176 THE FAMILY AND THE NATION 



number of vagrants and work-shy paupers as of the 

 feeble-minded. The only difference of treatment 

 should be that the one class are now known and 

 recognized as incurable, and a source of national weak- 

 ness, and should be dealt with as such forthwith ; 

 while the other class might be afforded, under suitable 

 control, the opportunity for demonstrating to the 

 satisfaction of the community whether, as a result of 

 training and opportunity, a capacity for steady work 

 and honourable existence is or is not latent in them. 



It is stated that about 1 5,000 births take place 

 annually in the workhouse wards, of which 30 per cent 

 are legitimate. It is unfortunate that there are no 

 details as to the occupations, character, and record of 

 citizenship of the parents, who are not in a position 

 to fulfil the economic duties of parenthood, but are 

 responsible for giving birth to this annual crop of 5000 

 legitimate pauper children. A history of the subse- 

 quent careers of these children would also be extremely 

 desirable. 



There is a danger of focusing public opinion on 

 a question of the magnitude disclosed by the Poor 

 Law Commission, involving an appreciable fraction of 

 the population. At once we are aware of a tendency 

 to lose the sense of proportion, and to assume that 

 our future social legislation must regard the people 

 who have made shipwreck of their lives, and shown 

 themselves incapable of directing their own affairs 

 to any advantage, as the normal inhabitants of the 

 country. There is consequently a great temptation to 

 provide such an army of officials and institutions for 

 their oversight, reception, and relief, that it is difficult 



