Evening star., 1909-05-24
PAUPERS IN ENGLAND
Royal Commission Completes
Report on the Poor.
COMPRISES 40 VOLUMES
Recommendation for Treatment Of
the Unemployed.
LAWS NEED MUCH REVISION
Destitution on the Increase Despite
Expenditure Of Vast Sums
for Relief.
COMPRISES 40 VOLUMES
LAWS NEED MUCH REVISION
BY WILLIAM r. CURTIS.


Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Hersld.
Paupersm has become so general in the
United Kingdom. and the amount of
money expended for the relief of the poor
has rolled up to such an enormous sum
that in December. 1905. THE royal COM
mission on the poor laws and relief of dis
tress" was appointed by act of parliament
ito inquire:,G) Into the working of the
laws relating to the relief Of poor persons
in the United Kingdom; (oI into the
various means which have been adopted
outside of the poor laws for meeting dis
tress arising from want of employment.
particularly during periods of severe in
dustrial depression. and CD to consider
and report whether any. and If go. what
modification of the poor laws or changes
in their administration or fresh legislation
for dealing with this distress are ad-
visabie'
The commission included in its member
ship three women. Mrs. Helen Bosanquet,
Mrs. Sydney webb and Miss Octavia Hill.
who have distinguished themselves for
leadership in practical benevolence. and
before the investigation was undertaken
were quite familiar with conditions
cut the kingdom. The other members
we're Lord George Hamilton. an ex-cabi-
net minister: the O'Conor Don, the head
of the OConor clan in Ireland: Rev. DR..
Kelly. Roman Catholic Bishop of Ross.
three professors of political economy in
British universities. three clergymen of
the Church of England. three representa-
t1ves OF the labor unions. the chairman of
the distress committee under the unem-
ployed workmen act. the chairman of the
unemployed body for London. several poor
law guardians and ex-guarClians. and sew
sral of the perma nent heads of local gov
ernment boards in England, Scotland and
Ireland.
Reports In Forty Volumes.
After three years OF labor the commits
sion has made its report which is said to
oe the most voluminous ever issued by
any royal commission. and when pub
lished will require more than forty vol
umes. and more than H,0OO folio pages.
1t will make q set of books ten times as
large as the Century Dictionary, and con-
tain statements from more than l.3OO per-
sons. either volunteers who are Interested
n the relief of the poor. or experts who
we're summoned to give their testimony.
The report proper covers 1.25O folio
pages. of which $40 pages represent the
tions of fourteen of the eighteen COM
missioners. and a separate minority re-,
port of 500 pages is signed by four COM
mssioners who do not concur in many
dissenters consist Of Rev. Mr.. Wakefield
of the Church of England, Mr.. Francis
Chandler. Mr. G. Landsbury. political
economist, and MRS. Sydney West.
The recommendations of the majority
are $50 In number and occupy twenty
four folio pages, going into consider
able detail as to the treatment of the
various classes Of paupers and the un-
employed.
It is now more than seventy years
since the poor laws of the United King
dom have been revised and the system of
taking care of the destitute. the inf1rm
and other dependents has become very
complicated and cumbersome. There has
been an immense and ever increasing con-
struction of warehouses;, infirmaries,
asylums, schools and other Institutions
for the permanent housing and care OF
those who are not able or willing to
take care of themselves, and their man.
agement has been intrusted to some $50
different boards of guardians. Some of
these boards are composed of disinter-
ested men, who give their time and labor
and sympathy to the distressed; others
serve for less generous motives and the
character of the relief administered has
varied, according to the disposition and
ability of the people In charge.
Poor Laws Of the Kingdom.
Briefly stated. the poor laws of the
United Kingdom provide that paupers.
under certain conditions. are to be re-
lieved and taken care of in their own
houses or lodged in warehouses; or poor
houses. built for the purpose. The law
is administered by the local government
boards through boards Of guardians. Gre
ated for the purpose. England and
Wales. including London. are divided
into $50 poor law unions for each of
which there is elected a board Of guard
ians. In some cases the union consists
of only one parish; in others several
parishes are included, according to pop
ulation. In London, Manchester. Liver
pool and other large cities the poor
guardians are separately elected. but in
the rural districts they are appointed
from the members of the councils. In
every county parish special overseers are
appointed, whose duty is to assess and
collect the poor rate" a special tax
imposed for raising revenue to take care
OF the dependents of all classes. In the
large cities the local authorities assess
and collect the rates together with the
other taxes
According to the latest census the popu-
lation of the United Kingdom is 1876
S27 souls. and the total number of pau
pers is 1,129.064.
The population of England and Wales
is 32, ,527 .s43, of whom 915.291 are reported