remaining cases in a hurry, with no more irrelevant conversation, but too fast for justice to the applicants; and wretches are written down undeserving that committee-men may dine. A chairman who understands his business will not permit this. He knows that the work has to be done within a certain time, beyond which his committee will not stay, and he lays out the matter in hand so as to get it all treated during that time, without either haste or loitering. Perfect good humour and absolute impartiality are essential. A humorous request from the chair will often silence a persistent talker, when anything like a command would be certainly, and perhaps justly, resented.

If, as is probable, the chairman is likely to be sometimes absent from committee meetings it will be well to appoint a vice-chairman. On such occasions a

member, the first whose name is suggested, is often voted into the chair, but he probably has neither the authority or the ability to conduct the business well, and he sometimes does not even know how to enter the decisions of the committee into the application and decision book without questions, fumbling and delay. In the conduct of the ordinary business of committee, other than the consideration of cases, it is even more essential that the chair should be occupied by one who fully understands his functions. While never attempting to impose his private opinion as a law upon the committee he must be prepared to state points of principle and practice, as already decided, for their guidance. For all this, and much more which need not be here set out, he will require qualities of a peculiar kind, which are by no means always found in

the oldest or most influential member of the committee. The principal points of good chairmanship are these regularity of attendance; knowledge of the principles and practice of the Society; firmness with tact; earnest devotion to business with genial good humour. The selection should fall upon him who unites most of these qualifications, his rank, position and age being quite of secondary importance, if not wholly immaterial.

Members of Committee.-Most members of the committee have probably no leisure to do more than attend its meetings; yet their presence will often be of the greatest value. They will bring into the common council ideas and methods acquired in other kinds of activity. They will test the work of the official members, they will detect any slackness or check presumption, if chairman or secretaries tend, like the sons of Levi, to take too much upon them. Those who bear the main burden of the work should be treated with every consideration; but it is never well that a committee should simply register and A strong give effect to the will of a single man. secretary will work all the better if he has to exert himself, and sometimes to fail, in carrying his point. Where no one resists him he will become too autocratic, and his methods of work will narrow themselves to a single groove. Those members of committee who have more time at disposal will do excellent service if they acquaint themselves with the work at all points. When there is a pressure of business they may help the secretary and the agent by taking down cases, and in other work of the office. But they will be most

useful in the district by acquainting themselves with the poor and with the various charities, following up cases which have been decided, and watching the effect of the decisions of the committee, and by learning how their agent is spoken of among those whom it is his duty to visit. It is a chief function of volunteers to check officialism whenever it develops official vices, while carefully avoiding undue interference with useful officers.

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CHAPTER III

PRINCIPLES OF DECISION.

TEMPORARY DISTRESS AND CHRONIC CASES.-There is an important distinction between principles and rules. Principles govern the mind and intention; rules are guides in special classes of acts. It is a principle with the committee to do the best it can for each case that comes before it; it is a rule admitting of no exception that, for example, each several repayment on a loan should be immediately entered in the proper book. But rules of this absolute description are for the methods of office-work rather than for dealings with applicants. The principles of decision indicate the spirit and intention with which the committee approach the consideration of each case, but as each varies in many respects from every other the committee will refuse to be bound by absolute rules, and will decide upon the merits of each application. This must be borne in mind in reading the following paragraphs, for in no instance is the principle there laid down intended for a hard-and-fast rule from which no deviation can be admitted. It is indeed to be wished that we could make an exception in favour of the first principle, viz. adequacy of relief. From this there ought to be no exception. In order to show why exceptions must,

unfortunately, be made at present, it is necessary first to explain the difference between temporary and chronic distress.

Temporary distress is that which may be expected to pass away if sufficient assistance be given. Out-ofwork cases, persons suffering under illness or accidents which are not incurable, are common instances, and it is such, for the most part, that committees deal with. Chronic distress is of such a nature that no ordinary grant, or loan, or common kind of assistance can do any permanent good. Incurable sickness or accident, and unprovided old age, come under this head, and although under certain conditions, combined charity ought to be able to deal with such cases, there are few societies or committees which as yet can do so. How far it is possible to relieve adequately chronic distress is a question which must be considered in another chapter. For the present we confine ourselves to temporary distress.

Adequate Relief.-It is then a rule, at least more nearly absolute than any other belonging to the treatment of applicants, that relief, if given at all, must be adequate. By this is meant that the relief shall be such as altogether to do away with the distress by removing its cause. "Each case of distress is to be considered as that of a sufferer from some malady, of one afflicted in mind, body or estate; the cause of this distress and the best way of treating it must be ascertained, and then the proper remedy applied." Charity Organisation Paper No. 1, p. 5. An instance of the adequate treatment of a family has been given above, p. 17. But it may be asked, if you have not