Report of the Committee of Advice on Behalf of the Society for Employing the Female Poor.

1824

That not a litle good has been done by the Society, is the clear conviction of all who have inquired into its affairs. The blind have, in some instances, been furnished with knitting constantly, when they could otherwise only have obtained it occasionally; the maimed and the lame have had work suited to their peculiar infirnities, when they could have had it in no other way; and, in general, the Society has selected carefully such persons, as would be little likely to be found by the accustomed modes of benevolence. In this way, they have reason to believe, they have sometimes even influenced bad habits and bad characters, and produced partial or entire reformation, in order to obtain work, which had been withheld in consequence of misconduct. They certainly know, they have incrfeased the industry of many whonm they have employed, and that others have been taught to work so much moe skilfully, that, from recommendations given by the Society, they have obtained higher andmore profitabole employment elsewhere, and ceased to aply. The moral influence of the Institution, therefore, has been good. Nor, in truth, could it well be otherwise; since, after all, it has done nothing but assist the poor to supply their own wants by their own exertions, offering less pay for the work distributed to them, than is given by the community at large.

pp. 4-5