The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-04-11
0vERSEERS
Men Who Have Charge Of Poor
Hold Annual Meeting.

The sixth annual meeting of the Asso-
Island was held today in Gelb's parlors.
with a large attendance.
The meeting was called 10 order at 1a
o'clock. noon, by William II. Peckham,
president OF the association and overseer
OF the poor Of Pawtucket.
The guests included Mayor Granger.
Walter r. Wlghtman, OF Providence;
Philip Bucker, OF woonsccket. and wal
ter l.. Smith, OF harrington, members Of
eife-state Heard of charity, and-tfic
principal speaker was Hon. Henry u.
shaw, NJ. d., OF Boston.
Dr. Shaw chose as his subject. Nor.
Equitable Settlement Laws" and dis
cussed this important topic in a highly
interesting and thoroughly instructive
manner.
Previous TO the address an excellent
banquet was served after which matters
OF routine business were disposed of.
The business concluded Mayor Granger
was introduced and spoke briefly. Wal
ter H. Smith also spoke and men DIR.
/ Shaw was introduced and spoke in part
as follows:
In regard 60 this subject on which I
Will try TO interest you. I want to say
more glad 10 come To than Providence. 1
am always glad 10 come To Providence
ana any word that | can say that will
instruct or benefit YOU | Will he glad
will tell you OF the methods used In
Massa chusetts and If you can see any
errors I'm the system then you can avoid
them, and IL you can see any good points
in the system then you can follow them.
I'm our civil service examinations We
are eventually asked what our settlement
laws do for w and the answer usually IL
who or who not may get aid. This is
wrong the right answer is the one who
gives aid. TO what account shall the aid
he given. In massachusetts, we have
three classes.
lf person i'm "A township then the
township ovsrseers take charge OF the
case III in city then the city author
tiles do likewise. but IL not unden the tu-
risdictiop of either township or city. then
II IL - state charge. The purpose OF set
Element is 10 determine I'm which class
the case belongs.
The law OF settlement while IL does not
mean how much aid person receives
but what kindof aid he receives
Now what are the advantages OF a set
tlement law? ! think the real question
Is that IL localizes the interest I'm the
person aided, II brings the interest down
10 the municipality and then the affairs
htt administered WIN more interest.
The settlement law holds the poor fin
the place where they have always lived
Keep them IN their homes keep them
with the ones they have always been as
sociated, instead OF making them living
dead IN some public institution
This Is the distinguishing advantage OF
the settlement law
7 wonder II any gentleman here thinks
that the state can Keep one OF his own
poor cheaper than he can himself, IL they
can furnish them with clothes and food
cheaper than he can do himself VI they
they do not think 80 then they practically
concedc the question.
We began in Massachusetts by giving
aid only to those who were members OF
church and continued So for - years
after. Up to the time Of the war of the
rebellion to get aid one man must have
city or town for 10 years. You can see
how immigrants were lpft ont on that
After war the naturalization was left out
after a severe tight and we continued I'm
this way. until 1874. when We took the
step and brought the ~ year limit down
20 wears. and ] hope that within the
next few years We make fea more
changes
Evgrythlng depends on the personal
equation in the handling ~ these - 'S.
tious. and ! think that you towns shoisd
continue in office those men who g.e ia
office and who have acted benciCCntly
and with Judgment
pr Shaw concluded his address With
hrcif Illustrations of different cases AL
experiments that had been tried