The independent., 1903-05-14
TO PREVENT POVERTY
Bolton Hall Points Out the Beat Way to
Prevent Poverty and to Relieve
the Poor

instead of preventing pauperlsm and
reckless waste, organized charity has
increased it. Charity is palliative
designed to sustain things as they
are in our social institutions, for, on
account of the last resort furnished by
charity, men are induced to endure
the conditions in which they find
themselves The time is past when,
as Professor Warner has said, Char
ity was a method of saving ones soul,
a sort of fire insurance against the
contingencies of the future life.
This it is to be feared is only because
we have ceased to believe in the ire.
1t is now insurance OF another kind
insurance against social tornadoes.
But for charity, men would long ago
have swept away the order OF things
as it now exists. That is the only
logical excuse for the socialistlc state
aid to charities; for no real distinction
can be shown between giving free
corn and amusements; free education,
and free surgical help, or free shelter.
What would be the effect upon the peo-
pie of our great cities, If, on some Bit
ter morning, fifty people should be
found frozen to death on the Park
benches? The public would be shocked
out of tolerating 'the blessings or
things as they are;" yet many OF the
poor of this great city 60 where they
had almost better be frozen to death,
to police lodging houses which may
save the body, but destroy the soul.
There are fields which charity now
occupies which ought to be left vacant.
l speak of such as attract to the cities
q large number who, if left in the
country, would support themselves
well. They come to the city assured
that if they find nothing to do, there
are at least plenty of places where
they can get shelter. After the panic
of 1873 the citizens relief committee
appointed ex-Mayor Hewitt, Rev. John
Hall, ind other gentlemen in whom
the public had confidence to see what
Should be done to relieve the Distress
in the city. After a full investigation
they decided that the best thing to do
was to leave the matter alone, because
especial efforts would create rs much
distress as they relieved by attracting
to the city those who might make out
q living in the country.
We have made no progress in the
radical relief of poverty for eighteen
hundred years; we have not fewer
poor people; we have not less dis
tress.
Nor do most of our efforts even tend
to lessen distress or pauperism. Model
tenement houses increase the crowding
about them, because, holding fewer
tenants than the buildings they sup
plant, they take UP as much room;
and in addition their superior charac-
ter increases the land value and raises
rent or attracts more inhabitants to
the district. Free or cheap feeding in
terferes with small restaurants and
caterers, and does not in the long run
furnish as economical or as good
food supply. But worse than all this:
where there are two men competing
for one job the man who will work the
cheapest will get the job, and the
man who can live the cheapest will
work the cheapest, so that the more
we supply charitable laid of wages"
whether by housing, feeding, clothing,
or even amusing the workman, the
more we reduce his wages. That this
factor is indirect makes it none the
less powerful. We do the same thing
directly and consciously in our char
liable institutions by making gar
ments at prices with which the inde-
pendent worker cannot possibly COM
pete and live in decency, the loss COM
ing out of the pockets of 'all such as
are religiously and devoutly disposed"
1t is sad but undeniable that our char
tiles are nearly all destroyers of un-
selfishness by the paid or perfunctory
performance of what ought to be done
directly from love, and are besides
actual factors in the creation of pau
pers.
We are told to help the poor to
help themselves. The help they real
II need is help to get rid of us who
monopolize the earth and of our char
tiles which are device for keeping
astride of their necks. Charity or
ganiZations have done one good thing:
they have collected statistics and dis
credited the claim that the main cause
of poverty is drunkenness. 1t is the
other way, the main cause of drunken
ness is misery and anxiety. They have
oil ch