The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-11-09

the distress which arises from in
sufficient food, clothing, shelter, and
health. It Ia quite clear that the State
must indirectly or directly relieve
some part of such distress in institu-
tons, such as almshouses, asylums, and
hospitals. What has been said above
regarding the advantages of State sub
vention to private institutions under
strict State supervision, Is In a gen.
eral way true with regard to the in
stitutiOnal care of physical suffering
and dependency. Municipal lodging
houses should be established for those
! persons who cannot obtain food and
shelter elsewhere. In order to be ef-
fective they should be connected with
a system of labor exchanges and labor
colonies. Although the former is
measure of prevention and the latter
mainly method of relief, they ought
| to be parts of one comprehensive
scheme for dealing with unemploy-
ment. In the labor colony men who
refuse to work or who show them
selves unable to continue long at any
employment, such as Migrants, tramps,
and some kinds of casual laborers,
could be compelled to work, and kept
at it until they are ready to become
self-supporting. This is necessary
method of relieving that form of social
distress which consists in the continu-
al presence of large number of men
who try to get living by begging or
some other anti-social kind of effort
and ingenuity. Evidently this task
can be performed only by the State.
Outside of institutions, State relief
of physical distress must be supple
mentary and supervisory, rather than
Independent and original Wretched-
ness arising, from want of food, cloth
! ing, shelter, and health should be
| left as far as possible to voluntary
agencies. In all such cases voluntary
assistance is generally more intimate,
personal, and sympathetic, more ef-
fective in building up character, less
cold, mechanical, and perfunctory than
public relief Moreover, SO long as mis-
cry exists, it's capacity to arouse, keep
alive, and develop the feelings and
principles of sympathy, brotherhood,
and social solidarity, ought to be util-
lied to the utmost. individuals and
classes should be given this opportun-
/ ity to obtain this kind of moral ed
ucation. Especially is this true of
small and local groups, as the parish,
the fraternal society, the town, the
rural neighborhood. The manifold adj
vantages of assistance, according to
right methods, extended by the mem
bers of such groups to the needy with
in their respective circles, are so obvi-
GUS that it were a waste of time to
discuss the subject in detail.
When, however, voluntary agencies
fail to provide relief sufficient both in
quantity and quality, the State should
step in to supply the deficiency. In
many of our great cities it will have to
do something to provide better hous-
ing. One of the best methods of com
bining public with private effort is
that which is known as the Elberfeld
system, whereby voluntary workers
make a close and intimate investiga-
ton of needy cases, and administer
what public assistance is necessary
under strict public supervision. Among
the kinds of public outdoor relief that
are necessary in some parts of our
own country are breakfasts or lunches
| for poor school children, mothers pen
sions, and chiIdren's scholarships. In
all these cases it would be better that
| the assistance should come from pri-
vate sources; but when these are not
forthcoming, State relief is preferable
to the continuance of these forms of
social distress.
BY way of conclusion, then, we OBJ
serve that the sphere of the State in
dealing with social distress is by no
means small Neither is it indefinitely
large 1t is confined within fairly
definite limits by certain clear and
fundamental principles. Neither in
the field of prevention nor in that of
relief is it wise or right for the State
to do anything that can be done as
well by voluntary agencies; and where
ever practicable it should subsidize,
cooperate with, and supplement pri-
vate endeavor.