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

APPENDIX IV - Paper read by the Rev J. H. Gray at the House of Industry when he was Chairman, July 20th, 1868.

The Sub-committee of the House at Industry solicit your careful perusal and consideration of the following paper:-

That "The poor ahall never cease out of the land" is the ordinance of Him, whose every arrangement in Nature and Providence is the perfection of wisdom. His requirement of us in oor dealing with our poorer brethren is "Thou shalt open thy hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor and to thy needy in thy land." Concerning the man who refuses to act upon this command, this pertinent question is asked in Holw Writ, "Whose hath this world's goods and seeth his brother have need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him. how dwelleth the love of God in him ?"

These are first principles and are admitted as axioms in our dealing with the poor.

There are, however, other principles, which are laid down with equal plainness in the same Divine Book, and which are alike worthy of our consideration, but which are too commonly lost sight of by men accounted charitable. St. Paul enunciates one of these less obvious principles, when he says to the Church at Thessalonica, "This we command you, that if any man would not work, neither should he eat." And Job exemplified another of these principles, when he declared "The cause which I knew not I searched out; "that is, I made a careful investigation into every case of seeming poverty, which appealed to me for help.

It would then seem if Holy Scripture is admitted as our guide, that it is our duty to compel the indolent to work, or to leave him, if he refuses work, to suffer the natural consequence of indolence in a scanty supply of food. It is also our duty not to administer indiscriminate aid to every applicant, but to investigate the tale told us, and when we have discovered its truth or falsehood, to give or withhold aid. The man who gives money to the able-bodied mendicant without requiring work fot it, and the man who, believing every tale he hears, relieves every applicant, is doing wrong. Such an one may be accounted charitable by his fellow men, but his charity is not God\u2019s charity. A foolish softness of heart in the giver may be gratified by bestowing money upon every beggar, but a serious wrong may be done to the recipient of such charity. He may be tempted to forsake the life of honest labour for one of idleness and mendicancy. The spirit of mendicancy demoralizes him. It destroys his feeling of self respect and self-dependence and makes him, who could have maintained himself, a burden and an annoyance to his more industrious and wealthy neighbour.

We in this Island glory in our freedom from a Poor-law and a Poor-house. We declare ourselves able and willing to provide for our Poor without any legal enactment or compulsory provision. There are however, some dangers connected with our system of relief which we shall do well to keep in view.

(1.) 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 different communions.

If the number of our charities were lessened, and the many tiny streamlets, which flow from so many sources, could be made to unite into one great stream, much more effectual help could be rendered to the really necessitous. Or, if the managing committees of the various charities had a more perfect knowledge of the persons to whom other communions are dispensing aid, much of the mendicancy and hypocrisy now rife among us, would be stayed.

If an arrangement could be entered into, by which one denomination would bind itself not to administer help to those of another denomination except through the official organ of that denomination, much temporal and spiritual advantage would accrue.

(2.) The practice of relieving beggars at our door is highly pernicious and very demoralizing to the poor. The troops of vagrants, who, on Monday morning, levy a black mail upon certain shops in our more respectable streets are a disgrace to our Town, a serious waste of money, a heavy incubus upon many a shopkeeper, and a premium to idleness and improvidence. The more needy, who have suficient self-respect to keep them from making such applications are placed at a disadvantage, and allowed to pine away in untold want; while the sturdy and boisterous eat the bread they have not earned, or spend their accumulated pence in the grog shop. The shopkeeper and the householder having expended considerable sums in this way are unable or disinclined to meet the demands made upon them by such really charitable and valuable institutions as the House of Industry.

In order to diminish the evils of our present system of almsgiving, and to render our mode of relief through the House of Industry as complete as possible, we propose :\u2014

(1.) To discourage all unnecessary increase of the channels through which public charity is administered.

(2.) To solicit the charitable, who now dispense money or other aid on Monday mornings at their places of business, or who give relief to vagrants at their door, to abandon the practice and send the money thus saved to the House of Industry.

(3.) To keep a book at the House of Industry, in which the name of every applicant for aid shall be entered, together with his ascertained circumstances, and the decision which the committee may have formed concerring his case. This book shall be open to the inspection of all subscribers to the House of Industry.

(4.) To hang up in the Board-room of the House of Industry a tabular statement of the name, age, residence, country, and denomination of every applicant, and the amount of out-door relief granted. Every friend of theInstitution shall be at liberty to inspect this, when introduced by a member.

(5.) To give every subscriber of one Guinea to the House of Industry 100 Tickets, which he may deliver to persons begging from him. To each subscriber of a smaller or larger amount in the same proportion. And to Ministers sending contributions from their congregations, at the rate of 20 Tickets for every Guinea. Each Ticket shall entitle the holder to have his case enquired into and his wants supplied immediately. Such Tickets to be procurable at shops in different parts of the town.

(6.) To appoint a paiud agent whose duty it shall be to search out every case referred to him, with the help of the superintendent. This agent shall be at liberty to render temporary help until the committee on Monday can finally dispose of such case.

(7.) To associate this paid agent from time to time a member of the committee who shall assist the agent with his counsel at such time and in such way as may be agreed upon between them.

(8.) To erect a shed wherein every able-bodied man may be required to break stones or chop wood, or perform other suitable labour in consideration of the help given him; and to provide a place where women and children may pick oakum, or teaze hair, or perform such other as may be suitable for them in consideration of the relief granted to them.

(9.) As the above plans will involve an increased expenditure, at least for a time, an appeal be made to the public to assist us in money, and to aid us in all the other ways indicated in suppressing mendicancy and creating a more healthy flow of charity.

This paper having been read by the Chairman, the Sub-committee of the House of Industry, on Monday, July 20th, 1868, resolved that 300 copies of it be printed and circulated privately, with a view to the ventilation of the subject and provoking discussion upon it

House of Industry, Douglas, July 20, 1869

J. H. GRAY, CHAIRMAN.

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