New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-25
THE ,JrBILEE AND THE POOR.

Not MANY features Of the Victorian jubilee
.ra more suggestive than one which occurred
Yesterday. The Princess Of Wales gave great
dinner TO the outcast poor Of London. Ihere are
many poor in that imperial city. It's wealth. anu
Injury are by only little distance removed
from abject want and sQualor While some Oh
ifs citizens have spent thousands or POUNDS Oh
Jubilee decorations and festivities, others nave
been unable TO spend a penny for corhnoWer
or n scrap of ribbon Yet the loyalty OF the poor
is not less than that of the rich. Some OF the
most affecting Jubilee demonstrations nave heeh
made in the byways Of the dark East Ehu.
It was kindly and a princely thought mat leu
N the giving Of this banquet, at which the very
noorest Of the poor could for an hour rejoice III
the Victorian Jubilee.
The train Of thought which this Incident most
provokes is consideration OF the condition OF
the poor at this time and sixty years ago, fnu
the changes that have been wrought 1or Goou
or evil In the intervening period. 1t is IN All
100 common reproaCh that progress ana poverty
GO hand In hand, that the march or Nineteenth
Century civilization has been over the graves Oh
myriads Of it's victims, that the great lndusulai
system OF the present day means u grlnolhg
down of mems bones 10 a pale unanllhily' Il
crushing and sacrificing Of the indlvidual Work
man. Too common, because 1t Is quite untrue
Industrial and commercial progress has vastly
increased the wealth Of England's millionaires.
1t has In equal ratio ameliorated the CONDITION
md raised the standard Of living OF the toilins
mnltitudes Only the most cursory glance at
the history Of the reign is needed to prove thls'
Those sixty years have seen hours of labor
shortened and rate Of wages raised, chlld-iapor
restricted. workingmen's rights safeguarded, in
t,,.tN, rnryaAn ~
ond workincmen's dwellings, and ampler pro-
lection afforded against accidents and injuries
This very year is marked with the introduction
Of a bin. which will become law, providing Tor
commentator for injuries on most liberal scale,
while a ROYAL Commission has just reported
most thorough scheme for the protection OF
health and life in so-caed dangerous trades"
There can be no question that the masses as
Mr.. Gladstone calls them, have profted by the
nrorress of tie reign as much as the most
favored Glasses"
If we 60 further 10 the submerged TENTH OF
which so much is heard In these days and 10
which Yesterdays dinner was given, the same
rule prevails. Pauperism in Great Britain Is de-
c,easipg 1t is still formidable factor IN the
social problem as IL IS elsewhere. 1t may al
WAYS be So But II is q minor one compared
with what il was at the beginning of the reign.
The actual number of paupets has decreased
The proportionate number Of them has de-
creased much more. And at the same time the
amount expended for their relief has enormously
increased They are therefore not only fewer
than they were, but they are being far better
cared for In 1850 the population OF England
and Wales was scarcely 100000 the number
Of paupers relieved was 92o543 and the amount
spent on them was f5395022 In 1890 the
population was nearly 100000, the number Of
paupers 7s7,543, and the amount spent ts4S4-
345. That is TO say, the population in forty
years increased 81 per cent, the number OF
paupers decreased IA per cent and the amount
expended for their relief increased SO per cent
The same movement, subject - local and TEN
porary notifications. has been observable IN
The other divisions Of the United Kingdom
Means Of relief. public and private, have been
multiplied and improved in efficiency and mora
tone. BUNDLE Is dead. Mere aims giving Is
done. when needful, more generously than be
FORE but better methods Of aiding the poor are
more and more being practiced. The pauper il
cared for, but he is If possible, redeemed from
pauperism and made self-supporting member
Of society.
That has been the record and the spirit Of the