Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 9.djvu/635

 THE FIRST GERMAN MUNICIPAL EXPOSITION 617

small income may very naturally feel the need of spending it all for personal necessities, waiting for a larger income that he may afford to save. So many, though, are overtaken by sick- ness, accident, invalidism, or old age, before they have begun to save their surplus ! In the carrying out of these laws the munici- palities are, of course, directly interested.

The various solutions of the housing question, also, as well as all those activities which make for health and fitness of the people, are positive preventives of the causes of poverty.

The alleviation of poverty at present in existence is the object of the Municipal Charity Bureau. The organization provides cen- tralized and unified authority and supervision, but decentralized, individualized investigation and administration of aid. The former brings about unification of private charities societies, institutions, churches with the public ones. Repetition of requests for aid and other such impositions are thus minimized. The individualization is accomplished by means of local com- mittees of citizens, serving without remuneration, each personally responsible for a certain number of families or tenements. Personal investigation, immediate relief in cases of crying need, and personal care and oversight of all who receive aid, whether temporarily or regularly, are some of the advantages achieved through these unpaid commissions, through this system of indi- vidualization.

The German policy is to help those in need at the time when there is still a chance for putting them on their feet again, rather than wait until they may become public charges in institutions. The debts brought on by long periods of illness are avoided by means of the insurance above mentioned ; and hereby the charity organizations are relieved of a great burden. There is often, however, temporary need, and food, fuel, clothing, even money, are furnished. Even where this need is chronic, however, the authorities consider regular assistance better than commission to institutions. So far as possible, the person is to be helped to help himself. In Dresden, for example, rents are high and still going up. Sometimes the people must be aided in meeting this rise occasionally only now and then, and again every month.