按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
This Department will also be responsible for gathering intelligence； spreading information； and the general prosecution of such measures as are likely to lead to the much…needed beneficial changes in our Prison Management。 In short； it will seek to become the true friend and saviour of the Criminal Classes in general； and in doing so we shall desire to act in harmony with the societies at present in existence； who may be seeking for objects kindred to the Advice Bureau。 We pen the following list to give some idea of the topics on which the Advice Bureau may be consulted：
Accidents； Claim for Administration of Estates Adulteration of Food and Drugs Agency； Questions of Agreements； Disputed Affiliation Cases Animals； Cruelty to Arrest； Wrongful Assault
Bankruptcies Bills of Exchange Bills of Sale Bonds； Forfeited Breach of Promise
Children； Cruelty to Children； Custody of Compensation for Injuries Compensation for Accident Compensation for Defamation Compensation for Loss of Employment； &c。； &c。 Confiscation by Landlords Contracts； Breach of Copyright； Infringement of County Court Cases
Debts Distress； Illegal Divorce
Ejectment Cases Employers Liability Act Executors； Duties of
Factory Act； Breach of Fraud； Attempted
Goodwill； Sale of Guarantee； Forfeited
Heir…at…Law Husbands and Wives； Disputes of
Imprisonment； False Infants； Custody of Intestacy； Cases of
Judgment Summonses
Landlord and Tenant Cases Leases； Lapses and Renewals of Legacies； Disputed Libel Cases Licences
Marriage Law； Question of the Masters' and Servants' Acts Meeting； Right of Public Mortgages
Negligence； Alleged Next of Kill Wanted Nuisances； Alleged
Partnership； The Law of Patents； Registration and Infringement of Pawnbrokers and their Pledges Police Cases Probate
Rates and Taxes Reversionary Interests
Seduction； Cases of Servants' Wrongful Dismissal Sheriffs Sureties Estreated
Tenancies； Disputed Trade Marks； Infringement of Trespass； Cases of Trustees and Trusts
Wages Kept Back Wills； Disputed and Unproved Women； Cruelty to Workmen； Grievances of &c。；&c。
The Advice Bureau will therefore be； first of all； a place where men and women in trouble can come when they please to communicate in confidence the cause of their anxiety； with a certainty that they will receive a sympathetic hearing and the best advice。
Secondly； it will be a Poor Man's Lawyer； giving the best legal counsel as to the course to be pursued in the various circumstances with which the poor find themselves confronted。
Thirdly； it will act as a Poor Man's Tribune； and will undertake the defence of friendless prisoners supposed to be innocent； together with the resistance of illegal extortions； and the prosecution of offenders who refuse legal satisfaction for the wrongs they have committed。
Fourthly； it will act wherever it is called upon as a Court of Arbitration between litigants； where the decision will be according to equity； and the costs cut down to the lowest possible figure。 Such a Department cannot be improvised； but it is already in a fair way of development； and it can hardly fail to do great good。
SECTION 5。OUR INTELLIGENCE DEPARTMENT。
An indispensable adjunct of this Scheme will be the institution of what may be called an Intelligence Department at Headquarters。 Power； it has been said； belongs to the best informed； and if we are effectually to deal with the forces of social evil； we must have ready at our fingers' ends the accumulated experience and information of the whole world on this subject。 The collection of facts and the systematic record of them would be invaluable； rendering the result of the experiments of previous generations available for the information of our own。
At the present there is no central institution； either governmental or otherwise； in this country or any other； which charges itself with the duty of collecting and collating the ideas and conclusions on Social Economy； so far as they are likely to help the solution of the problem we have in hand。 The British Home Office has only begun to index its own papers。 The Local Government Board is in a similar condition； and； although each particular Blue Book may be admirably indexed； there is no classified index of the whole series。 If this is the case with the Government； it is not likely that the innumerable private organisations which are pecking here and there at the social question should possess any systematised method for the purpose of comparing notes and storing information。 This Intelligence Department； which I propose to found on a small scale at first； will have in it the germ of vast extension which will； if adequately supported become a kind of University； in which the accumulated experiences of the human race will be massed； digested； and rendered available to the humblest toiler in the great work of social reform。 At the present moment； who is there that can produce in any of our museums and universities as much as a classified index of publications relating to one of the many heads under which I have dealt with this subject？ Who is there among all our wise men and social reformers that can send me a list of all the best tracts upon say； the establishment of agricultural colonies or the experiments that have been made in dealing with inebriates； or the best plans for the construction of a working man's cottage？
For the development of this Scheme I want an Office to begin with； in which； under the head of the varied subjects treated of in this volume； I may have arranged the condensed essence of all the best books that have been written； and the names and addresses of those whose opinions are worth having upon them； together with a note of what those opinions are； and the results of experiments which have been made in relation to them。 I want to establish a system which will enable me to use； not only the eyes and hands of Salvation Officers； but of sympathetic friends in all parts of the world； for purposes of noticing and reporting at once every social experiment of importance； any words of wisdom on the social question； whether it may be the breeding of rabbits； the organisation of an emigration service； the best method of conducting a Cottage Farm； or the best way of cooking potatoes。 There is nothing in the whole range of our operations upon which we should not be accumulating and recording the results of human experience。 What I want is to get the essence of wisdom which the wisest have gathered from the widest experience； rendered instantly available for the humblest worker in the Salvation Factory or Farm Colony； and for any other toiler in similar fields of social progress。
It can be done； and in the service of the people it ought to be done。 I look for helpers in this department among those who hitherto may not have cared for the Salvation Army； but who in the seclusion of their studies and libraries will assist in the compiling of this great Index of Sociological Experiments； and who would be willing； in this form； to help in this Scheme； as Associates； for the ameliorating of the condition of the people； if in nothing else than in using their eyes and ears； and giving me the benefit of their brains as to where knowledge lies； and how it can best be utilised。 I propose to make a beginning by putting two capable men and a boy in an office； with instructions to cut out； preserve； and verify all contemporary records in the daily and weekly press that have a bearing upon any branch of our departments。 Round these two men and a boy will grow up； I confidently believe； a vast organisation of zealous unpaid workers； who will co…operate in making our Intelligence Department a great storehouse of informationa universal library where any man may learn what is the sum of human knowledge upon any branch of the subject which we have taken in hand。
SECTION 6。CO…OPERATION IN GENERAL。
If anyone asked me to state in one word what seemed likely to be the key of the solution of the Social Problem I should answer unhesitatingly Co…operation。 It being always understood that it is Co…operation conducted on righteous principles； and for wise and benevolent ends； otherwise Association cannot be expected to bear any more profitable fruit than Individualism。 Co…operation is applied associationassociation for the purpose of production and distribution。 Co…operation implies the voluntary combination of individuals to the attaining an object by mutual help； mutual counsel； and mutual effort。 There is a great deal of idle talk in the world just now about capital； as if capital were the enemy of labour。 It is quite true that there are capitalists not a few who may be regarded as the enemies； not only of labour； but of the human race； but capital itself； so far from being a natural enemy of labour； is the great object which the labourer has constantly in view。 However much an agitator may denounce capital； his one great grievance is that he has not enough of it for himself。 Capital； therefore； is not an evil in itself； on the contrary； it is goodso good that one of the great aims of the social reformer ought to be to facilitate its widest possible di