week for this purpose. The central
Office has established Il regular bureau
OF information, through which IL OBJ
tains knowledge of the shops where
there are vacant places These insti-
tutions are in operation ali over Paris,
pnd have. without question, an ameli-
Grating OBJECT upon the unfortunate.
, But their influence upon street beggars
is not so direct as that of the unions
d'assistance' relief unions - whose
sphere Of activity is mdre restricted.
: These have made the profession of beg
ging truly difficult one by means of
, the food ticket. which puts stop to
in1iscriminate charity and forces the
bcggar to present himself in locality
whore ne Is subjected to summary
questioning which it is generally his
interest to avoid.
The municipal council Of the city of
Paris has settled an agricultural coll
ony which is intended TO find for work.
) ingm"n, who have fallen into poverty,
r definite occupation in rural Labor
after their moral and material
restoration has been effected 10y
regular and suitable work. The dis
cjplinary measures are (U Reproof,
(2) Withholding wages to profit of fund
for perquisites, (3) consignment to the
farm ON Sunday, 90 expulsion The
labor consists in improving a section
which has been neglected for years by
: draining, cleaning and various kinds oI
cultivation. The provinces have, in a
great measure, participated in the
movement of private beneGccnce which
e resulted IN the Unions d'Assistance. ~
4 The French conception OF assistance
by labor presents certain peculinrities,
which reveal its spontaneous origin
few citizens In places widely separated
and without any appeal to the public
or 10 the government and often with
very insufficient funds established theil
; institutions, having for their base the
temporary occupation of the unem
ployed. which is freely offered anC
freely accepted. No common rules
govern their action. When the publ,
| authorities, completing the work al
; ready begun, shall cover the country
with institutions of emulation, of fore
sight and of shelter, which the large
cities alone now have, the city will NJ
longer absorb the population of thu
E country; the unemployed, who first be
A come beggarS and then dangerous Grim
I inals, will furnish agriculture with thu
: aids il now lacks and will cooperate il
, national saving, instead of imposing
p taxes. which are as burdeasome as they
are useless. Charities Review.
THE trolley car is "A menace to hu
man life" Nonsense. More boys anC
( men are killed of shooting than bl
trolley cars" True; but the TROLLEY
' ear is more dangerous than Gatlinl