CHARITY AND SOCIAL LIFE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 203, 27 August 1910, Page 14

CHARITY AND SOCIAL LIFE.

By a 6. Loch, 8A.., Hon. LL_O. Macmillan. 0/ net. To students of the problem of poverty, every work which throws light upon the working of those benevolent organisations which have attempted to relieve the viettims of sickness and want must prove of interest. To those engaged in the administration of public or private institutions of a benevolent character, it is also of importance that they shall be furnished with information regarding the elements of success and failure that have •been found to exist in various systems created to cope with the demands of a deplorable phase of modern civilisation. Dr. Loch traces the history of charity from earliest times, shewing that among primitive people the responsibility of the tribe or the State towards child-life was not recognised, and infanticide commonly prevailed. He describes the current ideas and law 3 with regard to charity in Greek and Roman times, the leaven of religion and philosophy in relation to public sentiment on the subject, and' the great change which was effected by Christianity. An interesting chapter is devoted to early monasticism and charity, which preceded the development of the charitable responsibility of the parish. In this connection the author 'presents an interesting picture of the social condition of England prior to the breaking up of the monasteries, which were the centres of relief. The changes.effected by the Reformation, and the assumption by the State of responsibility for relief of the poor in volved a complete reorganisation of preexisting systems, and it is not pretended j that anything like a final and satisfacj tory settlement of the many iss.es which arise out of the condition of .he poor I has been arrived at. The author give 3 I a lucid account of the origin and position jof the various agencies that are now in I operation in Great Britain for the relief I of sickness and poverty, and the general i tendency of public sentiment in this matI ter. He summarizes fully the recently- ! published report of the Royal CommisI sion on the Poor Laws, and discusses some of the questions which that very important inquiry has raised. The work is altogether a most valuable practical contribution to the discussion of a problem which affects every civilised community.