Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 6.djvu/113

 PUBLIC OUTDOOR RELIEF 99

rule, distributed by still another class, to wit, the paid servants of the municipal board.

(Professor Wayland thinks the application of the Elberfeld system in the country impracticable, and therefore argues against all public outdoor relief, using arguments similar to those above. 1 )

NOTE. Opinions, in substance the same as those quoted, will be found in Mr. Seth Low's paper on "Outdoor Relief in United States," N. C. C., 1881, and in his paper on " The Problem of Pauperism in Brooklyn and New York," N. C. C., 1879, PP- 200-210 ; in the " Symposium" in N. C. C., 1891, already referred to (Dr. R. D. McGonnigle, Mr. C. O. Holden, and Dr. H. C. Taylor) ; also in the debate on "Outdoor Relief," N. C. C., 1878, pp. 72-9 (General Brinkerhoff, Dr. Byers, Professor Wayland) ; and in discussions in N. C. C. of papers noted above. See also Proceedings of International Congress of Chari- ties, 1893 (especially the paper by Mr. Robert Treat Paine).

III.

TYPICAL ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR OF PUBLIC OUTDOOR

RELIEF.

F. B. SANBORN.

In Massachusetts, during the ten years ending April I, 1889, the average number of persons partially supported by what is commonly called outdoor relief was at least 16,000, while the average number fully supported has been less than 8,000. Yet the cost of maintaining the 8,000 persons has been more than $1,000,000 annually, while the cost of supporting the 16,000 outdoor paupers has been less than $650,000 annually. The average annual cost of each outdoor pauper, or recipient of family aid, was less than $40 for a year of fifty-two weeks, while the average yearly cost of each indoor pauper was more than $139; and, if interest on the value of the almshouses, asylums, etc., where the indoor poor lived, were added, their yearly cost would go up to $ 1 80 at least, or four and one-half times as much as the cost of the outdoor poor.

Here we see one reason why outdoor relief is everywhere and always more common than indoor relief: for the same sum of money a much greater number of poor can be aided. But another cogent reason is that there never have been anywhere, and perhaps never will be, almshouses, workhouses, hospitals, and

1 " Report on Outdoor Relief," N. C. C., 1877, pp. 46-54.