I. WORKHOUSE BOYS: STARTING IN LIFE AND AFTER-CARE, BY ALDERMAN JOHN FOSTER SPENCE, Chairman, Tynemouth Board of Guardians 2. EMPLOYMENT IN WORKHOUSES, BY MISS PEASE, Guardian, Newcastle-on-Tyne Union PAGE 85 103 ARRANGEMENTS FOR NEXT YEAR 102 MONDAY, 17TH JULY 1899. Mr CHARLES B. P. BOSANQUET (Hon. Sec.) said he had received letters apologising for absence from Mr Browell, who was detained on County Council business; Mrs Chalker, of Carlisle, who was, he regretted to state, in ill health; and Mr Gibson, Clerk of the Newcastle Board. He had also received two resolutions from the Wellington Board of Guardians, with reference to the desirability of obtaining powers to detain women of immoral character, and urging that there should be an Imperial contribution towards the expenses of carrying out the Vaccination Act.* He had received an announcement of a work (published by Messrs P. S. King & Son) by Mr Chance (Hon. Sec. Central and South-Eastern Poor Law Conferences), "Our Treatment of the Poor." He had not read it himself, but knew that Mr Chance would put a great deal of valuable matter into it. (Hear, hear.) He regretted to state that they had lost a valued member, Mr J. M. Ridley, whom he always thought of as the host of the Conference. His house was always open to the members, and he was always present and helpful at the Conferences. Mr ESKDALE said he had had the pleasure of meeting Mr Ridley at the Conferences for many years, and also of serving with him on the County Council, and he deplored his loss. Alderman J. G. WALKER (Tynemouth) and the CHAIRMAN endorsed the Hon. Sec.'s remarks, and the Conference unanimously passed a vote of sympathy with the relations of Mr Ridley. Rev. Canon WALKER (in the regretted absence of Mr Gibson) presented the financial statement of the Conference. The PRESIDENT said-It must have struck us all to observe the amount of legislation which has been attempted and discussed during the past twelve months, with the object of improving the condition of the poorer classes. Bills have been brought into Parliament for cottage building, for advancing money to buyers of small houses, and for old age pensions, and Committees have sat long and taken ample evidence on these subjects. The Local Government Board has been endeavouring to improve the state of the Workhouses, to get detached abodes built for the old people, and above all, to do away with the great district schools and their evils. In reference to district schools, * "That the Local Government Board be memorialised to introduce legislation with a view to preventing female inmates of the Workhouse who are known to be of immoral character, or who have illegitimate children, from discharging themselves from the Workhouse except with the consent of the Guardians." "That in the opinion of this Board a grant should be made from the Imperial Exchequer towards the increased cost which will be thrown upon the ratepayers in carrying out the new Vaccination Act, and that a memorial be sent to the Local Government Board and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, urging legislation with this object.' I am rather amused, as I look back, to remember how much I was urged thirty years ago by the Poor Law Inspector of this district to move in the direction of a district school for our northern counties; and in thinking of old age pensions, I look back also to one of our early Gilsland meetings, when an attempt to discuss old age pensions on Mr Blackley's scheme was scouted by the sound thinkers of the day, as they thought themselves, especially by that most benevolent baronet, Sir C. Trevelyan, who then attended our debates. They would have called some of these measures socialistic, and perhaps they were right. I will not attempt to argue the question of socialism, or as it is now called, "Collectivism," or discuss the comparative gain of individual thrift against public support, but I am sure you will share my view that in these days it would be a great gain to the country if members of Parliament, before they decide these great social questions, had rather more practical knowledge than many possess of the real condition of the dependent classes for whom they legislate-if they had worked like you on Boards of Guardians or District Councils. The present Committee on Old Age Pensions has had much instructive evidence, especially that of Mr Knollys, which struck me as very helpful. I think the wide ideas of Mr Charles Booth are not now likely to be even proposed, and that the prominent idea is to assist the outdoor pensions given by Guardians to the aged by a grant from the State. You all of you know as well as I do the difficulty of making a distinction between the deserving and undeserving among those who come upon the rates, but it seems likely to be one of the conditions of such a grant, and no doubt would be rather liberally interpreted. In our Workhouses I think there might be some improvement for the old people, who in many cases must need their shelter and their sick nursing. Imbeciles and children will gradually go to separate Homes, and the old and the infirm will have more comfort. Still there will be the needful rules and hours to be kept which are so often disliked, and whether in or out of the House, there will be the condition of dependence on other people which is and ought to be an offence to the self-respect of Englishmen. Our Committee for selecting subjects avoided old age pensions, because it was thought too controversial a topic. Perhaps they were right, though we must all argue it out before we can judge of its merits. We have, I see, two very good subjects. Every scheme for helping the young will in the end lessen pauperism, so it must be good to learn how to put Workhouse boys out in the world, which is our first discussion. The employment of old people in Workhouses is the second topic, and it must be most helpful to those who visit the wards, and see the dreary lives passed in them. I am sure we shall learn much from the writers who have so kindly come to tell us their schemes. (Hear, hear.) Alderman SPENCE (Chairman of the Tynemouth Board of Guardians) read the following paper : THE BEST METHODS OF SECURING A BY ALDERMAN JOHN FOSTER SPENCE, THE problem of the best methods of securing a good start in life, and after-care of Workhouse boys, ought to be one of very great interest to all those assembled here to-day; the object of this gathering being to do what we can, by suggesting improvements in, and simplifying Poor Law administration, whilst not interfering with its efficiency, to make it not only less costly to the ratepayer, but also trying to ensure, if possible, that the young, and especially the boys, with whose welfare this paper seeks to deal, shall have as good a chance to fight the battle of life successfully, as those born under happier circumstances. It should always be kept in mind, when dealing with these young people, that it is by no fault of their own they are placed in their present position, but in most cases by the careless, or bad idle habits of their parents, and therefore, we as Guardians should do all we can to obtain for them a fair start in life. It is needless here to quote from Acts of Parliament, or Orders of the Local Government Board, further than to say of the latter Government department, which is the one dealing with the Poor Law work, that it would appear from our own experience, and what has been stated to other Boards of Guardians, the Local Government Board is apparently inclined to assist in carrying out any really practical suggestions which have for their object the training of lads, so that they shall grow up good and useful citizens; and if this central authority would extend the sanction to pay a weekly sum for a year or two, towards the board and lodgings of boys placed out, as they do to those bound apprentices, it would be a great boon, and make it much easier to obtain suitable situations for them. We may safely say that the old paternal way of treating apprentices, or boys placed out to learn a trade, which prevailed fifty years ago, is quite exploded. In very few businesses now are premiums paid even for boys bound apprentice, much less for those who merely go to learn a trade, over whom the master has so much less control; and it is this doing away with premiums, no doubt, which makes masters SO unwilling to take boys into their houses. They receive no equivalent for the discomfort, and frequently annoyance of having to look after the lads during their leisure hours. In our own Union (Tynemouth) we have established a "Boys' Aid Society," and have invited, by circular, subscriptions, to enable us to do two things-first, to place boys out to learn a trade; and secondly, to find some decent woman, with a comfortable house, who would be willing to take the boys in, and treat them as she would were they her own, she receiving 3s. 6d. a week for each from the funds of the Society, and also the wages earned by the boys; for this sum, about eight to nine shillings a week for each, she feeds, partially clothes, and gives them comfortable house room. She also mends their clothes, and allows them a small sum weekly for pocket money. This arrangement has so far answered admirably. As the boys grow older and require more food, &c., she will have the benefit of their increased wages. There is also another aspect of the question; it may be the means of enabling the woman to do without parish relief. The Society expends on each boy yearly about 10, so that if this plan were adopted on a large scale, you would require a large amount of subscriptions, and as these must always be an uncertain quantity, we might, were they falling off, be placed in a great difficulty. I therefore still think it would be better, were we allowed to pay so much a week from the common fund of the Union, until the boy's wages |