TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION F. 921 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6. 
The following Papers were read :— 
1. The Policy of exercising a Discrimination between the Deserving and 
Undeserving in the giving of Public Poor Relief. By Joun Kiva. 
The writer of the paper suggested that, had time permitted, the policy of exer- 
cising such a discrimination might have been considered in connection with the 
possibility of doing so, with advantage. 
Because, if a correct discrimination be impossible in practice, it would clearly 
be impolitic to attempt to discriminate at all. For present purposes it will not be 
eae that it is impossible, leaving the policy of discriminating alone to be con- 
sidered. 
The subject could not be dealt with satisfactorily in the abstract ; experience 
would have to be utilised. 
The writer proceeded to define ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ poor; and 
assumed it would be granted that pauperism was a social evil, which it was 
necessary to limit by measures of a repressive tendency; that the claims of the 
destitute were to be considered in connection with the public interests. Among 
civilised nations it was an admitted principle that no citizen should perish from 
want; but it was the duty of the State so to administer relief as to encourage 
industry and provident habits; and the converse. ‘The proper measure of public 
relief should be restricted to affording the bare necessities of life; and the reason 
was not far to seek, in the fact that such were all the poor labourer could procure 
for himself and family by work. Fairness to him, therefore, directed that the 
position of the indigent, maintained at the public expense, should, at least, be no 
better. In the pauper’s own interest it should be no better; and the public weal 
demanded that also, 
These axioms were the result of experience and thought, and were taught by 
history. The effects of giving almost unrestricted relief were disastrous to Athens 
and Rome. In the former an impoverished State was attended with loss of indi- 
vidual liberty ; whilst in the latter the physical and moral attributes were in a 
great measure sacrificed to the custom of State relief, and induced the decline of 
the world’s dictator. But our own country furnished sufficient illustration, which 
would receive attention. 
The origin of the Poor Law was then described, and the cost of the system 
during the past year. In a matter of necessity, however, cost was immaterial. It 
was not at all certain that the money spent in relief was all expended in the relief 
of destitution; if it were, then the social system must be very imperfect. The 
legislature of the period of Elizabeth had two main objects in view—to relieve 
the aged and infirm, and to set to work the able-bodied. But gradually a departure 
from this wise legislation was taken, and the relief became aids to poverty, granted 
almost without test, and, at one time, without care or discrimination of any note- 
worthy character. 
Between the years 1720 and 1795, grants to the poor greatly increased, and, as 
@ consequence, pauperism. To so great an extent was this carried on, that 
in rural districts the greater portion of the poor classes received public relief. 
All inducement to industry, morality, and the other social virtues was taken 
away; poverty and intemperance increased, until, finally, the matter became so 
serious as to threaten national disaster. Population increased to an abnormal 
extent, and illegitimacy became rampant. By the Act 36 Geo. II. cap. 10, it may 
be said pauperism was encouraged, and working under it, magistrates gave effect 
to the legislative spirit, and in very many instances issued orders to the local 
authorities to discriminate between the deserving and the undeserving. The 
mischief of this was apparent; the poor themselves not only obtained relief 
up to the measure of their necessities, but probably something over; whilst the 
favourable opinion of the overseer as to some of them resulted in their procuring 
1890. 30 
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