In this table it will be seen that emphasis is laid on misconduct
rather than on misfortune. The difference between the two sets of
returns is obvious. Where lack of employment and sickness have been
alleged as accounting for 62-6/10 per cent. of the total, they are
believed by the tabulator to really account for only 41-8/10 per cent.
On the other hand, intemperance comes in as the real cause in 19-9/10
per cent.; shiftlessness in 12-2/10 per cent. of the applications, and
in 14-6/10 per cent. of the applications it was judged that there was
no real need. It is very probable that these judgments are severe, but
the result shows how frequently, at least, the personal character is a
contributory cause of poverty.
An attempt was made when reading the records to determine the general
character of the man and woman--that is, the adult members of the
family. Such classification is at the best very rough, and does not
give us much information. It may be said that the character was put
down as good unless something distinctly to the contrary appeared. The
results are given in the following table: