New-York tribune., 1908-06-28
GERMAN REFORMS
4 Lutheran Pastors York IN
Linen TOsrn.
Rielefeld. June II.


German Belfast. with shipbuilding as an addi-
,sonal source OF wealth. Pastor Won Bodel-
scbusnsh another immigrant, brought in phiian-
fhropy a generation ago. and created 30 Huci
enthusiasm and authority for IL that bieieieN
has become city a hill, sending out It's hsh'
far and wide throughout the empire hke the
castle tower on the picturesque sparrehpuie' &
This nractical Protestant pastor has loofneo up
&c the dominating and characteristic feature OF
,he linen town. He has organized Hahs GIG"
.,ies and social reforms has thought out In ao-
80. e,,e-x undertaking. has trained stan OF
assistants for carrying every good WORK ANU
has Influenced public thought IN the empire as
q genuine master Of men,
In these days of social agitation ID HheiN"O
-,,uch IS heard about the night TO WORK. 10 hH'o
,er,nIoyment supplied. If necessary ns INC S'e'
o,5 tn have a pension in old age as a Iree sih'
T, Germany the Socialist agitators nave i"e
.,e changes on these themes, but lesisa'ofs Aau
,bsan.bropists have not wasted their prea'n III
discussing abstract theories OF human rleh.0
They have considered the obligations OF worn
.s .,,en more important than their claims
80 -, common humanity It is their out! 'o
r,orl and when they lack employment IL is the
,oos+ nrsctical charity 10 enable thefh 10 iind
When they neglect opportunities or arc
-raining for taking advantage oi 'Neii
,,,us, he sent to labor colonies, "here 'iieS "a"
he s.+ed for self-support- When theS peeoi"'
,-oric vagrants and beggars they must pe sen
,encAd 10 warehouses, where they VIII pe ioi'N
. ort When they are wage earners' resu-
,a +bev are TO be encouraged In
-. - ,,,riet and self-help by being compeiieo
- .. themselves with the help OF their EN-
-. aeainst the emergencies OF Sickness ao
-. permanent disability and the puroehs "a
Ss-.rcine wears According TO thls Nie"
Questionable charity. the crudest Possioe -
so-,,, and the shortest sighted e'aeeeiA
.,a. leads the self-respecting Worher W 49,
g.+ ANYTHING, whether wages eihpio.
~ q nension, without contrnouIns
sonoe4Fing IN return and SHOWING so'No
moral responsibility for service
= .hese nracticaI lines that the SOIL
,- ,,ard-headed Pastor Won b"uei
-, created an atmosphere for sociai
-, NO. only in Bielefe1d, but also III VI"
- His evrnpathies were enhs'eo may
.rs spo for those wandering from one eo1
of Germany TO another In search oi
a,d moi invent the herberge, or mouse ol 'oii
--e,,el1ine workers. but he perfec'eo inc ~
,,--o,,n6ed II with remedial agencies -
,,-o,,ei7t IT .nto working relations Win lie ~
station supported by public au'noii'S'
sa+aa a., association for the empire by Which
,be work Of these lodging houses for pour iie
8, o,est Of employment was systernatlzeo' aio
- 70 relief in return for work the bleie-
- .a-harea has remained model instl'uuoh
% This class. It enables respectable Worhlneh
=. -,,,-cbase wholesome meals and to nave oe
cent lodgings at a minimum cost; ana IL .n0
loaeers have no money they can "o4K oui ms .-i0
forenoon and earn whatever accoIliiioue'i'-i
,rax, receive Men out OF employment arc e
xistad in finding work and they are not regaroed
either as paupers or objects OF charily' pu'
ere required 70 render service OF some hiho i'i
ere-zrhinS they receive. There is continuous
chain of these lodging houses and reher s'aln'
throughout the empire, and seif-heip rs 'io
eo,den thread that binds them tosether-
-r.i- l,,,,are adaptation OF the cold and heart
-. ,..,,a1 ward system was followed In blele-
field bv a larger measure for the rehel OF SUI
,,lus lat,or Pastor Won BodelschWinsh esIao-
ushed thirty years ago an agricultural colony OH
q barren moor not far from the Town. oesih-
ming with the purchase Of single farrn anu
GRADUALLY enlarg1ng the estate until there were
2 thousand acres under cultivation The VIII
,,x,,,edo-r colony admitted anybody who was
willing to work for a clean bed and "hoesoile
meals The good pastor himself directed the
sxneriu,ent with the help Of practical farmer
and .peedily convinced himself that he had hit
-,,on an effective method of reforming highway
,ramps The results were satisfactory that
,,e- thirty similar colonies were founded In
various German states. A Deaccn's House was
opened at Bielefeld for the training OF superin-
tendents and helpers and the town became the
centre Of a national movement for the reclaila-
tion Of worknen who had degenerated 1n'o
a-.r+e Work was the principal medicine,
and with the wholesome tonic Of encouraging
words and syTnpathetic advice II restored both
Will and power to earn a living. When the bar
rers Of wfIhelmsdorf had been brought unoer
systematic cultivation a larger and rousher
neat tract was purchased, so that more strehu-
ous work than dairy farming and ordinary crop
,srg could be provided for men requiring the
discipline Of arduous labor
The indefatigable philanthropist who made
Bjelefeld centre of influence for the relief pf
the workers and the reformation OF vagrants
also undertook 10 improve the condition OF the
better class OF linen workers He organized a
society fer promoting a home loving spirit
aroonr them He began by interesting large
factory owners in a movement for providing
their 1orlraen with superior houses and gar
5ens ranging from quarter TO half an acre,
and he ended by imparting powerful impulse
fo the cause OF housing reform throughout Ger
mann, The association built hundred or more
model cottages in the suburbs and either sold
them on easy terms 10 worknlen or let them 10
tenants having la-5e families These br1ck cot
rages covered with stucco and vines and sur
ro,,nded with spacious gardens one Of the
pIeasantest features Of this orderly, well gov
ernea town; and a more impressive one is the
p-orlp Of Bodelschwingh institutions beyond the
snarrenherg These include well managed
,ooroe and farm for epileptics, asylum for
srebrtates lodging houses for poor working peo-
,sa chanels training schools and houses OF
mercy. These are eloquent memorials OF a long
life erent in the service OF humanity Pastor