Homes and Homesteads in the Land of Plenty; A Handbook of Victoria, as a Field for Emigration (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1874. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XXXIX. POVERTY IN VICTORIA. Another question, closely allied to the former, is the question of the poor in our colony. Probably there is no community of any importance anywhere that has not got its poor. A far wiser than man has said--"The poor ye have always with you." At the same time it must be admitted that the poor in this colony ought to be at the lowest possible minimum. There should scarcely be the existence of a class under the name of the poor class. How comes it, then, that we have more of the poor among us than we ought to have % Is the poverty such as can be accounted for We think it is. The following are sufficiently palpaple causes of it: --1st. Wife-desertion. A man leaves his wife and family in Melbourne, and goes up. the country, professedly to find employment, or to try his luck at some diggings. In many instances, this is the last that is seen of him by his wife: he sends no money to her, and no letters. Or a man goes to one of the sister colonies, and the same thing happens. What can be expected in these circumstances but that wife and children thus left unprovided for by a man come to poverty 1 Many such a woman has indeed struggled heroically and found bread for her children with her own hands; but in numerous cases they are thrown upon the charity of the public. So clamant has the evil become that incipient steps have been taken in some quarters towards a public movement for the purpose of inducing the Government to originate a measure whereby men of the class referred to could be looked after, and guarantees taken from them for the maintenance of their families. 2nd. Idleness. As a community, this certainly cannot be charged upon us; we are a people full of life, activity, energy--the pulse is well-nigh always at fever hea...