The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-15
Begun by the City at Mu
nicipal Lodging House to Discover
Causes of Inability of Men to
Find Employment

Fundamentally New Yorks munici-
pal lodging house Ia all right. 1t Ia one
OF the best buildings Of It's kind in the
world. Every person who comes here
liz fed, given bath and a bed. His
clothes are thoroughly fumlgated. The
dormitories are scrupulously clean and
rowdyism Is not tolerated.
But tho problem does not end with
the lodging Of the individual for the
night. Of feeding him and then allow
ing him to go out into the very con.
ditions that drove him here without any
hope for the future. He will return
again and again. r We send the sick
out without treatment we will have
them hack, and they will be worse each
time and harder to help. with the
detectives and the socially in II In the
same.
These three new tests are being
tried on about two hundred people each
night. We have not tho men and the
facilities to examine I'm this thorough
way all the applicants. The entire mat
ter Is merely an experiment to find out
what II will cost to investigate each
case thoroughly and 10 see how we
can best modify methods to meet the
demands Of the institution. Then when
We are in position to know exactly
what is required to put a man back
on his feet We shsdl have to work out
the plan 10 that II may be applied to
every person who comes here.
The law says that man shall only
remain In the lodging house but three
nights a month and that IL he applies
for lodging moro than three times a
-. - a.
course We cannot always do that. Some
men need but a night or two to enable
them to get back on their feet and some
need further help.
We have plenty OF work for such
men to do here and in the city institu-
tions. and l am in favor Of helping
them further than the law allows when
they actually need Il. These tests will
soon eliminate tho takers, the men who
will not work and who take the lodging
house as a good thing. while on the
other hand tiie tests viii Ne able t.
ferret out the men who are I'm real
need. These men will know the mu'
nicipality Is with them in their efforts
TO rehabilitate themselves"
When 7 000 men have been subjected
to the complete tests the data gained
will be assorted and an attempt Will te
made to reach some general conclusions
The psychologists are using the Bine'
test for intelligence, which is the same
at that used In the Clearing House for
Mental Detectives. Thus far 200 men
have been examined. One-seventh Of
this number, or about eighteen. have
been found to lie feeble minded. and the
rest, or six-sevenths. have been found
to he normal in Intelligence.
OF the One-seventh the principal &C.
cupation has been found to he begging
Those who were not beggars were found
to Iva vagrants The average earnings
Of this group when employed at odd
Jobs are 90 cents day.
The remaining number consisted OF
day iaborers and mechanics with nor
NAL. healthy minds. The Investigator
have been surprised to learn that over
so per cent. Of the normal applicants
have skilled trades. and that some Of
them held their last positions as ions
| as twelve years.
The conclusions of the invest igator.
have been somewhat confused by the
! fact that large number of the mer
drift into the lodging house after Ions
periods OF hard drinking and are there
1 fore at the time OF examination below
| normal, though AT other times they arr
normal and some above normal. Only 4