Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1905-01-18

~ NOT 10 ne Seen on the
streets OF the City. and Rags and
Misery Dare Not Lie About In the
Parks and Public Places
What" exclaimed in Berlin, ARE
there no poor In this city? Are you al
together without rags and wretched-
nessT'
My dear friend" said the German.
winkins a heavy eyelid, I'VE are a very
clever people. We do not show our
dust bins"
Berlin Is ruled by municipal experts.
IL has its Indebtedness and its despair.
but these things are not permitted to
Increase. To be out Of work I'm Berlin
Is crime, even as II Is I'm London. but
with this dinerence-in Berlin the mu-
nicipality legislates for labor in fash
lon which makes idleness all but indie
feasible.
The laws 10 this end may not COM
mend themselves to English minds. for
the Germans are not soft hearted in
such matters. but they have this en-
gaging recommendation. they succeed
Let a ragged man make his appear
ance In Friedrichstrasse or the LIndens
or In any OF the numerous open spaces.
and a policeman Is at him In q min
ute Your papers, demands the man
Of law. The beggar produces his docu-
ments. II II is proved that he has
slept I'm the asylum for the homeless
more than a certain number Of nights
be IS forthwith conducted. willynilIy. TO
the wOrkhouse and made to labor for
his board and lodging
Now, the workhOuse in Germany is
not prison. but the vagrant would as
/ leave 90 10 the one as 10 the other
The administration OF the work house
/ is conducted with iron severity. Ev-
cry ounce OF bread and every drop OF
/ thin soup consumed by the workhouse
man Is paid for a thousandfold by the
sweat OF his brow. So IL comes about
/ that the man least disposed 70 work.
/ the born vagabond. finds il more
/ agreeable 10 toll for his bread in the
market than 10 fall into the hands Of
n paternal government.
Berlin takes advantage OF the sys-
/ TEN I'm Germany which numbers and
I tickets every child born fin the father
/ land No man can roam from district
I 10 district. changing his name and his
I LIES story with every fitting he is
/ known 10 the police from the hour Of
\ his birth 70 the hour OF his death For
a few pfennigs l can read the history
| OF every person in Berlin. Therefore
the municipality has an easy task. Ev-
/ cry citizens life story is known 20
them. and every vagrant Is punished
\ Tor his crime against the community.
Moreover. every person OF humble
means is insured by the state. Even
/ clerks, shop assistants and servants
are compelled 10 insure against sick
ness and against old age. This insur-
ance is effected by the pasting into a
book OF certain stamps every week.
and IL is the duty OF each employer
TO see that this contract Is faithfully
| obeyed. And the state has az Beelitz
an enormous sanitarium costing To-
100000 marks (f5OO,Oco). where the In
vallded citizen Is sent with his pen
sion in order 10 expedite his valuable
return 10 the ranks OF the wage earn
ers. Itpays the city OF Berlin 10 nurse
its sick and cherish its invalids. The
whole object OF the municipality is 10
secure the physical and intellectual
well being Of its citizens. and on this
task IL concentrates its labors with
amazing energy.
Berlin has a huge building resem-
bling q factory where the unemployed
whole families. are received and pro
vided for. but no one must take advan.
tage OF this hospitality moro than i've
times IN three months Consider this
point OF view. II you are homeless five
times in three months you are dubbed
a reckless creature and packed Of q
the wOrkhouSe. Private enterprise has
provided another asylum where The
homeless may come Eve times in one
month and where the police are not al
lowed 10 enter at night. have visited
this place and seen the people who At
tend IL, some decent enough. others
criminal in every line OF their faces
There are many OF these desperate
men IN Berlin. many OF these dirty,
ragged and unhappy wretches. doomed
from the day OF their birth. but they
dare not show themselves in the decent
world rs they do IN London. They
sink into these asylums at o'clock
they have their clothes diSinfected;
they cleanse themselves under shower
baths; they eat bread and drink soup
and then they go 70 bed ar : o'clock
like prisoners TO their cells.
Now this system IS q hard one, for
when once man gets down in Berlin
it is almost impossible for him 10 rise
But II has this clear advant2ge-every-
body feels that it is better to work
than 10 fall into the hands Of the law
Rags and misery dare not lie about
in the parks or scatter disease through
the crowded streets. II there is any
virtue in the unemployed the state will
certainty develop il as we'll rs IL - pos
sible 10 do So There is a central bu
reau for providing men with work. ana
when man knows that not 10 work
means the wOrkhouse he Solicits EN-
ployment here and elsewhere with such
a Will as almost compelS wages. Ii
one year the state has secured employ
ment for $1,000 men.
The citizen is provided with sanitary
dwellings. with unadulterated food
with schools and technical colleges ant
with insurance for sickness and old
age. For 4 penny he can travel almost
from one end OF Berlin TO the other 10y
electric tramway or electric railway
His streets are clean. brilliantly light
ed and nolSeleSS; his cafes and music
halls are innumerable. He lives in d
palace. And all this is the result OF