(d) It teaches them habits of honesty, industry and thrift.

    (e) It opens up to them a pathway of promotion.

10.  Finally it will furnish honest and honorable employment right away for hundreds of thousands all over the land, and create an entirely novel industry out of what is at present an absolute wreckage.

But I am well aware that certain objections are likely to be raised.  These I would seek to remove, though if we are to wait for a plan which is free from all liability to criticism, we may wait for ever, and wait in vain.  There is a famous answer given by John Wesley to a lady who was objecting to something about his work,—­“Madam, if there were a perfect organization in the world, it would cease to be so the day that you and I entered into it.”  Hence it is not simply a question as to whether there are difficulties in the present proposals, but can anything better be suggested.  However, I am anxious to meet in the fairest possible manner all conceivable objections, and am perfectly prepared to make any such modifications as may appear advisable.

(1.) Some will perhaps say that the beggars are already too well off to desire to come,—­that they are making a good thing of it and will prefer to prosecute their calling under the present arrangements.  Of course if it be true that they are able to do better for themselves than we are proposing to do for them, then they have no right to be included in the submerged tenth.  I would congratulate them on their success and turn my attention to those who are more in need of our services.  But could any one seriously defend such a supposition?  And if they are likely to be bettered by the new arrangements, why should we suppose that they should be so blind to their own interests as to refuse to profit by the new chance?  Besides, this is contradicted by all experience.  Let there be a prospect of a feast, or a supply of rice or food, and who does not know that beggars will flock eagerly to the point, though it be only for a single meal, and we propose to provide a permanent livelihood.

(2.) But says some one else they are bone-idle and will not work, and you propose to give them no food save in exchange for their work.  This is a real and serious difficulty.  We fully recognise it.  Yet we do not think it is un-get-over-able, for the following reasons:—­

    (a) We do not intend to be hard-taskmasters.  The work given will be
        of a light character, and suited to the strength of each.  We are
        not going in for oakum picking and stone breaking.  We shall do our
        utmost to make everything bright, cheerful and easy.  We have no
        idea of treating them as criminals.

    (b) It ought not to be difficult to get each one to do two annas
        worth of work, and this will be more than sufficient to cover their
        expenses.  We have no desire to become sweaters.