Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 2.djvu/343

 NOTES AND ABSTRACTS

329

decreased in value, is without foundation. Mr. Hobson's third contention that phsyi ological poverty and psychological poverty are increasing is false as to the first, and meaningless as to the second. This subjective poverty does not depend upon the ratio between a man's income and his theoretical needs, but on the fact of a man's cherish- ing personal ambitions which he has not the character, the will, or the intellect to sat- isfy. This does not show that the present economic system is at fault, but that the edu- cational system is at fault. This doctrine proves, if it proves anything, that real poverty rises as economic poverty declines, that the higher the workman's wages the more mis- erable he becomes. Finally, Mr. Hobson's contention that pauperism is not so much due to sickness, incapacity and moral defect as to "the barriers of external environ- ment and the influences they exercise upon the efficiency of effort" is true only of a very small percentage. The statistics of The Charity Organization Societies and of the Salvation Army show that at least 75 per cent, of pauperism is due to personal causes. W. H. MALLOCK in Contemporary Review, June 1896.

Substitutes for the Saloon. The results of a preliminary investigation of the ( '>nimittee of Fifty, appointed to study the liquor problem in the United States, are given in an article by Professor F. T. Peabody, in The forum for July. The accompa- nying table gives the facts. The writer reaches the following conclusions :

"The saloon is a degrading form of social enjoyment, but it is a real form. It offers so much to the life of the poor that at least one skilled observer in Boston remarked in the course of this investigation, that if it were a question between the saloon and no poor man's club he would wish the saloon to stay. The substitute for the saloon, in order to survive, must give more resources of sociability than the saloon gives, and compete with it on its own terms. There must be no hint ot patronage or of missionary zeal. There must be the same tone that prevails in the rich man's club a sense of proprietorship, a comfort which tempts to patronage, resources of athletic life, games which are of real interest, literature which is not discarded rubbish of the benevolent, light and liberty, and self government ; and for this form of institution there are already among the working classes obvious and often pathetic signs of long suffering, expectation and desire.

SUBSTITUTES FOR THE SALOON IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. 1895.

Police DiviM

Population (Approx)

Number of

S;,U,ns

II

Hi

ll

ll



j^l

U

J

Ii

Reading Kooms

ft



G

ft

ii

2

3 4 5 6

7 9

10

ii

12 13

15

16

22,288 10,970 25,070 12,244 52,809 29,555

39,995

2,000

51,798 44,171 42,004 35.828

36,116 15,001 40.304 36,167

99 72 63 89 63 53 27

36,600 39,240 21,385 36,045 28,350 15,260

7,020

18

2-5

ii

4-5 5 4

21 II

17 28

49 15 12

7

23

6 6

3

I

2,000 1, 800 1,500 2,500

3,900 2,200

1,000 Harbor 750 2,700 700 500 450 150 2,500

20

35 27

20 I

35 Rep,

10

49

6,000 15,225 3,200 9,965 3,350 300 1,375

1,200

5,500

4

300

4

175

3 3 4 4 9

2

7,650 2,400

3,200

1,200 100 350

I

3 4 I

2

i, 800 320 50

120

2

"5

14

700

10

550

23 50 3 U 6 6 38

6,875

16,000 600 4,350 900 900 13,227

3-5 7 1.3

2 I

5 ~8o~

2 4 4

2

3

2

3

50 150

60 150

7,500

5

2

5

i

2 4 7

220 200 125

35 55

100

225

I

50

200

I

10

50 1,200

?

428

Total

4964*0

oo',

126,753

22,650

19

15.378

127

47,565

35

10,825

56

2,500