Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 2.djvu/603

 PRINCIPLES OF PUBLIC CHARITY AND OF PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY IN GERMANY. 1

I.

IN 1893 poor relief in the city of Hamburg was completely reorganized. In this reorganization, for whose conduct I was called thither, an attempt was made to take cognizance of all more modern methods and recent experience in charity work. It is therefore with pleasure that I comply with the request of the editor of the JOURNAL for a report on the system of poor relief and private philanthropy in use in Hamburg. A careful consideration convinced me, however, that the scope of the pres- ent paper would be too narrow if confined to a presentation of the recent changes in poor relief at Hamburg. The German who attempts to write on German poor relief for American readers finds himself involuntarily comparing his own with American methods with which we have become acquainted not only through the writings of theorists, but also through numerous reports and statistics. I do not hesitate to say that the science oi charity work has been materially advanced by these more recent publi- cations on American charities so far as they bring out and dis- cuss the general principles underlying charity and philanthropy. Moreover, they serve to strengthen our conviction that all theo- retical investigations based on a large practical experience must lead to the same conclusions, at least in all essential points, and it is a matter of indifference whether this experience is gained in England or in America, in Germany or in France. We are not dealing with an empty phrase when we speak of universal principles, founded, not upon territorial and local customs and conditions, but on human nature ; though a considerable impor- tance does, of course, attach to these customs and conditions.

1 Translated for the AMERICAN JOURNAL OP SOCIOLOGY by O. E. WIEI.AND.

59