Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 2.djvu/699

 PUBLIC CHARITY AND PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY 683

all his helpers, not only in the same degree, but also each one according to his ability, without giving to all an equal number of cases. He will be able to give one living very near at hand more cases than he gives to one living at some distance, more to a man of considerable leisure than to a very busy man ; to entrust to some very energetic person the investigation of a case demanding a great deal of energy, and to refer cases of aged people or children, where a tender heart is not so likely to be taken undue advantage of, to some tender-hearted person. Thus a superintendent is able to meet every need of a case, and at the same time to prevent the overburdening of certain helpers ; he can also change helpers in a case, placing a depend- ent, either successively or simultaneously, under the charge of several helpers, etc. This system, which is very elastic, has proved extraordinarily successful in Hamburg.

The second point of difference, the lengthening of the period of time for which aid is granted, was, as has been said, a matter of necessity. In the nature of the case it is very desirable that aid be voted only for a very brief period, two or four weeks (in Elberfeld the time is a fortnight). But had this policy been adhered to in Hamburg, it would have necessitated such frequent sessions of the districts as to preclude from the very beginning the willingness of the helpers to assume the responsibilities of their office, or at any rate to give rise to a mere formalism soon after the introduction of the reform. Instead, however, the dependents are divided into several classes. Those whose genuine distress there is no reason to doubt, the aged, sick, and frail in general, all sexagenarians may be granted an allowance for six months ; younger persons, as wid- ows with several children, not longer than three months ; all others, as able-bodied men and persons not sufficiently well known, are granted aid only from one session to the next, gen- erally one month, in order that such cases may be under constant surveillance. For like reasons it was thought best to hold regular meetings of the districts only once a month in Hamburg, since fortnightly meetings would have been too