Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-02

ing this problem of how to make a Nv
ing that the science that VIII solve
this problem will easily dispose OF war,
intemperance financial convulsions ana
a dozen other evils that now disturb
the peace of the race.
Here Is a strong argument TOT IN
dustrial education and for revival OF
the old custom to compel our boys To
learn trades. The skilled workman Is
not afraid of the battle of life. 10
know how to do one thing well opens
happy, comfortable avenue for tne
citizen This argument is closely al
lied to our second suggestion concern
ing how to abolish poverty.
'9If poverty would be abolished, great
attention must be given to child cul-
ture. Robert Owens fought his earnest
battles on the proposition that man Is
the product of his environment. There
is no doubt but that one of the chief-
est causes of poverty is the neglect or
the child life. The boy is father to the
man and how can we expect in the
man what are not in the surroundings
of the child?
Chance In Cities Too Small
1.-THE criminal neglect of the children
by the state produces criminals for
whom the state will be compelled later
to care. Our crowded city life is not
giving the children much Of chance:
their Fairgrounds are the streets and
cutters. Unless the city provides play
halls and Fairgrounds for these chill
dren their suppressed animal spirits
will lead them first into mischief and
later to vicious tricks and petty thefts,
and, finally into crimes. The gangs
of noisy and troublesome and cruel
boys that are in evidence now in every
city are the logical sequence and a liV-
ing protest against not giving the chill
dren a chance.
Much is being done for the chill
dren. Thank God for the public
schools, and paralyzed be the arm that
would strike a blow against them!
Compulsory laws should be enforced.
Savings banks should be established in
every school, Gymnasiums should be-
long to every ward school. The pub
lie library is mighty citadel for the
education and protection of the chill
dren, especially when, as in our eX-
cellent libraries, there are departments
for the children. A good book in the
hand of a child is often the inspiration
of his whole life.
Wealth UnequaIly Distributed
IF we would abolish poverty. we
must cease indiscriminate almsglving.
The man who begs at our doors is un-
worthy as a rule; we give him money
to allay our consciences for not hav-
ing gone into the fundamental causes
which produce him. Thousands of men
are being sustained in idleness and in
temperance by the small donations of
the many who cannot turn anyone
away. Careful students place this as
one of the three or four chief causes
of poverty
again, before poverty can be abol-
| ished there must be a more equal dis
tribution of wealth. The wealth Of
this nation is calculated to be $751;
600 900, 900. OF this vast amount ii is
said that one-fifth is owned by per
cent of the people, one-half by per
cent, and less than one-third of the
wealth Is owned by 81 per cent of the
people. About half of the families in
the United States are not property own
ers; seven-eighths of the families OWN
only one-eighth of the wealth; and the
startling statement is made that l per
cent of thr families own more prop
erty than the remaining SO per cent.
These figures are furnished by DIR.
Spahr of New York state. Manifestly,
here is a condition which will need the
shrewd craftsmanship of the most un-
selfish and brilliant citizens to under
stand and correct. Some fundamental
changes must be made which will tax
the courage and peace of the nation.
Let us pray that it may be accom-
plished by evolution and not by revolu-
ton.
Must Abolish SIums
1.-THE slums must be abolished. Foul
homes cannot produce pure characters.
The crowded tenement house ought to
be thing of the past. In positive
self-defense the city will be compelled
to colonize the slums. and if necessary
furnish free transportation from sub
urban colonies to places of work in
~. FTT1.z
pure air and sunshine. 1t is now a gen.
Grafton since George Peabody furnished
more than 5000 homes for the artisan
and laboring classes of London, avail
able at easy rental terms. In this Is
the practical suggestion of what can
be done to relieve the congested Sec
tions of the cities. The Peabody fund
has doubled since it was first given
| by the prinCely benefactOr. Such bene-
factions are not alms-they furnish
opportunities, and prove in the end t.,
| be a good business investment.
"If poverty would be abolished the
| saloon must go. 1t is the most prolific
/ cause of pauperism and woe and crime.
| 1t takes only three men to make bar
rel of beer, but twenty-five men to
make a suit of clothes. The citizens
of Buffalo drank last year $4,000 bar
rels of beer. The workingman cannot
! leave his hard earnings at the saloon
and keep his family out of poverty.
How true it is that much of the labor
| problem is the whisky problem. The
whisky traffic entails an expense of an
average of SIS on each citizen of the
United States, but pays only S1.60 of
! that burden.
Figures Are Startling
"In New York state the whisky bust
ness pays into the treasury $1,000, 000;
| but it costs the state to take care of
expenses entailed by the business in
courts, prisons, police and charity $17.
900, O0O Annually the state loses $14,
| 800, 900 on account of the liquor traffic,
Is this not a great economic question?
Again, in our state there are $4,000
population, and one to every thirty
voters. In New York city there is one
saloon to every 200 people, and in the
! slums one to 129.
"I can easily forgive the temper
ance specialist for believing that if the
saloon We're destroyed poverty would
| be at an end. All will agree that a
vexed factor would be removed. The
overthrow of this evil is within our
grasp as Christian citizens; but We
need to go about it as modern cheva-
! liers who will not be defeated Al
! least our nation will have clearer heads
| for working out the other problems OF
poverty if we shall have the courage
TO stop our fashionable drinking and
drive the abomination of the saloon
| out of our country forever. God give
| us men!"