The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-12-17

-1~A' ~ oAu s'Sc, uuueT the ueaQlng
" A Picture Of Pauperism, gives study
OF three English unions, two in London.
"Stepney and St. pancras and Ole the
rural union OF Ashby de la Couch. The
study is apparently written with great
moderation and with no striving after
dramatic effect. But no thoughtful per
son can read it without feeling that the
amount of physical suffering and of
mental and moral degradation revealed
III its pages is a horrible comment upon
our boosted civilization. The English
system OF poor relief is based upon local
unions that give aid in various forms
and is far less centralized than are the
public charities of this country.
In his very excellent book on Gamer
lean Charities Mr.. A. G. Warner gives
some interesting statements as to our
public charities. He says the almshouse
is the fundamental institution in Amer
lean poor relief. This corresponds prett-
nearly with the English workhouse and
is often known as the poorhouse, some
times the county house. In the begin
ming this institution is the charitable
tch all of the community The county
officers generally buy cheap some for
lorn, dilapidated old farmhouse and send
all sorts Of helpless people there. Home
less children, inane and maternity cases,
the incurable sick, the idiots, the blind
and the deaf are still in some remote
country districts more or less huddled
together in such almshouses. The hos
pitfalls connected with these institutions
often grow into large general hospitals.
When the system of drafting off begins,
first. From such almshouses there grows
in time in great cities like New York a
most comprehensive scheme of public
charities. Bellevue hospital practically
the present distributing center of New
York's public charities, has still incor-
porated as part Of the existing building
some portion at least Of the prison and
the allnshouse erected on the site in
1916.
New York city is an exception to the
general rule that our American cities
have done compare lively little in estab-
fishing municipal hospitals as compared
with their activity ii other lines, it be-
ing or at least seeming cheaper to sub
sidize private hospitals.
The dependencies Of Bellevue, Ford
ham, Harlem, the Emergency and Cow
erneur hospitals, all situated in New
York city proper, are every one housed
in buildings not originally intended for
hospital purposes. Two, indeed, the
Emergency and Gouverneur buildings,
were originally fire engine houses, and
though good deal of trouble and mon
ey have been expended upon them it is
impossible to make them really suitable.
Gouverneur and Fordham in particular
are much overcrowded
General interest in our public chart
! ties scarcely exists. The public at large
knows and cares little about them. The
newspapers rarely publish items con-
corning them unless a sensational story
can be made up. Then, nine times out
of ten, the facts are SO misstated and
distorted as to reflect most unjustly
upon the physicians and officials in
charge, the paper being far more anx.
ious to advertise itself than to tell the
truth in the matter.
That the readers Of the labor papers
may be induced to look little into the
question of the public charities in the
respective Cities towns and counties
where they live is the object of this ar
ticle. SYMPATHlzER-
New York.