Mar. Trip correspondence between the Council and the Charity Organization Committee, which has lately been published in the Municipal Gazette, is of all the greater interest in that it deals with a question which has been steadily increasing in urgency for se years. It foreshadows in all likelihood the most animated dis: cussion of any that will arise the approaching—Ratep: Meeting. And, as it stand: leaves most readers with very mixed feelings as to which party they should support. On the one hand the Council's steady non possumus"" to both of the Committee's applications, us also to that of the Foreign Women's Home, would seem to be as well founded in reason as it obviously is on careful consideration. guardians of public finance the Council is bound to resist an innovation of which the outcome cannot be foreseen. On th other hand, the Committee certainly does not exaggerate in saying: There are a number of foreigners in hai who, under present conditions must either beg, or come to the Charity Organization Committee for relief." To allow them to beg is undesirable; to leave then, to starve, impossible; permit the Committee to depend on the good will of a generous minority is unjust. We know that the Work Shelters do not cover every requirement in this direction, although there is good reason to believe that they have|the Committee accordingly already succeeded in making the framed the request for a Muni-beachcomber's lot an unpopular cipal Industrial Home which was profession in Shanghai. But|set forth in yesterday's Gazette. there are other sorts of destitu-lin thus passing from outdoor to tion quite unconnected with] indoor relief, the Committee does beachcombing: and we begin to|not desire to force any particular feel uneasily that, towards these,|scheme upon the community. we cannot maintain an attitude There are certain indigent poor of not being our brother's keeper. for whom the Committee urges Going back over the published|'that the Council should and correspondence it will be recalled] ought to take responsibility. If that on November 17 last the|it will do so, the manner in Charity Organization Committee|which that charge is fulfilled is applied to the Council for an in-) of course optional. The Com-crease in the grant bestowed on mittee merely points out what it it to provide office rent, secretary's believes to be the most economi-salary and other equipment. The cal way of dealing with the pro-letter speaks of the Budget for 7 1916 not exceeding Tls. 20,000. ing forth this scheme the Actually we believe that 2 sum Committee lays stress on the of Tls. 15,000 would meet re- calculation that its cost would not quirements; but the difference is exceed a halfpenny in the pound immaterial for the moment. In- on the assessed foreign rentals cluded with the appeal was a only. In return for this expendi-record of the work done, so many ture, it is anticipated t "the cases of board and lodging whole of the foreign casual relief temporarily provided; so many can be dealt with by such an in-persons shipped away; others to stitution:"" for example, there whom loans have been granted, " would be a mental ward to take form of relief, we understand, over the maintenance of certain wholly due to distress caused by weak-minded women, for whom the war; and so many cases for the Foreign Women's Home is which employment has been|now seeking a grant from the found. The last may be em- Council; the present disadvantphasized as indicating the best age of the Work Shelters, namely, work the Committee has done, that men are let out all' day to the number of such cases having look for work and not infrequent risen from 74 in November to, ly return drunk in the evening, 105 for the whole year. It may Would be stopped by the simple also be mentioned that while the process of keeping inmates per-bulk of relief given went to, manently within doors; the pub-Portuguese and Eurasians the 52 lic would be educated more quick-cases of temporary board and, ly by the knowledge that they Todging, as well as the were paying a poor rate than mentioned above, were all British. they have yet been educated, in At the same time we do not am- the undesirability of casual almsphasize any national distinctions, giving -gument as the Committee's app that such an industrial home an international community for would attract cosmopolitan pau-work on international lines. This pers from all over the Far East application, which dealt solely is met by the answer that what with outdoor relief, was courteous- the Committee has already done ly but firmly rejected by the, has been effective in dissuading Council; indeed the limitations|ne'er-do-wells from dumping of the grant made by the Rate-\themselves on Shanghai. We no alternative but refusal: and! controversy until to-morrow, and payers' Meeting of 1914 admitted must leave the conclusion of this Original from 1008
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.