Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress.
- Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress 1905-09
- Date:
- 1909
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress. Source: Wellcome Collection.
240/1272 page 214
![Per Inquiry into of inmates in certain English workhouses and Seottish poor- houses. ~ 214 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT AND PRESENT CONDITION OF THE VARIOUS BRANCHES ; OF THE POOR LAW, circumstances he may have been compelled to enter, in many cases, in fact, one fears the majority — of cases, he seems to lose selfreliance and respect and, above all, that manly and independent spirit without which he is greatly handicapped. specially does this occur as time goes on and he gets used to the new state of things. Every day he is in the workhouse his chance of again _ earning his living outside is less hopeful. Therefore, the only practical way, as well as being the greatest kindness to the man, is not to allow him to settle down in the first instance if it can possibly he avoided.” 1 -497, We call attention here to an inquiry which we have caused to be made into the — English workhouses and labour-yards. The object of the inquiry was partly to enable us | to compare the results of the different methods of dealing with applications from — the able-bodied in the two countries, and partly to ascertain the actual physical condition of the able-bodied. With regard to the first point :— | “With very few exceptions in England the pauper is admitted on a provisional order s signed by a relieving officer. In giving this order, the man’s physical condition is not considered, unless he applies for relief on the ground of illness. In Scotland, the pauper is admitted on an order signed by the Inspector of Poor, but this order is given only after a medical man has certified that the applicant is not in good health.” 2 498. Once admitted into the workhouse in England, the pauper is usually left un- | disturbed, the Guardians seldom exercising their power of discharge. In Scotland, on ~ the other hand, it is usual to have a more or less methodical revision of the inmates of poorhouses, and to discharge those whom the Medical Officer certifies — to be healthy and able-bodied.2 In England, again, the able-bodied inmate is worked — harder; while in Scotland the man who is discharged frequently returns after a few nights. In comparing the two systems, Dr. Parsons sums up:— e (1) Iam of opinion that the population of the ordinary Scottish poorhouses is in all respects z exactly similar to the population of the ordinary English workhouse. Dy “ (2) The class known as ‘ turn-outs ’ or ‘ tests’ in the Scottish poorhouses is exactly similar to the able-bodied class in English workhouses. | «“(3) The system of refusing admission to the poorhouse except on a certificate of ill-health | and the system of discharging the able-bodied from the poorhouses probably has some effect in reducing the number of able-bodied relieved in the poorhouses. The English system ot placing the able-bodied upon hard and unpleasant work has probably an equally deterrent effect.” 4 499, With reference to the condition of the inmates, Dr. Parsons classified those whom | he examined as follows :— | “(lass A. includes all men physically and mentally capable- of supporting themselves This | class was sub-divided into three :— | ! = “Class A. (1).—Strong, healthy, and able-bodied men capable of doing a full day’s ordinary — labouring work. ‘The proportion of these in the different institutions varied greatly. In | Southampton labour-yard there were only three out of thirty-eight examined, while in Plymouth ~ labour-yard there were twenty out of fifty. In Tame Street (Manchester) able-bodied work- | house there were forty-four out of eighty examined, and in Bradford General Workhouse © ] seven out of ninety-six.’ “Class A.(2).—Men not so strong or robust as those in Class A (1), with occupations’ of a character not requiring much strength and capable of doing a full day’s work at such : occupations. This class includes such men as clerks, shop-assistants, painters, etc. “i ‘a “Class A. (3).—Men capable of doing a full day’s hard work, but suffering from some defect rendering it difficult for them to obtain work. . . . . - ; allies __ “Class B.—Men suffermg from some deformity or physical or mental infirmity greatly interfering © with their obtaining continuous employment, but capable of doing a great deal of work and of partly maintaining themselves. site a aed eid : “Class C.—Men suffermg from some physical or mental defect rendering it impossible for them to support themselves.” 5 | : 500. Of the last three classes Dr. Parsons says that many of them : “are deserving of great sympathy, and one feels that the workhouse, as at present constituted, | is not the right place for them. It is obvious that a man who is very deaf, or who is dwarfed in — stature, may be willing and anxious to work, but experience very great difficulty in getting | employment. Many of those classed under the head A. (3) complained bitterly of the difficulty i they found in getting work because they looked old. These, together with many suffering from — such physical defects as deafness, impaired eyesight, or slight lameness, blamed the Employers’ Liability Acts for the increasing difficulty they found in getting work.” 6 | My Visits : Metropolitan, 118. 2 Report on the Physical Condition of the Able-bodied Male Inmates of certain Scottish Poorhouses and English Workhouses : nd Labour Yards ; Dr. Parsons, p. 8. 3 Tbid., p. 9.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b32170555_0240.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
