Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-05-30
CORRECTIONS AND CHARITIES.
Paper on ECONOMY Of a Municipal Labor
Test" by Frederick Amy.

New Haven. Conn, May 29-At the
meeting of the Corrections and Charities,
today, several interesting papers were
read.
"The Economy of a Municipal La
Dor Test" was the theme of the
paper presented by Frederick Al
my of Buffalo, N. Y. Many sup
pose, said he, because a municipal wood
yard or stone breaking yard cannot be run
without heavy loss, that such yards are
uneconomical and wasteful of the public
funds. No greater mistake could be made.
Suppose that municipal labor yard pays
out $3.50 in a year in wages, and that
the loss as business venture on account
of the inefficiency Of the work, or from
| other reasons, amounts to fully one third,
so that the cost to the city is $4,000. This
$4,000 expended represents SIS, 600 of the
best kind of roljcf, of relief given in work
II saves those who take ii from the feel
ing of being paupers, and may often save
them from becoming paupers. The able
bodied poor have no right to be supported
in idleness from the taxes paid by the
poor who work. An able bodied man who
applies for charity but will not work de
serves no consideration. Five thousand
dollars, then, in municipal labor yard
closes the doors of city poor relief on an
| army of loafers who would have no trouble
| in proving their dcstitution. With labor
test all such men will be cut off the poor
books. and this again will save for the
| taxpayers thousands of dollars which
were doing harm and not good. Five
thousand dollars paid to support labor
yard will be equivalent to, not Sl5, 900,
but from $50, 600 to S25, 900 in charity of
the old style, and the saving to character Is
| quite as important as the saving in cash.
No Amy expressed the hope that tho
plan might be tried in every city of the
country where public out door relief Is
given which was successfully executed
| by Richard Gardiner, the overseer of the
poor at Rochester, n. Y. The essential
features of the plan are: The restriction
of out door relief to the infirm and dis
abled; the shutting out absolutely OF all
| able bodied men who will not work but
| wish to live ON the public treasury; the
| giving of work for day or two only each
| week, so that regular work even at lower
rates will not be abandoned, and so that
| leisure will be left to seek regular work :;
and the payment by tho piece and not by
the day. 1t is the best means yet devised
of aiding the high spirited, proud poor,
out of work through sickness or misfor-
tune, and not through choice who would
| refuse aims; 1t guards character instead
| of debasing it; and it makes one dollar do
the work of six, to the benefit both of the
taxpayers and of the poor who seek aid
The committee on organization repor tcd
| these officers for the coming year: Prcsi
dent, A. o. Wright, wisconsin; vice presi
dents, Prof. Francis Wayland, New Haven,
L. l.. Barbour, Michigan. Mrs. c. r.
Lowell New York; Archbishop Irel and,
Minnesota, ID. G. Gilman, Johns Hopkins
university; secretaries H. P. Bicknell. In
diana; J. H. Gabriel, Colorado; ]. p.
Byers, Ohio. J. J. Kelso, Canada W.
I. Ralph, Kentucky, Mrs. + s. Lee
Michigan; treasurer, J. M. Glenn, Michi-
gan; official reporter and editor, Mrs.
Gabrielle G. Barrows, Massachusetts,