The Meeker herald., 1905-02-25


.,ua.ei. I'D. clothed ard hOuse'.. Ten
million OF our SO,GOO,OOO, One-eighti' OF
the population OF the entire country.
who are the victims of existing eco
nomicaI conditions, which. Instead OF
improving, are becoming worse, so
that IL the necessary remedies are moi
soon applied the condition OF our poor
will be infinitely worse than that of
the poor of Europe"
Robert H inter. the young worker in
practical philanthropy. former head Of
the University Settlement. who a year
ago married Miss Caroline Phelps
Stokes, daughter OF Millionaire Anson
Phelps Stokes, and who. with his wife.
has abandoned home of luxury in
Madison avenue for IL modest. unpre-
tentious dwelling In Grove street. New
York City. made these startling state
ments In the parlor Of his new home.
Both Mr. and, Mrs. Hunter mOdestly
deny that they have any purpose OF
teaching by example II lesson TO the
poor of the city through the radical ac-
tion which they have taken. But they
have at their disposal n fortune OF $1O.-
10000 and might command Fifth
avenue mansion. II country estate, II
private yacht and many automobiles.
They might tritter away their time at
the opera and the Horse Show and he
submerged in the world Of fashion and
frivOlIty into which they were born.
but instead they have elected to live a
life of simplicity and usefulness and
continue together the philanthropIe
work in which they We're separately
engaged when blind Cupid entered II
sordid tenement with them and COLI
jured up romance.
LIVING NEAR THE POOR.
AT No. So Grove street they have set
up their household goods amid sur
roundings which, Immediately adjoin-
ing, are quiet and refined. but which.
not many blocks away. comprise some
of the most hitleous aspects of poverty
In New York
There Mr.. and Mrs. Hunter have de-
termined to labor together to do their
mite toward allevinting the conditions
which Mr.. Hunter 50 graphically de-
scribed.
'''rhis Is not a slum district" contin-
ued Mr.. Hunter. reverting to the cnuses
which had led him and his wife to
move into Grove street. I'VE have de-
cent and respectable people for our
neighbors. many OF them owning their
own homes. But there are near by sew
eral districts with which am entirely
familiar in which poverty is rife. and
neither Mrs. Hunter nor myself will
evade any responsibilities which may
fall upon us.
'Slum' is n much ill-uscd word No
place is n slum where the residents
are decent. respectable and hard work
ing. My idea of slum is district
where the people are wholly stepped in
poverty and filth and are making n6
effort whatever to help themselves"
Then. going back to his first stnte-
ment, Mr.. Hunter said:
do yOu consider any country pros
porous that has 1OOOO,OOO of It's popu
lation in poverty? When Charles
Dickens visited America he said that
"A beggar In Boston would be like n
flaming sword Forty years later one
half of the people OF the United States
are prOpertyless. and about 10000, 900
persons now living will die of tubercu-
losis II the present conditions are kept
up.
CONDITIONS GROWING WORSE.
When about 10000 employees of the
railroads. mostly young men just mar
ried, with wives and children depend
Ing upon them, are killed every year.
and their families left helpless: when
about 10000 die every year from tu.
berculosis, resulting from maI-nutri-
ton, and 1,7OO,OUO little children are
compelled to work In factories. sweat
shops. mills and furnaces, l think we
can expect that conditions will con-
tinue constantly to breed growing
poverty in this country. and IL these
conditions are not remedied, we will
have poverty in a very few years that
Will exceed that of Europe"
What remedy would you suggest"
Mr.. Hunter was asked.
First" he replied, we have got to
come to the point where we shall have
Government insurance, such as Ger
many mas hS"Ais' sichHess, oiu age
and permanent injury There industry
is taxed to pay for all injuries received
by the workers, who also pay Iro-
portionate share into the fund.
In addition we must give ,reater
attention to our tenement house laws,
to the rules governing workshops. etc.
to the railroads and to child labor. The
latter should be absolutely prOhibited
l am aware that any one who aGvo-
Gates these reforms is apt to be re-
garded as a Socialist. but OF the other
hand, what do the workers think CI
the prevailing conditioEs:"
And what has brought about this
condition of affairs:''
'UnquestiOnably the economic organ
ization of society at nrnsnut is rnSnn.,.