The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-04-13
A Tradesman on Proverty's Causes

7 have noticed discussions of the
question Of the ACCESSIBILITY Of install.
ling a free lunch system in the public
schools, and would like as an ordin.
airy citizen to tender my opinion as
to the causes and the remedy for this.
In my opinion, little needed charity.
I have for many years been a
tradesman, mostly in the poorer sec.
tions of Manhattan and Brooklyn;
have been thrown into close contact
with the poorer classes there, and am
nearly able to give an accurate &C.
count Of a roor mans Income and ex.
penditures.
I am now located in the poorest
section of Brooklyn, where I have
large holdings Of real estate, and per-
haps $50 tenants of various classes
such as shopkeepers and private
jewellers.
To begin with, there would be no
want, nor need for free lunch depots.
were poor parents willing to invest a
large percentage of their earnings in
staple goods and meats. As it is now
the lions share of their earnings goes
toward maintaining saloons and
liquor stores. 1t is whisky before
breakfast, beer and raciers for
breakfast, and beer again for early
lunch; with beer twenty cents, and
bologna five cents, for midday lunch;
beer twenty cents and stew meat five
cents for supper; and a continual beer
and cracker feast for the entire family
till bed hours. A fair share of the
poor children are fed on free lunch in
easy reach on counters of saloons,
where parents send them for their
beverage. Of course, there are ex-
ceptions; but among the most needy
mes these foregoing facts may easily
be verified. Yes, indeed, r t rarely a
family with four or more children,
where the mans wages vary from $40
to SIS per week, subsists upon bread.
jelly, bologna and crackers. The bal
ance of the wages, excepting perhaps
$3.50 per week for rent, goes to sa.
looms. Clothing is a third considera.
ton.
To emphasize this, I will here give
an illustration:
am the owner Of ten store proper
ties, comprising nearly all the bust
ness outlet ontone block. Included in
these I have four corners, two OF
which are occupied as liquor and beer
saloons. Of the other properties, six
stores are butcher, barber, dry goods,
grocer, baker, tin and stove store, and
two stores are idle. The two saloons,
one on each corner, bring me a larger
annual revenue than the remaining
eight properties, including the two
other corners. Furthermore, the sa-
l~oonkeepers are prospecting, whereas
my other store keeping tenants in the
various lines, arranged without one
competing with another, are barely
making their living. The meat mar
ket in particular is now and again
closed for lack of business.
Neither high license nor any other
scheme can be put in force to obliter.
ate the making and sale Of intoxi-
cants; but people can manage and
should be compelled to properly feed
and clothe their children. My illus.
tration would, l feel satisfied, be
corroborated by general statistics, for
were we to canvass the so-called
poorer districts we would find two
prosperous saloonkeepers to eocb
vender of daily necessities.
l would suggest the planning OF a
few compulsory establishments, where
delinquents and don't cares" could
be placed, and contribute there work
enough to satisfy their children's
proper wants. Perhaps by such a
method man would be brought to a
better habit Of d~isposing of his hard.
acquired earnings. 1t would put an
end to free lunch systems, and alleVi.
ate many charity abuses. What is
more, our future generations would
not be built upon the foundation OF
pauperism, and it would improve so.
ciety morally.-G. Martin Jurgenson.
Brooklyn. in The American.