DISPOSITION TO BE POOR.
By D. S. Phelan
[Editor D. S. Phelan, in Western Watchman.] MANY years ago in Belgium they passed a law against public beggary. They made it a crime for any man or woman in Belgium to hold out his or her hand and ask for alms. A society was formed which embraced the whole people of Belgium. The whole people were asked to contribute funds to establish a place where the poor from the streets might be sent, and where they might become self-supporting. Now I will read for you the latest statistics of this movement. This charitable society, nearly one hundred years ago, purchased lands for the sole purpose of making these poor people self-supporting—tillers of the soil. They purchased lands in four of the provinces of Belgium, and upon these lands they placed those beggars that had been sentenced for beggary in the different cities of the country. In the year 1875, over thirty years ago, we were given the result of that charitable enterprise. It was found that these people taken from the streets, these street beggars, could not be made self-supporting. This charitable society purchased good lands and stocked them, and gave the people every opportunity of becoming self-supporting citizens. But the effort failed. And in 1875 the charitable organization became bankrupt, and the government of Belgium took over two of the four poor colonies. Now in that year the two government colonies had 2,820 people under their charge, and of these 2,223 were men, 507 were women, 44 were boys, and 36 were girls over 16 years of age. Of these, 1,948 were Protestants, 834 were Catholics, and 38 were Jews. These people had been taken up from the11streets as beggars; yet, strange to say, of these, 2,071 could read and write, and 2,657 were able to work. For these 2,820 instructed people, areas of the best land in Belgium had been purchased by the government. And they were given an opportunity of making an honorable living. The charitable organization that retained two of the colonies purchased 6,000 acres of the best land in Belgium. They placed these people on this land. They gave to each family seven acres, and charged them a little less than $25.00 a year rent. Now what is the result? The two colonies that have remained under the charge of the original charitable society are still dependent upon the charity that brought them into life. And the two colonies that are under government control are not self-supporting yet.