MONDAY, APRIL 8, 1889. THE POOR IN ENGLAND.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8332, 8 April 1889, Page 2

MONDAY, APRIL 8, 1889. THE POOR IN ENGLAND.

Under the heading "A thousand more mouths every day," the Earl .of Mcath contributes an article in tbe Nineteenth Century ior January in which he suggssts remedies against the increase of pauperism in England. He commences with a reference to tlio controversy that has been carried on from time to time as to the natural claim which a starving man possesses to be relieved hy his more prosperous fellow-men. Ou this point he remarks ; " Whether a starving man has or has not a moral right to help himself to bread at the expense of others is a delicate question of ethics which may or may not be worthy the attention of professors of religion and of moral philosophy, but any decision they arrive at will have no effect on the action of the mass of mankind, when circumstances compel them individually to give a practical answer to the question. The starving man will, as a rule, take the loaf if he can get it, and society will punish him if it can. There are few men whose moral rectitude would stand the test of dying of starvation, and still fewer of seeing tlieir nearest and dearest dying before their eyes, if food were within tlieir grasp and could be obtained by the sacrifice of conscience. It is the interest of society, therefore, to see that such an irresistible temptation be not placed in the way of any large proportion of mankind, lest the hungry become supreme and anarchy come The object of all good citizens should be to work towards the abolition of a pauper class, and, whilst it exists amongst us, so to alleviate its lot that it shall not be driven to despair. It is quite possible to show sympathy with those who have been brought to misfortune, and yet so to relieve distress as to give no encouragement to idleness or vice. No doubt indiscriminate almsgiving is hurtful to tbe State as well as to the individual who receives the dole, but not less dangerous would it be to society if the principles of stern political economists were to be literally accepted by any large number of the rich, and if charity ceased to be practised within the land. We cannot yet afford to shut ourselves up in the castle of philosophic indifference, regardless of the fate of those who have the misfortune to find themselves outside its walls." Lord Meath gives the following as the most important amongst the multitudinous causes of non-employ* ment:— " 1. Over-population. '2. Foreign immigration. 3. Depression of agriculture. 4. Depression of trade. 5. Excessive hour of adult labor. 6. Want of training in youth of the hand and eye. 7. Physical disability. 8. Moral disability." As partial remedies he makes the following suggestions :— "State colonisation, or the placing of poor, honest, capable, selected families on plots of freegrant land as farmers in Canada, Australia, or the Cape would iv some measure counteract the effects of over-population. The evils of foreign immigration, and the consequent increase of competition in the labor market and the lowering of wages in certain trades to starvation poiut, could be met by the closing of our ports to all paupers and by the imposition of a small poll-tax on foreigners resident in England. Compulsory, technical, industrial, agricultural, and physical training for the young in good eveuing continuation schools, where lads and girls conld also continue their studies after they had lett the primary schools, would probably assist to diminish the number of men and women who became paupers owing to depression of agriculture, depression of trade, want of training in youth of the hand and eye, and physical disability. As regards the excessive hours of adult labor, restriction might be imposed by legislative actipn. To meet the Sth cause, moral disability, an increase of religious agencies, stricter licensing laws, an improvement in the Poor Law, and the establishment of disciplinary battalions of labor, are in my opinion necessary." Dealing with these suggestions in detail, Lord Meath expresses a belief that the formation of labor colonies by voluntary agency would be of great advantage. " These colonies," he says, "should bo formed somewhat on the model of those which have been found so useful in Holland and Germany, and should be situated in rural districts, but as near as practicable to large centres of population. Here single men who are out of work should be employed in remunerative agricultural and other labor. The men should be roughly housed, clothed, and fed, in return for the work done. No.

wages should he paid in cash during residence, but an account shonld be kept, and on their leaving with good characters the surplus due after deduct'oa of tbeir expenses should be banned to tliem. None should be permitted to remain more than six months at a time, and every effort should be made to obtain "•permanent employment elsewhere for the inmates of the establishment. Permission should he given them to leave as soon as work has been obtained. The pay credited to them should be calculated at a rate nf wage slightly less than that cunent in the neighborhood, and no agreement should be made as to the payment of wages, so that Bhonld a man misbehave himself it may be legal to confiscate the money partially or wholly, as a punishment and as a means of maintaining discipline."