Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 2.djvu/612

 598 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

while they give them a home in the poorhouse. In medium- sized places (cities of 20,000-100,000), however, as well as in large cities (of over 100,000 inhabitants), a particular organiza- tion becomes necessary, which is generally quite separate from the strictly administrative machinery, and is met with under such names as Armenverwaltung, Armendirection, Armenbehorde, and the like. Among the latter we may distinguish three principal methods. First : the director of the Annenverwaltung, generally the mayor or some other member of the local administration, examines, usually through paid officials, every application for aid ; these officials report on the case and thus reach a decision. This is now the least common method, all more important relief authorities having dropped it. Second : the administrative board has a number of unpaid assistants ; to each of these is assigned one or two small districts, within which he is to examine carefully all cases of poverty and distress that may occur ; his findings he reports to the board, usually with some suggestion or recommendation as to the kind of aid to be granted ; the decision of this matter, however, rests with the board. Third : the board has the entire business management in its hands ; the individual cases are divided among a number of honor offices; the holders of these offices not only examine and report on cases in their charge, but also determine what relief measures are to be employed, and, if the case does not require hospital care or removal to an institution, they even apply the remedy them- selves and assume a sort of guardianship over the dependents during the time they receive aid. This is the method now most generally in use ; it is based on the principle of the Elberfeld system, that the unpaid official must be held responsible for the resources which the community places at his disposal for the work. Following the example of Elberfeld, nearly all the cities of the Rhine have adopted this system, while many other large cities have reestablished or revived it, as Hamburg did. The old charity system of the city of Hamburg, superseded in 1893 by the present one, was organized by Biisch and Voigt at the end of the eighteenth century, and was received, at the time,