[from the Medical Aid and Poor Relief Commission Report - 1879]

RAMSEY CENTRAL RELIEF SOCIETY

The system and operation of the Ramsey Central Relief Society are thus described by our colleague, Rev G. Paton, one of the joint secretaries of that society :—

"Our system of relief in Ramsey was inaugurated in the year 1868, and we started work in January, 1869. We had well considered our plans before that time, and having everything prepared, we commenced operations at that date. Before that time, with the exception of the Church Trust Funds and collections, the system in existence in Ramsey and the neighbourhood consisted entirely of what is called the "Monday begging.". With a view to putting a stop to that nuisance we held several meetings, and the result was the establishment of the system now called "The Ramsey Central Relief Society," and it made its first distribution of charitable relief in the month of January, 1869.

For the purpose of working the society efficiently, the town was mapped out into nine districts, and to each district at least three visitors were appointed from the central committee, which was elected by the subscribers. That system prevails, in theory, up to the present day; but we have gained so much experience, and now know so thoroughly every case in the town, we have not found it necessary to continue the hard-and-fast line of division into districts. We know the circumstances of every recipient so well that we have not found it necessary. We visit from time to time all the cases on our list, and make the fullest inquiry into the circumstances; and if there is the least doubt as to any particular case we have still these gentlemen on the committee, and we refer the case to them. Some of the members of these visiting sub-committees still go round their districts distributing the relief, but others do not. In the latter cases the recipients come to the general meetings of the committee for their relief.

Although we have not theoretically amalgamated the funds at the disposal of the chaplain and wardens of St Paul's with the funds of the Central Relief Society, yet practically they are one fund. We distribute the relief twice a week. The day selected for the purpose are Monday and Friday As chaplain of St Paul"s, and as joint secretary to the committee, I have a good deal to do with the management or the system generally, and I attend the Monday and Friday distributions. As joint secretary there is a good deal of communication between myself and the other bodies in the town, and I know what is got in the way of chiritable relief from all sources.

Ever since the society was established I have taken a great interest in it. In fact, I have been one of the secretaries ever since the starting of the society, and as all the religious denominations take an interest in it, it has always been the rule to have a Nonconformist as one of the secretaries, and I have always had associated with me a strong Wesleyan. I may say that there has always existed amongst us, with regard to this society, a very cordial and hearty feeling of co-operation both amongst the committee and the subscribers.

For instance, in our first district we find amongst the visitors members of several congregations—a clergyman of the Church of England (the chaplain of St Olave"s), a churchwarden of St Olave"s, and two other persons residing in that neighbourhood. In another district the members consisted of a Roman Catholic layman, a member of St Paul's congregation, and a member of another congregation in the town. And in another district I find the Roman Catholic clergyman associated with a Wesleyan and with a member of my congregation. I give these merely as examples showing the cordial manner in which we co-operate in the work of this society.

All denominations contribute fairly to the funds of the society. I do not say that they contribnte as congregations, but an examination of our lists of subscribers will show that it is largely composed of Nonconformists ; and, as I said before, we have still our theory of districts, the visitors of which are men of every denomination, and every case of difficulty is referred to them. In fact we practically keep up the system of district-visitation and inquiry. One or two of the visitors we never see, unless they come occasionally for the money they are to distribute. Our visitors never relieve, except in cases of urgent necessity, until each case is decided by the Central Committee at our regular meetings. The amount of relief to each recipient is fixed at the general meetings of the committee. No district visitor can permanently decide that on his own responsibility.

I heard the evidence as to the system of relief in Castletown, but I do not wish to criticise their system. There the relief is given in kind; but in Ramsey, as a rule, the relief is given in money.

At the same time we have a large number to whom we give orders on the different provision dealers and others in the town. I may, however, mention in passing, that I find that in practice the recipients of the relief prefer having the relief in money to taking it in kind. They think that they can make the money go farther than we can. They are able, when they get money, to buy paraffin, and make other little odds and ends, which they cannot do when they get bread, coals, and so on. They receive the relief at our weekly meetings. The orders on the shopkeepers are given to the recipients whose prudence we distrust. It acts as a safeguard, but there are some few who would spend 8d out of a 1s order in drink, and there is no doubt that in some places anything can be turned into drink. The relief, however, is not abused, except in a very few instances, and these instances are less frequent now than they used to be. There is no system of relief that can be made entirely free from abuse.

We keep a regular set of books, and our distributions are regularly entered every week. We balance at the end of each year. The church books are balanced at the Easter Vestry, and the books are regularly audited. A complete record of everything is kept, and every halfpenny is accounted for. There is no private relief given from public funds that is not accounted for.

Begging is discouraged in every way; but I do not think that if we found one of our recipients begging in any of the parishes we should hold that as a disqualification from receiving relief from us We would judge each individual case on its own merits. There are some who would never give up begging unless they were kept in prison. We relieve our consciences with regard to them by making our contributions accordingly. This organisation and its working have had the effect of reducing begging in Ramsey to a very marked extent. Indeed house-to-house and shop-to-shop begging, which was an intolerable nuisance at one time, has almost entirely ceased; and there is very little begging now. Before the present system was organised there was a most elaborate system of begging in vogue here.

You would see a black stream of beggars going round one after the other. The amount of funds at the disposal of the society varies from year to year, but as you will see by the returns I have sent in, we have bequests by will, and secured on houses and land, amounting to the sum of £3,155, and the annual interest arising from these bequests amounts to £144 9s. All this money, which includes sixteen sums ranging in amounts from £30 to £500, is invested in the names of the chaplain and wardens. The only sum not invested is one of £120, which is lying in the bank at 3 per cent. We have found difficulty at times in getting good investments. Our annual average of church collections for the last three years has been £232 19s 4d, and the amount of church collections appropriated to the relief of the poor has been £99 6s 5d a year, taking the average of the last three years. The church expenses have to be entirely defrayed out of the collections. I may say that the poor get more than the incumbant's portion of the collections at any time for any purpose. Some of the sums of which we enjoy the benefit were left to the vicar and wardens of the parish, but I find that there was a meeting held, consisting of the vicar and wardens of the parish and the chaplain and wardens of the town, and there was a permanent division of the money made. I am not able to give the history of this transaction, and I would rather not make any statement at all that would disturb this conventional arrangement.

As you will see from our return we have 18 persons entirely dependent upon charity for support. Of these, five are adult males, five are adult females, and eight are children. The ages of the males are respectively 65, 76,78, 86, and 91 years and of the females, 50, 70, 78, 82, and 93 years We have 68 people partially dependent upon charity for support, and of these 14 are males, 52 females, and two children.

Our system of medical attendance is supplied by the Ramsey Medical Dispensary. Attached to this institution is a medical man who visits all cases where people are unable to pay for medical advice. His prescriptions are made up free of cost to the patients at any of the chemists' shops in the town, and the chemists send in their accounts quarterly to the committee of the institution. We have very few cases of infectious disease in Ramsey. During the last three years there have been two cases of typhoid fever, one ending fatally. We have no cottage hospital or other building available for infectious cases—I mean that we have no building kept in reserve for such a purpose, but in cases of an epidemic requiring special treatment, a house might easily be obtained.

With regard to our accommodation for the reception of poor persons, we have a house which will accommodate at least ten individuals ; and besides this we have a court of small houses which will accommodate at least ten families. The annual value of these premises will be at least £60.

Under the head of " well-ascertained annual subscriptions," I may state that in addition to the subscriptions to the Central Relief Society, amounting to £280 a year, we have two soup kitchens, which distribute soup to the extent of £104 a year. I mean that is the amount of the subscription list. One of these institutions made a distribution of soup yesterday. As a rule the recipients pay a penny a quart for the soup, and it is to allow us to sell it at that low price that we have a subscription list. A large proportion of the soup, however, is given free. In addition to the Central Relief Society and the two soup kitchens, we have two clothing clubs, which distribute bonuses to the amount of £23 10s a year. What I mean is, that a bonus is given to add to the deposits made by each person. The total amount of the deposits will perhaps be £200 a year. I merely mention this to show the provident habits of the people. Then, in connection with the Wesleyan body there is a Dorcas Society, which distributes about £26 a year to the poor : and then there is the charity called the Children's Free Dinner Fund. Some years ago we were dreadfully pestered and pained to see so large a number of children begging from door to door, and in order to afford some relief to the poor little things, I inaugurated the charity now called the Children's Free Dinner Fund. The qualification for participation in this fund was rather loose at first, as every child which came had its dinner given to it. But latterly we have made it a kind of inducement for the children to attend school. The tickets are given by the masters and mistresses of the sobools. By this plan it repays itself to a certain extent, by inducing a more effective school attendance. The beneficial result is seen in the marked improvement in the appearance of the children. This plan acts as an indirect compulsion to school attendance. The amount distributed by this charity is about £19 10s a year. The money is subscribed specially for this fund. Then comes the Medical Dispensary the amount distributed in connection with which during the last three years has averaged £62 17s 2d a year. This includes the salary of the medical man. Included in the latter sum is £6 1s 10d, which is strictly speaking an endowment, and which makes our total annual interest amount to £150 10s 10d. Then comes the Wesleyan sacramental money, amounting to about £16 a year, which is distributed to the poor.

I make the gross total given in charitable relief, medical aid, &c., £965 8s 4d a year. This is in dependent of what is done by benefit societies among their own members, and towards the widows and orphans of deceasd members, and also independent of private charity and casual relief. The money is as I have stated divided among 18 persons who are totally dependent upon charity for support, and 68 who are partially dependent upon charity for support, making 86 in all, of whom 76 are adults, and 10 are children. there has been no material change in the number of re cipients or the amount distributed during the last three years.

The house which will accomomodate 10 persons, and is called the Home, is entirely my private property at present, and I will not transfer it until I see the result of this inquiry. The cottages left by the late Mr Callister, and previously referred to as the court of small houses, are held in trust by the trustees of the Wesleyan body in Ramsey. They give orders of admission. The recipients are in cluded in our total number of recipients, and, as a rule, I think they are in receipt of relief from the funds of the Central Relief Society. Indeed I think there is only one exception. The £965 8s 4d, the total amount distributed in relief, in cludes the £10 from sacramental collections which the Wesleyans distribute amongst their own people. The whole of this relief is given at an annual expenditure of only £1 19s 3d. And that sum includes postage stamps, the bellman, printing, advertising, and so on; so that, as the Commission will see, under the voluntary system, as administered by us in Ramsey, nearly £1,000 a year is distributed in relief, at the annual charge of £2 a year, covering everything."

Ramsey Home for Destitute Girls

Then we have at the Lezayre end of the town an Industrial Home for Destitute Children. It is within the limits of the town. There are at present 25 children there, 8 of whom particularly belong to the town and neighbourhood. I have taken proportion of the expense for the eight children belonging to Ramsey, who are lodged, clothed, and fed, at £88 13s 94 a year. This institution was set going by a member of Miss Gibson's family, and, practically, she is the owner, the committee of management, and everything else. It is maintained by subscriptions, donations, bequests, entertainments, and so on. The annual cost of the institution will be about £270 a year. Miss Gibson has never refused admission to a Ramsey child, nor even to a Manx child. These are at the present time inmates of the institution three children belonging to the Maughold portion of the town, and five to the Lezayre portion of the town, I have applied more than once for the admission of children belonging to this district, and I never found any difficulty whatever. Indeed she has pledged herself never to refuse admission to a Ramsey child while there was room, and then not to refuse a Manx child while there is room, and she has acted upon that pledge. As she gets subscriptions from England, she takes in English children as well. Out of the twenty-five children who are at present inmates of the institution, two are from Laxey, one from Douglas, and eight from Ramsey —making 11 out of the 25 belonging to the Island, The institution, which is a most excellent one, is managed by Miss Gibson entirely. A new house has recently been built; but the old house still remains, and is used for day-rooms. school-rooms, and other matters. Tho school is not yet subject to Government inspection, Arrangements will, I believe, be made for having a proper inspection next year. The new portion of the building will accommodate about 20 more children accommodation of the institution can be still more extended. It might easily be so enlarged as to be made suitable for the whole of the northern dis trict. There are some acres of ground attached to it, and if the funds were forthcoming the institution could easily be extended. With regard to the eight children in Miss Gibson's Home, the sum of £88 13s 9d. which we have put down, represents the maintenance of those children there. We estimate their maintenance at about £11 each per annum. If it were not that these eight children are in Miss Gibson's Home, they would undoubtedly be a burden on the funds of our Central Relief Society. Indeed, they would not only be a burden, but a danger to the community, and perhaps a trouble through life. They could not possibly be so well provided for and trained, if it were not for this Home. We would have to farm them out somewhere if it were not for this institution. I do not like to criticise, but I must say that I do not think that the education of the children in the Home is as good as it might be. I think it would be an improvement if they were sent to the National School for the day. All the children are, however, thoroughly well trained, and get a good industrial education, with a view to their being put out—the boys to a trade, and the girls to service. The more hopeful cases get a trade or service, while others are removed to England from the bad influences of their friends ; and others, again, emigrate."

We have included in the extracts from Mr Paton"s evidence the foregoing account of Miss Gibson"s Industrial Home, although forming no part of the charities administered by the Ramsey Central Relief Society, from a desire to bring Miss Gibson"s work under the notice of your Excellency, believing that there is great need of such an institution for the education and industrial training of destitute children from all parts of the Island. to the support of which all the parishes should contribute.

Before leaving Ramsey Miss Gibson"s Home was visited by four members of the Commission, the High-Bailiffs of Peel and Ramsey, the Vicar of Malew, and Mr Corbett, who all desire here to record their satisfaction with its arrangements and the appearance of the children, and who would rejoice to see it made generally available for the reception of destitute girls and infants throughout the Island. The nucleus of another central home of a similar character, for boys only, may possibly be found in the Douglas Industrial Home for Destitute Children, of which further mention will be made in connection with charities of the town of Douglas, with which we now proceed to deal.

		[see N.C.H. home]
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