The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-06-26
CHARITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
Changes In the Methods of Charity WorkersSeps By Which Reformers Must Gain Their Ends-Protection of
 Chimney Sweeps In England As An Illustration
By JANE ADDAMS

1 Superseding the Work of Climbing Boys
 was founded in 1903 by some kind-hearted people whose names have not been pre- served. They first offered a prize of POO pounds for the best sweeping machine
 which should obviate the necessity for boys. | Secondly, they promoted a bill to pro- | tect the boys but although it passed the house of commons it was recjectod by
 the lords, possibly not because the lords
 were more hard hearted, but because the chimneys in the old mansions and manor houses were hopelessly crooked and could not be swept by machinery. | Thirdly they appointed their own pri- vate inspectors to watch the conduct Of the master sweepers. and maintained these inspectors for 70 years. They also purchased sweeping machines and rented them to small masters for one shilling, six pence week. They continually badgered the insurance companies to de- mand the use of these machines; finally in 1875, they succeeded in passing law of regulation and safeguard for their grimy little proteges.
 We have here an epitome of the most advanced philanthropy. stimulation of in- ventions which shall relieve the poor from degrading drudgery. cooperation with commercial enterprises, and finally pro- tective legislation. But these obscure peo- pie did even better than that. They were pioneers in the establishment of the modern principle of Inspection.
 During this long century as the philanthropist endeavored to transform his pity into political action. he learned the use of two other great implements, first of popular agitation, second of tJcti {pf The first about because the politicians would only yield under the pressure of pub lie opinion. The reforms which the philanthropist advocated were leg.ti- mately open to the emotional appeal and he became an adept in the use of agitation for moral propaganda. But the philanth ropist also found that when they actually appeared before a parlia . ment or legisla ture they were obliged to wield the weapon of statistics If only that they might appear as mon of science and not as sentimentalists The great problem of the wovld-be re- former Is not so much the overcoming of actual opposition-the passing of time does that for hi,n-as the obtain Ing and formulating of accurate knowl edge and fitting this knowledge into the trend of his time.
 Lord Shaftsbury's calculation of tho distance daily travelled by child tend ing a machine brought to his cause those members of parliament who had been quite untouched by his human itarian enthusiasm and religious zsel. But the advocates of chi id labor legis- lation had before them a century of struggle with the freedom of con tract" people before it was made c, ear to the British mind that to protect the children of the nation Is not in re straint of trade" but the preservation of the most valuable asset of com merce.
 The century between the first demand upon parliament for the protection of oh ildren made In 1903, to the carefully prepared report of he royal poor law commission In 1909. equipped the phil anthropist with at least these three carefully tempered tools, public inspcc- tion, moral propa ganda and statistical ipformatio with these tools he laid the sure foundations for a coGe of so- cial Legislation.
 Is 1t because our modern industrial ism Is so new that we have been slow to connect 1t with the poverty all about rs? The socialists talk constantly of the relation of economic wrong to Restitution, but the obligation to erad- icate poverty cannot belong to one political party. After all it was not socialist but that ancient friend of the poor. St. Augustine. who said, thou givest bread to the hungry, but bet