A move away from laissez faire

1
A move away from laissez faire
The response initially involved private charity
rather than public welfare
2
Self help

• Samuel Smiles warned against the government
  helping people too much
• People believed poverty could be beaten by hard
  work and a positive attitude

3
What self-help was there?

• Friendly societies
• Savings banks
• Co-operative Movement
• relatives
• However people like Mayhew believed that some
  people e.g. casual labourers were unable to save

4
Charities

• To fill the gap in the welfare system a host of
  charities sprung up (640 by 1861)
• Many were motivated by a Christian or
  humanitarian desire
• The urban middle class were becoming more aware
  of how adequate the Poor Law was

5
Charities

• 1867 COS was formed under loch to attack the
  problem of poverty
• Many would only help the deserving poor as they
  wanted people to help themselves
• Moderated in the 1890s due to economic distress

Dont give him a fish to feed him today- teach
him how to fish so he can feed himself and his
family every day
6
YMCA (1844)
7
The Salvation Army (1866)
William Booth
8
Children queuing for Salvation Army"Farthing
breakfasts", about 1900
9
Dr Barnardos Homes (1869)
100 homes for 100,000 orphans by 1900
10
NSPCC (1844)founded by Rev Waugh
11
Improvements by 1900s?

• Poverty remained largely untreated
• Workhouse was still a grim and hated place
• 3 receiving relief at a time when 30 of people
  in dire poverty

12
Improvements by 1900s?

• Acknowledgment that Poor law was failing to deal
  with poverty
• Investigations challenged ideas and changing
  attitudes led to reforms

13
ACTIVITY

• What were the motives behind behind private
  individuals giving to charity?
• What were the weaknesses of the Poor Law as a
  method of dealing with the problems of poverty in
  an industrial society?