The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-08

Frederic =. Howe. Commissioner OF
immigration. yesterday sent the follow
ing communication TO the Board of Es-
innate and Apportonment:
AT a short hearing on the unemploy-
ment situation on Friday last II was
intimated by some % that the city was
under no obligation in the matter and by
others CD that the city was doing all
It could do in the premises.
The first suggestion Is the most inn
portant. II unemployment and poverty
are social, not Individual, then the re-
lief must be social, not individual II
men are out OF work through no fault
OF their own. then they should not bear
n vicarious cost for some one else. II
the war, Industrial depression, machine
industry and the ownership OF tho tools
and the land by an employing class
prevent the worker from making work
for himself, then the worker should not
be sacrificed by reason of things he
cannot control. Least of all in the
name OF humanity have we right TO
condemn him to the streets. the saloons,
the cheap lodging house or TO the chance
giving OF private charity.
There are only three alternatives
before us: "a indifference. let the
down and outs care for themselves
(D private philanthropy 90 public
relief either through work or dgnfied
public support.
I'VE reject the first in theory: we
accept II in practice. The poor are bear
ing their own poverty. We relieve IL 10
some extent by private charity but we
have no right to compel one class to go
to another class for the right to live
and we have no right officially to en-
trust this, the most sacred of all func-
lions, to any private agency.
Held n Public Duty.
The other alternative We refuse 20
face we say II IL not the public bus!-
ness TO relieve unemployment, distress
and poverty | contend II Is the high
est OF all public functions. for 1t is the
relief of human beings who, by con-
ditiOns which they cannot control. have
become the most helpless In tho COM
munity
we maintain a Police Department
at cost OF millions. Why? To protec,
the weak and the strong, We maintain
| "A Fire Department for the same service
The Health Department IL a social ser
vice because complex society necessi'
tates this protection. The hospitals
clinics, dspensarles are all public
recognition that the sick. disabled and
down and out have rights Even the
! schools, with their S40000,000 budget
are a recognition of the obligation OF
! the strong to the weak of the city e
/ the poor.
THE industrially weak are no DIFF
/ ferent from those enumerated. They
cannot protect themselves. And they
require protection because OF the com
| plexities and impersonallty Of society
! The employer Is under no obligation tC
them. In consequence, society mus
step in just as II has in the performance
OF other agencies.
I'VE should do this for protection, I
| for no higher reason. Three hundred
and Atty thousand unemployed mer
| mean tens of thousands o. families
broken up: 1t means wreckage to un
counted thousands for the loss of theil
self-respect self-reliance and char
acter We are making tramps, vaga
bonds, criminals In the process, VIII,
come back and add millions in cost L
our police. correction and penal institu
tons.
1T cannot be otherwise. II the cit,
polluted It's water supply by nactiol
It would be responsible for the dlseas
which followed This We are doing b,
our indifference and neglect OF this prob
lem, To save dollars We are sacrificing
human beings; not men alone, bu
women and children.
What can be done? First OF all
give more than fragmentary hour an
n half to consider this colossal problem
We can and should provide work suite
10 the situation, We SHOULD have
works department, with authority 4
use nien on the Palisades, In the cit,
owned quarrles. on great farms. build