The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1905-02-10

quately fad clothed ard houSe&. Ten
Ipillicn OF our S0,000,OO0, one-eighth of
the population of the entire country,
who are the victims of existing eco
nomical conditions, which, instead of
improving, are becoming worse, so
that il the necessary remedies are not
soon applied the condition OF our poor
will be infinitely worse than that Of
the poor of Europe"
Robert Hunter, the young worker in
practical philanthropy, former head Of
the University Settlement, who a year
ago married Miss Caroline Phelps
Stokes, daughter of Millionaire Arson
Phelps Stokes, and who. with his wife,
has abandoned a home of luxury in
Madison avenue for 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 a lesson TO the
poor Of the city through the radical ac-
ton which they have taken. But they
have at their disposal fortune of $10,-
100000 and might command Fifth
avenue mansion, IL country estate, a
private yacht and many automobiles
They might fritter away their time at
the opera and the Horse Show and be
submerged in the world of fashion and
frivolity into which they were born,
but instead they have elected to live
| life of simplicity and usefulness and
continue together the philanthropic
work in which they were separately
engaged when blind Cupid entered
sordid tenement with them and con-
| 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 hideous aspects of poverty
in New York.
There Mr.. and Mrs. Hunter have de-
termined to labor together to do their
mite toward alternating the conditions
which Mr.. Hunter SO graphically de-
scribed.
'This is not slum district" contin-
ued Mr.. Hunter, reverting to the causes
which had led him and his wife to
move into Grove street. 1--WE have de-
cent and respectable people for our
neighbors, many OF. them owning their
own hOmoc Put thoro ora oaor Inv COW
eral districts with which l 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 much ill-used word. No
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 no
effort whatever to help themselves"
Then, going back to his first state
ment, Mr.. Hunter said:
do you consider any country pros
porous that has 100000 of its popu-
lation in poverty? When Charles
Dickens visited America he said that
"A beggar in Boston would be like q
flaming sword Forty years later one
half of the people Of the United States
are propertyless, and about 100000
persons now living will die of tubercu-
losis if the present conditions are kept
up.
CONDITIONS GROWING WORSE.
"When about $4,000 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 100000 die every year from tu-
bercllosis, resulting from mal-nutri-
ton, and 100000 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 q growing
poverty in this country, and if these
conditions are not remedied, we will
have poverty in very few years that
will! exceed that of Europe"
what remedy would you suggest?"
Mr.. Hunter was asked.
First" he replied, 1--WE have got to
come to, the point where we shall have
Government insurance such as Ger
many has, against sickness, old age
and permanent injury. There industry
is taxed to pay for all injuries received
by the workers, who also pay a pro-
portionate share into the fund.
I'm addition we must give greater
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. |
am aware that any one who advo-
Gates these reforms is apt to be re-