The morning journal-courier., 1908-02-07
CAUSE AND EFFECT.

pCOPlC iiiu hioSh eiiSSV days to concern them on account | of the fearful consequences of hard times. The impression made upon them by the responsibilities imposed by the social compact increases with tho realization that the task of caring for the poor and destitute cannot be lodged The spectacle of an almshouse filled to overfowing and a street de- partment beseiged by men able and willing to work, but deprived of the opportunity, is one to make one almost doubt that there are such things as laws of life. And then the trouble is that the doubt passes and the convic- tion takes its place that it is the vio- lation of the laws of both life and trade that has made these manifesto tions of human brutality possible. This makes the burden of the passing day weary indeed.
 The city of New Haven is better able to meet adverse currents of distress than most cities. Our manufactures are managed by prudent and experi- enced men. Our merchants bear the same impress of business sense and economy Our wage-earners as class are thrifty, sober and industrious. The banks are managed by conservative men who on that account carry us through stringencies in the money market safely and with the least amount of rocking It has always been the boast of the people of this city that they had here neither great riches in the hands of the few nor great poverty affecting the comfort of the .ppss-cs. The New Haven policy lppears to have overcome so far as it is possible apparently to do so human tendencies which elsewhere have made us readily understand the cause and effect In previous seasons of depres- sion New Haven has been able to cope with them with ever increasing cour- age Other characteristics might be referred to in order to point with certain pride to our intelligently self ish method of discounting rough busi- ness weather. Not few predicted month ago that New Haven would fare better than most cities, and quite like ly it is to-day doing so, but there are still fewer who to-day do not realize that the distress which has overtaken hundreds of self-respecting and hith- erto self-supporting men and women is very real and very hard to bear. Even the superior business and civic meth- ods of New Haven find themselves un- able to easily cope with the situation. There are good men and women here in need of the necessities of life and their children suffer with them.
 It is not sought to make this state mcnt in spirit of exasgeration nor to offer a remedy for the ills imposed on deserving people. The power unfor- tunately does not rest with man to un- do in 8 moment the effect of cause which has been long in the making. It is sought to make people realize out of the misery which they know ex- ists about them how carelessly they safeguarded days of prosperity and to what an extent the spectacle of the day can be charged up to that reck- less state of mind. The city of Pitts burg is face to face with the fact from a practical point of view. It sought to reduce if not overcome the local dis tress by an appropriation from the city treasury of nearly quarter of million of dollars. What it has found in it's distribution of relief is that the demand is greater than the supply It is finding that stored-up labor. which is only another name for money, is quickly consumed and that in order to get more of it actual labor must be renewed. There is a limit even to the power of rich Pittsburg to meet the deplorable situation with the treasury of the city Already the line of relief is divided in favor of the married men ard hours of work are being capitalized as much as possible in order that the maximum may be given something to help them along. In other words. the necessity for discriminating between humans in distress proves the in1- mensity of the task to keep civiliza- ton alive when labor is withdrawn To be sure the Pittsburg fund will aid in resisting the assaults of enforced idle ness. and to that exact extent if has in it the quality of the Givine. but it at the same time adds to the difficulty of c.rrving people along without labor bv hiding the ruinous consequences Of artificial relief There is no end short ally meet the Pittsburg situation un- less it is relieved by the revival Of bus mess confidence and the starting of the