Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 11.djvu/195

 SOCIAL SOLIDARITY IN FRANCE 179

The Chamber of Deputies voted in favor of payments exclu- sively in money, while the Senate bill favors the payment of allowances in rent or commodities for consumption in exceptional cases, as drunkenness. The argument of M. Bienvenu-Martin, leader of the discussion in the Chamber of Deputies, in favor of exclusively cash payments, is a significant indication of the spirit of recent legislation and of the tendency to revive expressions used at the period of the Revolution :

The commission rejects in the most formal manner the payment of relief in kind to old people, and this for several reasons, the first of which is that relief in kind too strongly reminds us of " charity." We think this method does not treat with sufficient respect the dignity of the person assisted. We reject it also because it would give rise to great complications and abuses. How can we tell whether the relief in kind is an equivalent in value of the money voted? .... It is true the bureaux de bienfaisance do this, but they have not before them persons who have a right to a definite sum. The grant provided by our law is of quite a different character; it represents a real debt due to the person assisted. The system of grants in money is not novel in public relief. At Paris, the aid given in lieu of indoor relief in hospices is paid in money, not in kind. The temporary aid given to unmarried mothers is of the same order, and you know this works perfectly in all the departments.

The commission of the Senate admits the force of the argument, but urges that payment in kind should be permitted local authori- ties when all interests can be better served. Local relieving offi- cers, as experience shows, can often give the allowance a higher value in the form of rent, fuel, and food, than the person assisted can do, so that many indigents prefer this method of receiving their allowance. In the case of habitual drunkards it is absolutely necessary to furnish relief in kind, because money would be wasted in drink. It is also urged that gratuitous medical assistance is in kind, and that it does not thereby lose its quality as an expression of "social solidarity."

The law protects the allowance against claims of creditors.

When a commune has insufficient asylum facilities, the muni- cipal council may place the infirm, incurable, or aged in private asylums or with families to board. The general council designates the institutions which may be used for this purpose. The num- ber of beds is fixed by the prefect, on the advice of the adminis-