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

[DOUGLAS]

The utter absence of any attempt hitherto to weld the charities of DOUGLAS into one harmonious whole, or even to introduce any system of co-operation between them, is the more remarkable when we find two such systems of organised charitable relief in active operation in the Island. as those of Castletown and Ramsey, and find, moreover, that the evils arising from the present lax administration of charity in the town of Douglas, are so fully recognised by every witness, without distinction of sex or creed, whom we have examined with reference to the condition of the Douglas poor, and the numerous charities existing for their relief. Churchmen and Nonconformists. both lay and clerical, and the numerous ladies engaged in the work of visiting and relieving the poor, alike agree in condemning the present entire want of system, and in desiring to see some central organization established upon which all denominations should be represented, and through whom a more searching investigation may be made into the circumstances and conditions of the poor.

Where all the witnesses are So unanimous we do not think it necessary to overload the report with numerous quotations, but the following extracts from the evidence of Mrs Cecil Hall, Mrs Frederick Browne, and Mrs Ridgway Harrison - ladies well known for their active interest in all works of charity in the town - so fully bear out our conclusions, and picture with a few such vivid touches the results of the present indiscriminate alms-giving, that we cannot resist reproducing them.

Replying to Mr Corbett, Mrs Cecil Hall said - "There is no doubt that the poor are very much spoiled and petted here. At one time the Manx poor here would not beg from door to door at all; but now they do it regularly. I think that they have been taught to beg by the Irish. There are still a good many Manx who will not beg. A great many Irish beggars come here, and they never return to their own country, because they find such a lot of charity going on here. They get so much here in charity that they never think of going back. On the whole, I would rather be my own relieving officer in preference to joining with any central committee. There are a great number of poor shopkeepers and working men to whom a little relief, at the time when they require it, is most valuable. As you say, however,this central organisation need not interfere with what is essen- tially private charity, and, looking at it on that ground, I would not object to working with the Committee of the House of. Industry, as the nucleus of a central organization. I think, with you, that there should be some system by which a thorough knowledge of the poor could be obtained. Under the present indiscriminate system, it is very often the case that it is never found out how much the recipients get in relief until after they are dead. I would be glad for the interests of the poor, and in order to prevent imposition, to assist in any central organisation, if a good workable plan could be devised ; and I repeat that the House of Industry would, no doubt, form a very good centre for such an organization. I agree with you that it would be a very good thing to have a proper labour test, if it could possibly be managed. There is no reason why it should not be arranged to have this labour test at the House of Industry; and, I think, it would prevent many applying for relief who now do so, if there was such a test. I know a case of a woman who applied for relief. and she was told that if she did a day's work, a shilling would be given to her. She replied, 'What! work a whole day for a shilling! It is not worth while going there to work a day for that."

Miss Moffat said - There is no doubt a great deal of relief given in Douglas in an indiscriminate, and, therefore. wasteful way. If there was a proper central organization in Douglas, with a syste, of inquiry into the deserving poor, I think they would be much better attended to than they are at present. As it is, I think it is the least deserving and the most clamorous who get relief. There is a great want of organization in Douglas, but I think that many deserving cases do not get that assistance which they ought to have."

And Mrs Frederick Browne to the Chairman -

"I have read the whole of the evidence which has been given before the Commission. I have done so because I have taken a very great interest in the question. At one time I assisted in the work of one of the district visiting societies, I think, as everyone says who has been examined before the Commission, that a great deal is given to unworthy people, and that those whe given to unworthy people. and that those who cry out the most get the most. I fear, too, that in many instances the lady visitors make pets. and that these pets are not always the most deserving. I fear that in many instances the clamorous poor impose upon ladies, and take advantage of their feelings. I have often therefore thought that for this reason there should be a man appointed as a kind of relief inspector. You cannot really expect ladies to take upon themselves to go into rooms where there may be perhaps a man lying drunk on the floor. I feel that it is most objectionable for young ladies to have to go amongst such people. It is a man's work, not a lady's, and therefore there should be a relieving officer: There is no doubt that a great portion of the distress in Douglas arises from drink."

And in reply to Mr Corbett, the same lady says—

"I mean that there should be an inspector of charity in the town. I have not taken much part in charitable work during the last two years, but at that time I used to notice that there was a great deal of overcrowding in the town. Under the present indiscriminate system there ts a great deal of money given to those who really do not deserve it while many do not get as much as ought to be given to them to relieve their necessities. We are very much troubled by beggars, some of whom are very well off. I have seen beggars getting money who were so undeserving of it that I felt inclined to rush towards the people who were giving it and tell them to refrain. I am quite convinced that a large portion of the money given to these beggars goes to the public-house. The extent to which drunkenness prevails may be gathered from the fact that I had in my district 35 families, and that there were only 11 sober families in the entire number. My district was in Barrack-street, and a number of courts which run out of it. While quite in favour of having these central organizations, I must say that my fear is that the ladies will not attend regularly. They stay at home for such small causes—for a wet day, and for little things. Perhaps, however. they would do the work if each had only a few families to look after. They might attend to them, while they would not be able to cope with the work of attending to a large number. By staying away, they lose their inflnence to a very great extent. There is, as you observe,a great deal of clashing and overlapping of relief under the present indiscriminate system. I have known poor persons who receive a great deal of money from relations, independently of what they get from charitable institutions and charitable people; while others, much more deserving, get nothing from any one."

Again. Mrs Ridgway Harrison says—

"I am afraid that the majority of those who receive relief are non-natives, but there are a good many poor Manx — aged poor Manx people — in receipt of relief. I think that a great many of those who come over here are induced to do so by the liberality of the charitable. You see, they are so good to the poor here. I have observed that they generally manage if they can get a roof over their heads. They say 'We can get on if we get a little;' and they are always getting a little, as they say. There is no doubt the greatest difficulty in ascertaining what they do get. There can be no question about it that, in a great number of instances, what they do get they spend in drink. I have myself given a loaf of bread and saw it into the house for which it was intended, but a neighbour afterwards told me that that very loaf was sold for drink. The next time I sent a loaf there, I cut half of it up and gave it to the children myself. Afterwards, however, I discovered that the other half was sold for a glass of rum."

The evidence, too of some of the ladies connected with Nonconformist congregations is equally valuable, as showing their keen sense of the abuses which at present exist, and their readiness to fall in with some such scheme as hereafter suggested for the better organization of the various charitable associations now working—as it were blindfold—in the town.

Mrs Henry Kellett says—

"I have no doubt that many comparatively un-deserving cases are relieved under the present system. The noisiest claimants get the most relief, and they are likely to continue to get it under the present system. Many of those who are in great need, and probably very respectable persons, but who do not thrust themselves forward got no relief whatever. I think that is one of the great evils of the present system . . . I would be quite willing, in the event of there being a house-to-house visitation arranged, to act as a lady visitor in my district; and, from what I know of them, I think there are other ladies connected with these two societies who would be willing to do the same."

Mrs Joseph Cubbon says—

"I think 'that the plan you speak of—that of having a central organization, with the money going into one common fund, and the town divided into small districts. with a great number of small committees, all communicating with with a central committee — would be a very good plan, and would lead to a better and more equitable system of relief than the present plan. I think that 'church' or 'chapel' should have nothing to do with the distribution of charitable relief. I think that the town should be divided into very small districts if it is to be properly worked. so that the collectors might really know the people who were properly deserving of relief; and. as you say, there should be a central board to refer to in cases of difficulty, in fact, I think it would be well if no relief at all were given without communication with the central board, and the amount of relief should be fixed by the board. This plan, as described by you, would be a very good one, and I would fully go in with it. There is no doubt, as you observe, that under the present indiscriminate system some beggars get from a great many charities: while others, who are much more worthy and deserving, get very little indeed. i have heard of instances of persons getting from three or four societies, and of some getting relief three or four times from the same person"

And Miss Edgar thus describes the action of the society with which she is connected, and the improvements she would desire to see introduced :—

"We make it a rule, before we give any relief, to first of all inquire into their circumstances. We go to their own houses to give the relief, and we think that that is a very valuable part of our system. because it insures inspection. We have six visitors, one for each district. I am quite of opinion that there are not sufficient visitors to inspect the town so fully and completely as is desirable. There may, perhaps, be 500 houses in one or two districts, and of course one visitor could not properly inspect such a large number. It would, no doubt, be a very good thing if the town were divided into a number of small districts with inspectors to each. It is most desirable that some such arrangement as that sheuld be effected. As you say, it would no doubt be a very good arrangement if the headquarters of the central organization were either the House of Industry or some such institution ; but there should be communication between the central organization and the different districts. The central organization would be powerless and useless unless every denomination was represented on it. I agree with you that there might be some half-dozen branch committees from the central organization, and that each of these branch committees, should sub-divide a portion of the town into small districts for inspection... All cases of application for money relief are brought before our committee. Nothing is given without the knowledge of the committee, and we find out all the circumstances and bring the cases before the committee ; but if during our visits we find a person in great need, we then give relief ; but we do not give relief except in cases of urgent need ; and thus we go on giving until the matter has been brought before the committee. The effect of this is that in every case of relief there is full inquiry."

But the evidence of the High-Bailiff of Douglas must be studied as a whole for a complete account of the Douglas charities, including the Houso of Industry and the Hospital.

Although speaking now of our chairman, we do not hesitate to say that no other person has probably the same experience as he has of the history and the administration of the various charities of the town, or of the real wants and position of the poor.

As chairman of the committee of the House of Industry, who dispense a larger amount of out-door relief than is given by all the other public charities, he is perfectly conversant, not only with the management of the house—its merits and defects—but also with the out-door charitable relief ; and as High-Bailiff of the town, is the constant referee in every case of difficulty or distress. Too much weight, therefore, can hardly be attached to his opinion,

In connection with his evidence upon the general question of relief, we desire particularly to refer to that of Mr R. Gilmour, superintendent of the House of Industry from 1868 to 1877; of Mr P. Killey, and the incumbents of St George's. St Barnabas', and St Thomas's, and, not least. that of Mr John Quine, the churchwarden of St Matthew's, who represented that district before us in the absence of the incumbent. All these gentlemen are ex-oficio members of the House of Industry.

By the trust deed of the House of Industry bearing date November 11th, 1835, it was "to be governed and regulated by 24 trustees," of which the ministers and wardens of the four Established Churches in the town and the High-Bailiff for the time being were to form 12, and the remaining 12 to be elected from the annual subscribers of £1 and upwards. This distinction between the ex-officio and elected trustees of the House of Industry has proved, of late years, a most unfortunate obstacle to that combination among all denominations which is essential to the formation of a thoroughly representative contral relief association for the administration of the various charitable funds and institutions.

The Nonconformist congregations are nevertheless for the most part represented on the committee or board of management of the House of Industry, and all the members—lay or clerical— of those congregations, whom we examined, showed themselves keenly alive to the necessity of some central organization for the administration of charitable relief, and are ready to work cordially thereon if only this difficulty can be removed.

No one appeared more sensible—alike of the injurious and demoralizing tendency of the existing state of things, and of the advantages to the poor, and the townspeople gonerally. which would result from a well-considered organization of the charities of the town—than the minister of the Presbyterian Church of St Andrew's, and by no one unfortunately was the grievance more keenly felt.

When it was pointed out to this gentleman that the grievance was after all more of a sentimental than a practical character, his reply was— "But I am not quite sure that it is a sentimental grievance, because it shows itself practically, it stands in the way of a greater good being done. ...And again, Well, without going into the metaphysics or morale of the thing, here is the practical fact, that this has been the difficulty for years, and the subscriptions would have been greater if that difficulty had been removed, "?

Mr Fettes had previously said—

"I believe that, without some such institutions as the House of Industry, the central organization I refer to would break down in Douglas, because a place would be required in which to offer applicants for relief the option of being taken into the institution as inmates, or of having no relief whatever, I believe the system would break down unless the test could be applied, and that it would not work with outdoor relief only. In order to meet the requirements of the case, the House of Industry would have to be enlarged; but it should be so worked as to afford a means of classification... I think there are many cases generally. Mr Thos. Cubbon, the Secretary for the Committee of the Douglas Home for Destitute Children also gave valuable evidence as to the necessity of an indoor test to prevent imposition, and of the consequent need for an enlargement of the present House of Industry."

We would here beg to refer your Excellency to the evidence of this gentleman, and that of Mr David Russell,as to the management of the Douglas Industrial Home, which, although quite _ inadequate to the present requirements of the Island, has done, we believe, very valuable work, for which the town is much indebted to its originator, Mr Russell.* The latest report of this home will be found in the Appendix. [ Appendix X.]

* See, too, Mrs Joseph's Cubbon's evidence as to the home, and the superior advantages of the cottage principle for schools of this character,

Of the importance of making the House of Industry the centre of any organization for placing the relief of the poor in Douglas upon a satisfactory footing we entertain no doubt.

It is essential to the success of any organization of this character for a town like Douglas, that the means of offering in-door relief should be at its disposal, and without this to fall back upon, we agree with Mr Fettes that any such movement would almost infallibly break down. Moreover, in the trustees who form the committee of the House of Industry, we have a body of 24 gentlemen who are already dispensing, either in that capacity or in their respective districts, charitable funds to the amount of at least £1,300 a year, or more than half of the whole amount arising from subscriptions and endowments in the town.

What we should desire to see established in Douglas would be a central relief society, with a good working committee dispensing all the various charitable funds, of which the committee of the House of Industry might form the nucleus, and upon which all denominations should be fairly represented. The town should then be divided into a certain number of sections, or out-relief districts for each of which one member of the central committee, or a small sub-committee, say of three members, should hold themselves responsible, Each of these sections should be again subdivided into as many small districts as volunteers could be found to work as visitors. The smaller the sub-districts the better. All applications for relief to be reported to or made direct to the district visitors. who should be instructed never to give relief in money, and rarely in kind, except in cases of urgent necessity, until after the case has been reported to and considered at a meeting of all the district visitors in the section of the town, or relief district. to which they are attached. Such meetings to be held. if possible, weekly, and to be presided over by the member or one of the members of the central committee responsible for the district. At each meeting the district visitors should report on all cases visited by them during the week, and submit for consideration all applications made to them for relief, including, of course, any case in which they may have given temporary relief. These applications will be then decided on, subject to review by the central committee, who should meet fortnightly at the House of Industry, or such other centre as may be agreed on, and to whom all proceedings of these sub-committees should be reported.

The High-Bailiff, whose opinion should certainly carry great weight, considers that a paid relieving officer, and a relief office, are certainly necessary; and this may very possibly prove to be the case in so considerable a town as Douglas.

A paid inquiry officer or inspector of relief, we entertain no doubt will be found absolutely necessary, to assist the district visitors in difficult cases, and to insure independent inquiries under the instructions of the central committee; but in a system of purely voluntary relief, such as we are now considering, it would, we think, be an immense advantage to make the central committee their own relieving officers, in the same sense that they are at Castletown, where we were greatly struck by the system of distribution of relief adopted—a sub-committee of two members of the relief committee, who are on duty for a month at a tame, attending every Friday at the stores to distribute the relief both in money and in kind.

All the members of the central relief committee thus become, in rotation, in the position of relieving officers, and must thus gain a far more thorough knowledge of the recipients of relief than they otherwise would do.

It will be seen that the scheme thus sketched out which is almost wholly borrowed from that which is now so well known as "the Elberfeld system," + is somewhat more elaborate and complex than the system in operation at either Ramsey or Castletown; but this is inevitable in a town like Douglas. with a population of some 15,000, and a class of poor much more difficult to deal with than is to be found elsewhere in the Island.

We believe that the successful inauguration of such a system depends almost wholly upon the action of the committee of the House of Industry.

+ For a full and admirable account of this system see Mr Andrew Doyle's pamphlet, addressed to the Right Hon. James Stansfield, M.P., in 1871, published by Knight and Co., 90, Fleet-street, London.

If their trust deed can be so modified as to admit others besides the present ex officio members upon the same footing, upon reasonable terms, and, still further, to admit of the provision being altered by which the House is limited to the exclusive use and benefit of the poor of Douglas, we believe that funds would readily be forthcoming for its necessary enlargement: a great boon would be conferred upon all the parishes of the Island; and the only obstacle to united and harmonious action in the work of a well-organised system of poor relief in the town would be removed.

With a view to ascertain whether the committee of the House of Industry would accede voluntarily to such an alteration of the trust deed as would be involved in throwing open the House of Industry to certain classes of the poor of the whole Island, and to ascertain likewise if they would take the initiative in forming a central relief association — for Douglas, on terms which should secure the support and co-operation of the Nonconformists, we sought an interview with the committee, and hoped to have been able to include in this report a resolution on their part in favour of such a course

In the meantime we have received permission to print in the appendix a copy of the opinion of the present Attorney-General and Mr Sherwood upon a case submitted to them in 1868, as to the consequences of certain provisions of the trust deed not having been carried into effect, and we here quote a passage therefrom, which would seem to show that no great difficulty need be apprehended, even if the committee be reluctant to propose it, n obtaining from the Court of Chancery such a revision of the trust deed as would meet all the objects now sought to be obtained :— "But if there be no such agreement the proper course of proceedings is in the Chancery Court either by Bill at the suit of the Chaplain and Wardens of St Matthews', or of any of them; or by information by the Attorney-General, at the relation of any inhabitant or inhabitants of the town. The Court of Chancery has power when the charity 1s before it to settle a scheme for its management ; and, considering the breaches of trust, hitherto, we think such power of the Court would be exer- cised. In framing a scheme the Court would take into account the means available for the support of the charity, and if it appeared that for its effi- ciency it must be dependent on public subscription or contribution, or funds not being part of the endowment of the charity, we think that the Court would provide for the appointment of a committee of management of such persons, and in such man- ner as would be most likely to inspire public con- fidence."? (Vide Appendix III.)

Upon the 20th July, 1868—about five months previously to the date of this opinion—a remarkable paper was read by the then chairman of the House of Industry (Rev J. H. Gray), of which "300 copies were ordered to be printed and circulated privately, with a view to the ventilation of the subject, and provoking discussion upon it." Unfortunately, nothing appears to have come of such a discussion, if it even took place; but the paper in question, after urging that "There are so many charitable institutions connected with the different denominations in this town, that the poor are tempted to lying and hypocrisy, in order that the same person may become a recipient of the charity doled out by the different communions," proceeds to offer so many useful Suggestions for remedying the dangers thus arising, that we print this document in extenso (vide Appendix IV),

Among these suggestions is one for the Appointment of a paid agent (or inquiry and relieving officer); and of the need of such an officer at the present time, Mr John Quine, one of the wardens of St Matthew's, and an ex officio member of the committee of the House of Industry, thus gives the result of his experience :—

My experience is, that under the present system, the least deserving get too much, and that the most deserving often do not get enough ; and that I, therefore, think that there is need of a closer system of inspection and supervision over the homes of the poor in the matter of charitable relief. If the whole matter was in the hands of a central committee, properly organised, then the money would be more equitably divided, and the least deserving would get less than they do, while the wants of the really necessitous and deserving poor would be fairly relieved....I agree with you that it would be a very good thing indeed to have an inspector of relief in this town, whose duty should be to look into the merits of every application of relief. Of course such a man would have to be paid, and I think he should be paid liberally. . . . I think it would pay the town well to have such a man."

The same gentleman thinks "the House of Industry too small,* and that the land attached to it is too limited in extent for a House of Industry"

* See Appendix XII. for Table of Accommodation in the present House, showing 'how each, room is appropriated and the cubical contents of each, The absence of the adequate dayrooms is especially worthy of notice, if the present House be either enlarged or reconstructed,

He has "Known instances of persons refusing relief altogether rather than go to the House of Industry. In that way the House affords a useful test as to the real necessity for relief, and if there was a greater amount of land attached to it, so as to enable the applicants to be put to work it would be a better test still."

He gives instances, within his own knowledge, of the imposition at present practised by undeserving persons, who get as much as nine or ten shillings a week from the various committees, and believes "If there was a central committee appointed for the whole town, consisting of representatives of all denominations, and if the Dissenting bodies gave, along with the Churchmen, those funds which they now distribute among their own bodies, that there would then be ample funds for the relief of all the deserving poor, and that we could keep mendicants from going from door to door."

The site of the present House of Industry would doubtless realise a very large sum for building purposes ; but if it be objected to sell this, and build upon a more extensive area a little way out of the town, the House, even on its present site, might, with judicious additions and proper classification, be made available for the reception of poor persons from all parts of the Island; and, instead of being limited, as at present, "to the use of the poor of Douglas," we are strongly of the opinion that all the parishes should be allowed to contribute to its enlargement, and to participate in the advantages to be derived from it. These would - occasionally, at least—be found very great not only as a test of destitution, but affording a place for the reception of poor people sufferring from chronic infirmity who cannot be properly cared for at their own homes, and of weak-minded persons who require care and watching,but who are not fit inmates for the Lunatic Asylum.

Two such cases were brought under the notice of the Commission. when we were almost on the point of closing the evidence—one of recent occurrence at Port Erin. upon which we received evidence (vide evidence taken on 30th March) : and another which occurred previous to the appointment of this Commission. in relation to which we extract an account from the Isle of Man Times of the 1st June, 1878. being a report of the inquest on the body of John Bridson, who died from exposure in a field in the parish of Malew. [Appendix V]

The latter case would appear, from the report of the inquest, to have been one in which the poor man might properly have been placed in the Lunatic Asylum, but we were led to believe he would have been a more fit inmate for the House of Industry, if accommodation were there provided for harmless imbeciles.

In the Port Erin case, the poor man in question who was described as "rather weak in intellect and one of those lazy people who were always in low water," ...." extravagant, and fond of drink"—had been regularly visited every week for more than three months by Mr Finnis, the curate of Rushen; and from time to time, frequently the vicar. He was in receipt of 5s a month from the church funds at the disposal of the Vicar and wardens, and 4s a month from another fund administered by the vicar alone. The vicar also him occasional assistance besides, and a woman - his own cousin—who lived near, was entrusted with the care of the man, and with the disbursement of the funds provided for his relief. It was through this woman's neglect that he was found in the condition which led to the case being brought under the notice of your Excellency and the Commission. The evidence, however, completely exonerates the vicar and wardens from any imputation of neglect, and points only to the need of some better provision for affording indoor relief, available for the whole Island, and to the payment of district medical officers, and of properly qualified nurses, in connection with local hospitals, to attend upon the sick and infirm poor at their own homes,

This view is entirely in accordance with that expressed by the medical men who were called in to see him; by the churchwarden, to whom he was well known; and by the vicar himself. The latter said :-—

"If there had been a proper nurse, I would with great thankfulness have called her in to attend on him. I regard this case as one which shows the want of such a nurse to look after poor, ailing people, who have no one to look after them. From what I have seen of this man, I have no hesitation either in saying that if there had been a medical man, whose duty it was to attend on the poor, I would at once have requested his services ; and if there had been a Cottage Hospital at Castletown to which I could have drafted him, I would at once have sent him there ; or I would have sent him to the House of Industry at Douglas if I had possessed the power of doing so. As it was an incurable case, or at all events had been reported as such from the Liverpool Infirmary, I would have sent him to the House of Industry as the fittest place. It is by no means the first time in my experience that I have come across idle, thriftless people, to whom I would have preferred giving relief by sending them to the House of Industry to giving them relief at home. It would have been better, not only for the parish, but for the man himself, if he could have been sent to the House of Industry. It would have cost less, he would have been better cared for and better nursed, if he had been in the House of Industry instead of at Port Erin. And I think if such persons were able to gain their own living, it would put them on their mettle, and incite them to do something for themselves, if we had the power of saying, "you must go into House of Industry, or we cannot give you relief." Of course I would confine this alternative only to such cases as that of this man at Port Erin."

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