New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-01
WHAT BREEDS PATPERISM.
SOME INTERESTING STATISTICS GATHERED BY
THE CHARITY ORGANIZATION SOCIETY


THE CHARITY ORGANIZATION SOCIETY
rh. Committee on Statistics Of the Charity Or
ganlza,ion Society. consisting Of Richmond Mayo
Smith professor Of political economy and social
science. and Franklin II. Glddings. professor OF
sociology both Of Columbia University ana
Frederick w Hollis. recently undertook careiuI
analysis Of the records of five hundred famIiies
whose first application for assistance was mace u
1890 and who have been under the care OF the So
cietv ut intervals or continuously since thar TIME
The object Of the investigation was TO determine
the causes OF their restitution. and whatever the
reco ds could show concerning such facts OF socia'
interest as the length Of residence In New-iorH
ard tie United States. nationality, SIZE OF rahi'
and personal character. The report Is interesting
as the first one Of the kind that has been under
taken. Especially interesting Is the &C mparisoh OF
the alleged cause OF des,itUton, ascertd.ned from
the origina! statement Of the applicant. ana the
real cause Of desttution shown by the fuN IN
ycstlgaion and the subsequent treatment
The reporr shows that $50 applications NE from
the i've hundred families OF these five hundred
there were lsi who applied second time. 81 tniro
time a5 a fourth time. Il a NTH time. slNth
time a seventh time and an eighth time Inc
repetition OF the cases shows considerable amount
OF chronic pauperisn,. and the real amount Is
greater than the figures !I1icate. for generally
thos, that are repeated remain under treatment toT
a long tinle while many OF those WHICH appii nS
only once were simply temporarily eihpal'asSe'
we have first taken the alleged cause OF DIS,
ross thar 4. the reason assigned by the person
applying for relief. This Of course Will present sien.
Tie most favorable side and the one most cacu,
ia,ed 70 excite sympathy. The stress Will be Iala
on misfortune rather than misconduct I Ire IN,
oirv will be useful as indicating the most common
kinds OF misfortune We have, secondly taou .b
,ha real cause Of distress. as gathered ny the
iator from the whole record This. OF course IS me
Judgment OF an outside party. and the emphasis
viii be laid upon misfortune or misconduct t ac,
cord,ng TO the disposition Of the investigator: we
hoye thirdly the character of the man ana WOMAN
.fhe cause most frequently alleged is oss OF en-
n,ovment 81 per cent; next TO that Is siCSness.
& per cent or less consequence are insumsc'eh EN-
earnings physical defect or old age. death OF the
wage Garner and deser'ion; -, ,,, d,
"The difference between the TWO sets OF returns IS
ohyioms Where lack OF employment and sickness
have been alleged accounting for S5s appica-
,tons or 626 per cent of the total. they are pc
i,esj nv the tabulator TO really account for only
sts applications. or AS per cent on the other
End 'fntemperance comes in as tho real cause In
"a per cent shifessness in 22 per cent OF the ap.
,cations and In I46 per cent OF the Applications u
pas ;md9ed that there real need. 1t Is very
nrobable that these judgments are severe put tne
pasmit shows how frequently the personal char-
scter is at least a contrbutory cause OF poverty.