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Dr. Young's Report.
For the purpose of this inquiry inspection has been made of the following premises—
The Church Army labour homes, and St. John's lodging-house for men.
The Bessbrook Homes for men.
Some free refuges.
Medland Hall free shelter.
Dr. Barnardo's free shelters for women and children.
The Salvation Army shelters, lodging-houses or metropoles, and elevators or labour homes.
The Shaftesbury Institute for women, and shelter for men.
The several institutions comprised in the above list may all be regarded as being included within
the meaning of the term "shelter," that is, premises the object of which is to provide lodging temporarily,
either free of charge or for small payment, for persons who are homeless from some cause or other, this
object being in most cases associated with an endeavour to assist the individual, either directly or
indirectly, in obtaining employment should he or she want it. They differ, however, considerably
amongst themselves as regards the methods by which persons can gain admission, the character of the
accommodation which is provided, and the existence or absence of a limit as to the length of time
during which persons are allowed to frequent the shelter. According to the differences in respect of
admission, these shelters may be divided into two classes, namely, those at which inquiry into the
antecedents of each applicant is made—admission into and stay in the shelter being subject to the
result of this inquiry being satisfactory—and those at which no such inquiry is made. The former
correspond more or less closely to those places at which no charge is made for lodging, and the latter
chiefly to those at which a small fee is charged.
The labour homes of the Church Army and the Bessbrook Homes appear to stand in a position
apart from these. They may be regarded rather as institutions, the primary object of which is not so
much to provide lodging or shelter for the many without homes as to reform men by bringing them into
a place where they are engaged at work, and where they live according to certain rules and regulations,
a breach of which entails discharge from the home.
Methods of admission, duration of stay, and provision of food.
The Church Army labour homes and St. John's lodging-house fov men.-—Before any applicant is
admitted he is interviewed on two separate occasions by different individuals, and further inquiry into
the case is also made by members of the army. A man before entering the home signs an agreement
that he will live there according to its rules and regulations, and he stays generally for a period of two
months. He may, on certain conditions, stay longer, or on the other hand if he obtain work after the
first month, he may leave the home before the expiration of two months. The men are boarded and
lodged, meals being served at fixed hours. In connection with each home there is a workshop (in most
cases for wood chopping), in which the men are engaged during the daytime. Each man is credited
with the value of his work, and if this amounts in any case to a greater sum than is necessary to pay for
his board and lodging the surplus is put to the man's account, forming a small capital which is handed
over to him when leaving the home, or upon which he is allowed to draw towards the end of his stay.
At St. John's lodging-house nearly all the lodgers are men who have passed through one of the
labour homes of the Church Army, and who have succeeded in obtaining situations. If, however, there
are any vacancies, an ordinary applicant for a night's lodging would be admitted subject to the discretion
of the captain in charge. A small proportion (about sixteen) are men who have been in one of the
homes and who are engaged at work at the head-quarter offices of the Church Army; these are boarders,
but the other lodgers are charged sixpence a-night for their lodging and provide and cook their own food.
The lodging-house is managed under regulations as to hours of getting up and going to bed and as to
taking baths. During the daytime the men are expected to be out at work or engaged in search of
employment.
The Bessbrook Homes and Agency.—Any applicant is admitted if upon inquiry by the superintendent
it is found that the man is desirous and is really in need of the assistance afforded by
the work which is carried on in connection with the homes, namely, the Bessbrook Agency for sandwich
board carriers, for circular folding, addressing and delivering, and for clerks. In some instances men
are taken in though the agency may not be able to find employment for them at once In these
cases the men are allowed to continue any casual work they may be engaged in at the time, such as
newspaper selling, until they can be employed in the work of the home. The superintendent states
that many of the men are sent to the home by friends of the institution.
A man admitted to these homes is not bound to stay any longer than he wishes, and is not
asked to sign any agreement. The duration of his stay is an indefinite period varying according as
the superintendent considers it would be to the man's advantage to stay for a longer or shorter period.
If during his stay his conduct has been satisfactory, each man is assisted in obtaining work of a
permanent character. The men are paid by the agency while in its employment, and they are charged
sixpence and fourpence a night for their lodging. They provide and cook their own food. The
premises are open to the lodgers all day. The work of the Bessbrook Agency is carried on at one of
the homes.
The free refuges.—The procedure as to admission into these refuges generally is as follows. Any
person who applies for shelter is seen by the superintendent, who takes down the applicant's statements,
and obtains the names of references for further inquiry, and if there is no immediate reason to the contrary
on this score, or if the applicant be not in a dirty condition he is admitted at once, and allowed
to remain till further investigation is made into the case, the person being given shelter for two or
three nights until this has been completed. If the result be satisfactory he is then allowed to stay on
fcr two or more weeks while he looks out for employment. If the man be successful in obtaining work