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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4125, 10 June 1874, Page 2

A few weeks ago, among tho intelligence transmitted from England by the submarine telegraph, there came an item to the effect that placards had boon circulated in England, stating on the authority of Consul Archibald, of Now York, that there w-ere in that city forty thousand workmen who were anxious to return to England, and warning emigrants against preceding to that city. Tho New York journals of tho 18th of April disavow, on the part of Mr. Archibald, any responsibility for the act, which is characterised as “silly and unprincipled,” “foolish,” and a “canard.” There is no doubt “room enough for all” in America, if immigrants push out to the westwards, and are prepared to settle upon the State lands, or to accept such rough employment as a now country oilers ; amj therefore tho warning may not have boon altogether justified, but it is unquestionable at tho same time that the past winter in New York, and probably in other cities of the Eastern States, has been marked by more poverty and suffering, calling for a corresponding excrciso of benevolence, than has ever before boon known in America. That distress arose, undoubtedly, from scarcity of employment for those who were unwilling or unablo to leave tho city, and tho inability of middle-class pcoplo to maintain their usual rate of expenditure, aggravated by the unusual severity of tho season ; but that it was of an extraordinary character, and such as to justify a warning to persons in England disposed to emigrate, tho columns of the New York journals afford the best evidence. Tho distress began in Novcmber-Dc-cember, and immediately became so intense as to outrun the ordinary means of alleviating tho wants of those who wore forced to rely upon charity. It was necessary to form relief committees, to collect funds and stores of provisions and fuel, to establish soup kitchens, and to carry relief into hundreds of homos, tho inmates of which were too proud to come forward and confess thoir needs. All through tho dreary months, the snows and frosts, tho bitter winds and storms of a Now York winter, it was necessary to continue those efforts ; and it was only in the middle of April, when tho funds supplied by tho charitable began to fail, but when tbo sun began to shine out with warmth and hope, that tho labors of tho Relief Committees came to a close. Towards the close of March, when tho worst of tho distress was over, there were still in the city thirteen soup kitchens in charge of one gentleman—Mr. Dolmouico—who scorns to have been recognised as having special aptitude for the work. There were cloven other kitchens of tho same kind in full operation in other portions of tho city, and in Brooklyn there were .three more. As late as tho 12th or 13th of April, soup was distributed in one clay to 3,000 persons from tho three Brooklyn houses alone, while at one of the city kitchens—that of the Tenth precinct—l,2oo persona were supplied. A few. days previously, at tho Vanderbilt Avenue Relief Rooms—ono of Brooklyn houses—no fewer than 4,215 poor persons wore fed. At the Tenth ' precinct station, already alluded to, 437

persons were supplied with wholesome food on the 23rd of February; a week afterwards the number had increased to 033 ; in the first week of March tiro number had risen to 914 ; and on the 21st of that month 222 families, comprising 1,235 persons of all ages, were furnished with their “daily bread.” On the same day, a total of 12,000 persons received soup and bread at the kitchens. It is not to be supposed, however, that all the distressed inhabitants of the city wore included in that number. In the third week of March St. John’s Guild had in its care not less than thirty-live thousand “poor people of the metropolis.” While it had this enormous mass of poverty to relievo, the supplies failed. Wo are told that “the hundred ladies of culture and wealth who were its volunteer visitors, were becoming despondent,” and it is added that “it scorned as though the agony of the sufterers was only to be prolonged, not abated,” when assistance catno in the form of a contribution of five thousand dollars, the results of a series of entertainments given by the Dramatic Union of the city. ' This, it was estimated, would “enable the Guild to remain in the field and provide for its army of helpless ones for at least eight days’ longer.” Hope was derived from this timely assistance that during that anxious week other donations would bo added that would “ support theso pioor people after some fashion or another, with bread to oat and a roof to shelter them, til! work opens in the factories and workshops.” Thirty-five thousand people in such a frightful position ! More than the population of the largest city in New Zealand ; more than the entire population of some of the Provinces of this Colony ; and all dependent from day to day upon the soup kitchens provided by the charitable ! Even that number, however, did not represent the poverty which prevailed in Now York. At that very time there wore nine thousand men employed, chiefly out of charitable considerations, on the public works of tlio city, at the expense of the Corporation of New York. At th o usual average of married to single, and of tiie number in the families of married men, theso nine thousand laborers would represent from fifteen to twenty thousand souls. Even the grand total of fifty thousand persona of all ages thus receiving aid, or support, from the city funds or the charity of St. John’s Guild, did not comprise the whole of the destitute people of tho city, for the visitors’ lists wore full of cases of shocking but patiently borne distress—cases to which relief in the shape of food, clothing, payment of rent, &c., had to bo sent, (bn the 28th of March ono of our New York contemporaries wrote on tho subject as follows ; There is not now such an outward show of great poverty as was noticeable when tho first alarming peril of starvation drove the poor people almost to madness. Then there was a wailing call for food; now there is a cheerful acceptance of the food supplied and a better and higher feeling in regard to the soup kitchens. A visit to the kitchens a month ago uncovered a most painful picture. Fathers, mothers, little children, strong men but hungry ones, and weak -men who were feeble at their best, crowded the rooms, with an apparent feeling of desperation that otherwise would have been shame. Tho very word “charity’’had a harsh, a gratingly harsh sound to the ears of these stricken people. Poverty was depicted in all their faces. That they felt ashamed to take soup they had not earned, was also plainly told by every motion. Put a month's reflection has shown them that this is a very hard world, with heavy clouds sometimes in the skies, and that the poor man can no more control the activity of a nation’s business than the rich man can prevent himself from being sick, miserable, afflicted with family troubles, and, in a general way, dyspeptic all over. And so the picture has changed. Now the little children, no longer with poor, pale, cramped, and crying faces, bring their cans to the helpful kitchens. The women, the working men’s wives, are no longer ashamed to call twice a day to have their cans filled with soup, for they know that where they go they are welcome. The sturdy, hardy young fellow out of work goes to the kitchen and eats his daily soup, too proud to beg in the streets, and glad of the feeling that lie has, by this ministration of charity, a chance to wait awhile, and mayhap to learn a lesson of life hitherto unknown to him. Happily, wilh tho first “ harbingers of spring ” tho extreme pressure of distress passed away. The severity of the winter, socially,- however, was likely to leave marked effects upon trade for some time to come. Town travellers, wo notice,, reported that orders were difficult to obtain, and tho reason assigned was everywhere tho same. Families found money loss easy to obtain than it formerly had boon, and retrenchment was necessary. Tho trade returns of the latest date show an increase for the statistical year of exports and a decrease of imports —which tho Press of Now York regard as a sign of returning self-reliance and prosperity ; but tho period included does not involve tho winter in which it was necessary that charity should exert itself so largely. Whether the causes of tho past distress were accidental, or incidental to tho fiscal and financial systems of tho States, tho American people will no doubt sot themselves to discover with their accustomed energy, so as to prevent the recurrence of such distressing scenes as marked the winter of 1873-4 in New York.