The record-union., 1894-12-21
HELPING THE UNEMPLOYED.

A number of public-spirited citizens Of
employed destitute men. The work con-
eists in preparing road metal-otherwise
breaking rock for use as underpinning in
walks, roads and foundations. The re-
quirement is that man shall work four
hours in order to secure his meals and a
lodging.
Tickets were prepared that citizens
were asked to take at low figure to give
to applicants instead of feeding them at
their houses. At once there arose COM
plant that requiring men to hunt up
some one having tickets was hardship;
that men who apply at the rock-pile
should be given work without tickets.
Accordingly the citizens committee
handling the matter so arranged, and that
process is now in operation.
Tickets are still offered and the people
are urged to take them, and let US hope
that they will do so. For it seems never
to have occurred to those who objected to
the ticket as condition precedent in all
cases to obtaining meals and lodging
that by the ticket system, or by money
contribution direct only, can revenue be
derived to procure the lodgings and the
food for the destitute. If tickets are not
taken by the people, and men are fed and
lodged without the ticket, from what
source are these public-spirited men who
are running this relief institution TO get
money to maintain it? 1t will be seen
that they must beg it of the people, and
that means to travel up and down the
business streets and ask for money from
the storekeepers and those in business on
the main streets, who are called on every
day for something in the way of money
giving. This is a disagreeable task for
any committee; it is an unequal assess
ment, and it may well be doubted if any
body of citizens will want TO beg for the
coin for any considerable time.
The ticket system is, therefore, the
right one. 1t distributes the charitable
effort, it relieves housekeepers of annov-
ance and it enables them to discriminate
between the worthy and the undeserving
of income sufficient in each case to meet
the cost of relief.
1t has been feared by some that these
tickets could be misused and that they
might be sold for liquor for one-third
their value and be resold by the pur-
chaser for two-thirds their value. But of
that there is little fear. But if anyone
has doubt on that head let him give his
money directly to the committee and
send no more applicants to the work
pile than his contribution will feed and
lodge. Thus the committee will be pro-
vided with means, and the worthy poor
will not suffer.
The worthy poor we have among us
along with many who are unworthy.
There are men suffering to-day in our
midst for food, and who have no place of
shelter. nor yet sufficient clothing, who
aio CAaO ASlbueI Oh lOOL nor Dack 1Or In.
clement weather or for hard work. They
cannot go about naked, they must not
starve, they must not be kept out in the
storms and the night without shelter or
lodging. 1t is therefore a question for
every humane citizen who has emplov-
ment whether he will give money direct
or buy tickets of the Federation of Be-
neicence to give to applicants for food
and lodging. One or the other every man
ought to do TO the extent of his means
and within the lines of duty to his family
and himself.
More than that should be done. The
committee ought to be given a fund suffi-
cient to fit up a place at the stone works
where men without means, home or
shelter, who come there to work, NAV
cleanse themselves; a tank for them to
bathe in, and place where they may
wash their underclothing. General Booth
OF the Salvation Army says that his ex-
perience has taught him that you cannot
help man to his benefit without first
making him clean. The first require
ment in the Salvation Army, prior to
giving assistance, is that the man shall