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other articles in proportion. So far as Baltimore is concerned, (and the reasoning will apply wherever the same course shall be pursued,) this plan will produce as great a harvest of good, and relieve as much real and unmerited distress and suffering, as any plan adopted there for years, with such slender means. Some of the proprietors of slop-shops there have followed the example of the ladies, and it is more than probable, that it will spread generally. "This is a consummation most devoutly to be wished," and will apply a radical remedy to a most enormous evil.

That I may not tire you with too long a homily, I shall conclude with recommending to your attention the following judicious observations from a most respectable writer.

"While the ordinary rate of wages remains insufficient for" a decent “ maintenance, no device of benevolent ingenuity will avail to render the condition of the poor independent or truly comfortable."

"We ought never to forget, that in alleviating the immediate sufferings of the poor, we are only palliating, not eradicating the evils of poverty. We must never forget, that THE LOW RATE OF WAGES IS THE ROOT OF THE MISCHIEF; and that unless we can succeed in raising the price of labour, our utmost efforts will do little towards bettering the condition of the industrious classes. The distribution of alms, or the introduction of contrivances for the more judicious application of the labourer's earnings, may be highly useful in their way. But they do not reach the source of the evil. Something may be done by teaching the poor to lay out their pittance of earnings, more skilfully, and with the smallest waste. But the relief to be afforded by such means, must at best, be confined within narrow limits, so long as the ordinary rate of wages remains INSUFFICIENT FOR A DECENT MAINTENANCE."

Philadelphia, May 11, 1830.

Address submitted for consideration to, and adopted by the Board of Managers of the Impartial Humane Society of Baltimore. The Board of Managers of the Impartial Humane Society, finding that erroneous ideas are entertained of the object they have in view, and the plan they propose to follow, to attain that object, deem it proper to announce both so explicitly as to prevent any misconception in future.

Their leading object is to relieve the distress of honest indus

trious women, able and willing to work, but occasionally unable to procure employment.

The means are by furnishing work to persons of this description, at fair prices.

It has been supposed that it is their intention to have work done at cheaper rates than those now paid by the persons who employ those women. No such idea was ever entertained by them. This system, if pursued, would render an establishment, from which they are sanguine enough to expect the most salutary results to society, a public nuisance.

They have determined to pay such moderate wages as will enable industrious, competent women, with proper economy, to support themselves, without depending on the eleemosynary aid of charitable individuals, or benevolent societies, or on the overseers of the poor, as, it is to be deeply lamented, is now too much and too frequently the case.

It is not necessary to go into detail on the various rates of wages they pay: one or two items will be sufficient to fully explain their views.

They pay for coarse muslin shirts, and for duck pantaloons, eighteen cents and three-quarters each; and in the same proportion, for all other articles.

At these rates, industrious, competent women, making nine of either per week, which is as much as they can perform, are able to earn one dollar and sixty-eight cents per week.

These wages, they freely admit, are too low-and they would be highly gratified, if it were in their power, to give more. But low as they are, they are actually one half more than the highest rate of wages paid for those articles now and for some years past by the government, or private individuals, and more than double what is very frequently paid for them at present.

If they undertook to give more than they now pay, their plan might and very probably would wholly fail. They therefore, prefer doing a practical good, though falling short of their wishes, to attempting what strict justice might require, but which would risque, indeed probably insure, a defeat of their views. On the prices they pay, they charge a very small advance to the public, towards defraying the expenses of the establish

ment.

They need not state, as it must be obvious, even on a superficial examination of the subject, that their hopes of success rest

on the liberality of the public. And if patronage be proportioned to the usefulness of the objects proposed by public institutions, they fondly hope theirs will experience a respectable share of public beneficence. To that beneficence they make a solemn appeal, and on it they fully rely. Their own means are too slender to enable them to accomplish a tenth part of what they wish to effect. Those means, however, to the utmost extent that prudence and propriety will justify-their cares,— their attentions, and their efforts, shall be cheerfully and gratuitously devoted to a cause, which they believe they may, without impropriety, style the cause of justice and humanity.

When such streams of wealth are poured out in various quarters for the spiritual and temporal welfare of distant nations, they venture to hope that the distress and sufferings of our own countrywomen cannot fail to excite the sympathy, and command the effective aid of the generous, the charitable, the humane, among those, whose means enable them to follow the illustrious example of the good Samaritan.

May 15, 1830.

N. B. The parts of the above address marked in Italics, were omitted by the ladies of the Society in their published address. The writer regrets the omission of the last paragraph, which he deems one of the most important of the whole.

ADDRESS TO THE PUBLIC.

Philadelphia, August 20, 1829.

That it is the duty of the rich, and, in proportion to their means, ought to be their pride and pleasure, to meliorate the condition and relieve the distresses of the deserving and suffering poor, will be admitted by every well-constituted mind. The moral condition of that class is often in as low a state as their physical; and both make loud and feeling appeals to the humane and benevolent for charitable interference. To those who perform these duties, the delightful feelings imparted by such a course of conduct, are an abundant reward, fully compensating for the sacrifice of wealth or time, or the attention they may require.

Unhappily, such is the constitution of society, that a consi

derable portion of mankind, even in prosperous times, and in the most favoured countries, are doomed to pass their lives in indigence, from which no care, no industry, no sobriety, can extricate them. This situation is produced by the reduction of wages to the minimum of a bare support of existence, without any allowance for occasional want of employment, sickness, support of small children, and other contingencies to which the poor are subject. This state of things exists too generally among the operatives in Europe, who are ground down to the earth by their employers. Unfortunately our own cities exhibit too many exemplifications of the correctness of these views, particularly so far as regards females who depend on their necdles for support.

Should any person be disposed to call this statement in question, all doubt on the subject will be removed by the following appalling facts-that the highest price given for the making of coarse muslin shirts, by the government, the keepers of slopshops, and the Provident Society, is twelve and a half cents each; that other articles are paid for in the same proportion; that the most skilful woman, unencumbered by a family, and with constant employment brought to her door, and taken away without loss of time to her, could not, working from sunrise till long after sunset, make more than eight or nine shirts per week, and of course not earn more than a dollar and an eighth, or a dollar and a quarter; of which half a dollar goes for rent; that those who are not expert, or who have small children to attend to, cannot make more than six or seven shirts per week, even if they have a constant command of work; that employment is extremely irregular and uncertain; and that probably most of them are destitute of it for a third or a fourth part of their time.

The Provident Society gave employment during the last winter to from 1000 to 1100 females, many of them widows of persons who once moved in a high sphere of society. They reside at various distances from the Society's rooms, from two to ten squares, which they had to travel frequently through snow and rain. The Society, from its very limited resources, was unable to furnish them with more than four or five shirts each-making the sorry pittance of 50 or 62 cents per week,

Many of these unfortunate women had two or three or four children, of whom some were sick. Instances were ascertained of some having palsied and bed-rid husbands to support-and

labouring themselves under chronic disorders, which threatened their existence.

This state of things is truly deplorable, and must be heartrending to all who are not destitute of humane feelings; and the circumstance most deeply to be regretted is, that in the usual course of affairs, it is hopeless of remedy. Application to government for an increase of wages has wholly failed. The state of the Provident Society's resources renders it impossible for them to make any increase. And there is no great likelihood of an increase in any other quarter.

Independent of those, there are thousands, who, though not quite so cruelly oppressed, have powerful claims on the benevolence and beneficence of the humane and wealthy.

But although any change for the better for these ill-fated classes, in regard to wages, may be hopeless, much of the distress and suffering of the poor may be mitigated by inculcating on them habits of order and regularity and cleanliness, with economical modes of employing their slender pittance so far as regards the kinds of food they consume, and modes of cookery, and in various other ways. This important object may be attained by employing a suitable person to visit them in their forlorn habitations from time to time-to gain their confidence -to console and comfort them in their distress-to inculcate good lessons of morality and religion on them-and to urge them to attend religious worship in the congregations to which they respectively belong.

This plan has the advantage of having been successfully tried, and found eminently beneficial in Boston, where it has produced a signal amelioration in the habits and manners, and an increase of the comforts and happiness, of the poor. A Mr. Tuckerman, a benevolent clergyman, devotes his whole time to the object of visiting, and comforting, and relieving the poor, whose confidence he has acquired by kindness and tender

ness.

The liberality of the wealthy citizens of Boston, besides affording him a competent salary, places large funds at his command, which he conscientiously distributes. Whether such liberality will be displayed here, remains to be seen. is to be hoped, for the honour of our city and of human nature, that we shall not yield the palm to Boston. But even if funds enough cannot be raised to afford physical aid to the poor, a great mass of good may be done-much wretchedness be re

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