Evening star., 1909-03-06
PROBLEM OF POVERTY
Workings of British Poor Law
Under Inquiry.
TO ABOLISH W0RKHOUSE
Sweeping Reforms Proposed by Lon.
don Commission.
WEST END LAND VALUES GROW
Gossip Over Trains-Alantic Liner
Business-Move to Reduce Cable
Cost to This Country.
TO ABOLISH WORKHOUSE
WEST END LAND VALUES GROW
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

SOSL w 4A1S SOuAtAys
Special Correspondence Of The Star.
LONDON, February 20, 1909.
The report of the commission appointed
to inquire into the workings OF the poor
law in this country with view of reform
gives great and general satisfaction The
reign Of Bundle" so inveighed against
by Dickens forty years ago, is over and
the British workhouse with all its evils
must go to be replaced by more humane
and civilized methods Of treating the un-
fortunates who are now herded with the
vicious and workshy wastrels.
The report represents the result of the
labors of three years by specialists and
experts and publicists. The complexity
of the problem Of poverty is suggested by
it's mere bulk. The report fills 1.23s
pages, of which 645 pages are devoted
to the majority report. and over 500 pages
to the minority report. There are oceans
of facts and theories in the volumes con-
tanning the minutes OF evidence. Hence
forward the present system exists only on
sufferance.
The hated workhouse is at last to be
abolished. 1t will be mourned by nobody.
the stigma of poor law relief Poverty In
the future will cease to be crime. by
slow degrees 1t will be scientifically treat
ed as a social disease the cure Of which is
social duty.
Both reports are unanimous In condemn
ing the poor law system. Both declare
that boards Of guardians must be swept
away. The very name poor law Is to De
wiped out, and the French phrase. IL
Assistance Publique,' is to be adopted in
DBL. 80 ,<orp Se 70 1n
name of the new poor law. Both reports
would abolish The union area and the gen.
eral workhouse. Both agree that the
present area is too small. AS the Times
points out, no uniformity of system Is
possible in the 60 existing unions. vary
ing in size from Welwyn with a popula-
ton Of 900 to West Ham. with popula-
tion Of $4,000. Both reports are in favor
Of establishing labor exchanges. Both are
In favor Of unemployment insurance with
raising of the school age to fifteen, and
both emphasize the necessity of organized
efforts to combat the curse OF boy labor.
Third Inquiry in 800 Years.
This is the third time in the course Of
over 900 years that 1t has been necessary
to deal in wholesale fashion with the
problem of poverty. The first poor law
was passed in the reign Of Queen Eliza
beth and this act remains on the statute
books to this day Unaltered. it served
for 800 years, but the law was greatly
abused by all who derived benefit from
It, and it's operation cost the state far too
much.
The law was changed in 1884 and again
slightly in 1867. BY 1870 fifty-two persons
out of every LOCO in this country were
paupers. In the union Of ST. Georges
East f9.OOO was given away in one year
in out-relef. The country had over
million paupers of whom $4,000 were re-
ceiving outdoor relief 10 the extent of
years which have followed the methods
of dealing with the poor have been COM
pIetely changed. Palatial warehouses;, IN
frmaries, fitted in far better. style than
the ordinary general hospitals, poor law
schools, built as complete villages have
been provided for deserving and un-
deserving alike.
Tobacco is supplied to the old man,
afternoon tea in some cases to the old
women, games to r,en,I wniie away h;,s,tne tne
the lives OF inmates. Distinctive pauper
dress has been abolished. married quarters
are provided for old people. the pauper
nurses have given place to trained nurses.
and in everything save liberty nothing Is
wanting in material comfort for the poor.
To Reduce Pauperism.
The more the comforts increased the
faster the paupers came. One union would
permit pauperism to become an easy al
tentative to work. while in the next door
parish would make the test of destitu-
ton. By this months figures Poplar,
down by the docks has fifty-four paupers
in every LOCO inhabitants, while It's next
door neighbor has only twenty-seven per
LOCO.
Poplar affords perhaps the best exam
pie of extravaganza in poor law man
agement. In Poplar the guardians con-
ceive It to be their duty to make pauper-
ism attractive and profitable to all except
those who pay the rates. Under an or
der Of the local government board, framed
to meet periods OF exceptional distress,
the Popuar board was empowered to ad-
NIT the unemployed to the workhOuse and
other institutions and maintain the wives
and, children outside. These allowances
ran from 275 to 81. 40 per week, and the
total value of the relief granted to some
families per week ranged from $3.50 to
S9.OO-a sum far above the trade union
rates for the district.
The 10000 tramps. the army of feeble
minded. the hundreds of thousands of GER
titled lunatics. harmless and vicious
Created in the same asylum); the lavish
accommodation provided for vicious wom-
en- in poor law inf1rmaries, the folly and
waste, all begotten Of castiron rules and
regulations which are the very essence Of
happily now within measure of being
swept out of existence.
The remarkable telegram addressed by
the German emperor to Prince RadOlin,
his ambassador in Paris, is the epilogue to
a dramatic piece of secret history. Par
enthetically attention is directed to the
frank way in which the emperor associ-
ateS the agreement with King Edward s
visit to Berlin, thus bearing out the re-
cent statement about close connection
between the two events.
Kaiser's Personal Policy.
The kaiser's pleasure at the conclusion
Of the agreement is no mere diplomatic
convention. The agreement represents
triumph for his personal policy. which
for many long months struggled hopeless
ly against certain jingo opinions and in
fuence in the foreign office and the press.
I have very good reason for saying that
<ha Of ho fro,