The New York herald., 1921-06-05
2S,O00,OO0 PEOPLE
IN ENGLAND ARESAD
TO GET STATE AID
Social Worker Asserts Sys-
tenn of DOles Is Honey
cOmbed With Fraud.
SELF RESPECT DEADENED
Families and Even Single Men
Collect From Several Diff
ferent Funds.
Special Gable TO THE New York HERAIp.
'opyr0ht, 1921, by THE New YORK HERALD.

Special Gable to THE New York HnRAIp.
Copyright, 1921, by THE New YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
London, june 4.
Twenty eight million people IF a
population OF $4,000, 900 apparently
are now receiving direct pecuniary ali
in England. This startling statement
was made in a letter to the Daily
telegram by Godfrey Drage, widely
known social worker, who demands
complete overhauling OF the elaborate
system of doles under which persons
Of all sorts are drawing every kind OF
public relief. Mr.. Drage charged that
there is great and widespread fraud In
this connection, many persons draw
ing several kinds of relief from vari-
Gus authorities.
He says that In 1890 only f25, 900. 900
was expended on relief. while the total
from taxes and rates for the year ended
March 81 amounted to $685. 900.
With the press hammering the Govern
ment for economy in its bureaucracy any
adequate machinery to work the great
system Of doles is impossible, and the
Daily Telegraph cites many instances OF
palpable fraud that have come up in
ponce courts recently.
One man was collecting IL ehil-
lings and 6 pence a week as unemploy-
ment pay. while also getting f3 a week
in wages. The Magistrate in the Thames
Police Court, where this man was con-
victed, remarked that such doles lend
themselves almost to induce fraud"
such cases are constantly recurring.
the newspaper says. and adds that they
are by no means an index of the total
extent to which these frauds run. Mr.
Drage asserts that he knows Of instances
In which families and even single men
are collecting relief from several funds
are earning good wages and are asking
grants or clothing at the same time
Even more serious than the financial
aspect of the case, however. is the as
sertion Of Mr.. Drage that the situation
reveals terrible lowering in British
character. There Is an ever increasing
readiness TO receive public assis tance,. 7.
| he says. Independence and self&respect
are the only barriers against pauperism
and these barriers have been steadily
undermined in recent years by various
insidious and demoraiizing doles which
the politicians have administered"
His opinion is supported by E. II.
Haywood. an equally we'll known social
worker. who tells OF the poor among
whom he lived in past years. I'VE were
| all poor ne writes, yet every one
would have regarded It as the last pos
sible crime II he would have permitted
himself to receive public assistance"
Under the present laws there Is an old
age pension, an unemployment benefit
and straight poor relief. as we'll az
various doles for clothing food and fuel
paid for by the public but given out BY
various bodies from the Ministry OF
Pensions to local poor law guardians.
or course, there Is also a huge total OF
war pensions.
Mr.. Drage demands that royal com
mission investigate the whole subject.
He asserts that Parliament under pop
ular terror cannot vote against any OF
these doles. while the various DEPART
ments have shown themselves to ba
equally easy. Alongside of this he de-
mands an immediate coordination OF
the lists OF names OF all persons receiv-
ing assistance from any authority what
ever.