Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-30

what modern industriaiism can make of
man."
do you get many applications OF this
Shoals of EN-" said the cabinet minis
ter Now that 1t has been publicly an
nounced that / am to have the distribution
place has been literally besieged. have to
turn all these people away, referring them
to local authorities"
How do you intend to spend your mill
lion Mr.. Burns?" 1t was question that l
scarcely expected to have answered. as Mr..
Burns had recently steadily turned a deaf
ear to requests for information on this par
ticular subject. However, Mr.. Burns finally
agreed to give an outline of his plans.
I'm the first place. the donation by the
government of a million dollars toward an
unemployed fund will remove the burden of
this expenditure from the hands OF private
charity Last winter there was unem-
ployed subscription raised through the
queens fund and private charity: 1t Is bet
| ter, however. If any money Is to be expend-
ed on keeping the unemployed gong that
this should be laid out by public body
Systematically. and to be made to go
! through channels where it will do the most
good.
by me into fifteen twenty amounts, each
amount going to different area, and each
| local authority having the expenditure of
| it,
I'm what manner will this sum be spent
how will it be made to do the unemploy ed
J real good-how far will it go toward So
luton of the problem was asked. +, y.
| That's lot Of questions all In one,
| replied Mr. Burns. with a laugh There
are lots of ways of spending money OF this
kind, but the best. to my mind. is In wages
| for actual work done. l do not believe In
allowing an army of paupers to sit down
| and be- supported by the community. do
| not believe that Industrial conditions ever
| Justify such things.
Take those poor chaps whom l have
| been to see recently at night on the en-
bankment." continued Mr.. Burns rs 1t
| not better for them to be crushed and even
to die from their hardships--is it not more
! In keeping with the decencies of manhood
than to go In the workhouse and allow
| themselves to be supported out of the poor
rates? 1t is better. in my judgment, for a
man to wear himself out trampng the
streets than to lose his independence and
manhood by taking his ease In some OF
those warehouses In London which nave
had to show up recently.
/ Il have talked to those men on the en-
| bankment. and l know their condition init
mately. In many cases no one but them
to do good. honest steady work am going
to make an effort to put work in their way
II they are unwilling to tackle the first
| Job that comes to hand-well they must
| take the consequences.
x*
There is plenty of work to be done. and
when I get the unemployed at work. they
will have chance of earning their wages
For instance. an immense amount of wori
can be profitaby engaged in the reclama
ton of waste lands, the repairing of coas
| erosion. in agricultural labor, in afforesta
+, ton. the building OF public works. digging
of bitches, and other things. All of these
works can be made eventually proftabl,
to the community which carries them out
5 ! and by each local district employing mel
and setting them to work on useful jobs
paying them at the same time, decen
wages. so far the funds at my dispose
will allow I hope to do little TOWARD
n ! the solution of the unemployed problem
which confronts the country"
John Burns puts the personal element int
5 everything he does. In debate In tn
{ house Of commons just before 1t adjourne'