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This　Department　will　also　be　responsible　for　gathering　intelligence；　spreading　information；　and　the　general　prosecution　of　such　measures　as　are　likely　to　lead　to　the　much…needed　beneficial　changes　in　our　Prison　Management。　　In　short；　it　will　seek　to　become　the　true　friend　and　saviour　of　the　Criminal　Classes　in　general；　and　in　doing　so　we　shall　desire　to　act　in　harmony　with　the　societies　at　present　in　existence；　who　may　be　seeking　for　objects　kindred　to　the　Advice　Bureau。　We　pen　the　following　list　to　give　some　idea　of　the　topics　on　which　the　Advice　Bureau　may　be　consulted：　

　Accidents；　Claim　for　　Administration　of　Estates　　Adulteration　of　Food　and　Drugs　　Agency；　Questions　of　　Agreements；　Disputed　　Affiliation　Cases　　Animals；　Cruelty　to　　Arrest；　Wrongful　　Assault

　Bankruptcies　　Bills　of　Exchange　　Bills　of　Sale　　Bonds；　Forfeited　　Breach　of　Promise

　Children；　Cruelty　to　　Children；　Custody　of　　Compensation　for　Injuries　　Compensation　for　Accident　　Compensation　for　Defamation　　Compensation　for　Loss　of　Employment；　&c。；　&c。　　Confiscation　by　Landlords　　Contracts；　Breach　of　　Copyright；　Infringement　of　　County　Court　Cases

　Debts　　Distress；　Illegal　　Divorce

　Ejectment　Cases　　Employers　Liability　Act　　Executors；　Duties　of

　Factory　Act；　Breach　of　　Fraud；　Attempted

　Goodwill；　Sale　of　　Guarantee；　Forfeited

　Heir…at…Law　　Husbands　and　Wives；　Disputes　of

　Imprisonment；　False　　Infants；　Custody　of　　Intestacy；　Cases　of

　Judgment　Summonses

　Landlord　and　Tenant　Cases　　Leases；　Lapses　and　Renewals　of　　Legacies；　Disputed　　Libel　Cases　　Licences

　Marriage　Law；　Question　of　the　　Masters'　and　Servants'　Acts　　Meeting；　Right　of　Public　　Mortgages

　Negligence；　Alleged　　Next　of　Kill　Wanted　　Nuisances；　Alleged

　Partnership；　The　Law　of　　Patents；　Registration　and　Infringement　of　　Pawnbrokers　and　their　Pledges　　Police　Cases　　Probate

　Rates　and　Taxes　　Reversionary　Interests

　Seduction；　Cases　of　　Servants'　Wrongful　Dismissal　　Sheriffs　　Sureties　Estreated

　Tenancies；　Disputed　　Trade　Marks；　Infringement　of　　Trespass；　Cases　of　　Trustees　and　Trusts

　Wages　Kept　Back　　Wills；　Disputed　and　Unproved　　Women；　Cruelty　to　　Workmen；　Grievances　of　&c。；&c。

The　Advice　Bureau　will　therefore　be；　first　of　all；　a　place　where　men　and　women　in　trouble　can　come　when　they　please　to　communicate　in　confidence　the　cause　of　their　anxiety；　with　a　certainty　that　they　will　receive　a　sympathetic　hearing　and　the　best　advice。

Secondly；　it　will　be　a　Poor　Man's　Lawyer；　giving　the　best　legal　counsel　as　to　the　course　to　be　pursued　in　the　various　circumstances　with　which　the　poor　find　themselves　confronted。

Thirdly；　it　will　act　as　a　Poor　Man's　Tribune；　and　will　undertake　the　defence　of　friendless　prisoners　supposed　to　be　innocent；　together　with　the　resistance　of　illegal　extortions；　and　the　prosecution　of　offenders　who　refuse　legal　satisfaction　for　the　wrongs　they　have　committed。

Fourthly；　it　will　act　wherever　it　is　called　upon　as　a　Court　of　Arbitration　between　litigants；　where　the　decision　will　be　according　to　equity；　and　the　costs　cut　down　to　the　lowest　possible　figure。　Such　a　Department　cannot　be　improvised；　but　it　is　already　in　a　fair　way　of　development；　and　it　can　hardly　fail　to　do　great　good。


SECTION　5。OUR　INTELLIGENCE　DEPARTMENT。

An　indispensable　adjunct　of　this　Scheme　will　be　the　institution　of　what　may　be　called　an　Intelligence　Department　at　Headquarters。　　Power；　it　has　been　said；　belongs　to　the　best　informed；　and　if　we　are　effectually　to　deal　with　the　forces　of　social　evil；　we　must　have　ready　at　our　fingers'　ends　the　accumulated　experience　and　information　of　the　whole　world　on　this　subject。　　The　collection　of　facts　and　the　systematic　record　of　them　would　be　invaluable；　rendering　the　result　of　the　experiments　of　previous　generations　available　for　the　information　of　our　own。

At　the　present　there　is　no　central　institution；　either　governmental　or　otherwise；　in　this　country　or　any　other；　which　charges　itself　with　the　duty　of　collecting　and　collating　the　ideas　and　conclusions　on　Social　Economy；　so　far　as　they　are　likely　to　help　the　solution　of　the　problem　we　have　in　hand。　　The　British　Home　Office　has　only　begun　to　index　its　own　papers。　　The　Local　Government　Board　is　in　a　similar　condition；　and；　although　each　particular　Blue　Book　may　be　admirably　indexed；　there　is　no　classified　index　of　the　whole　series。　　If　this　is　the　case　with　the　Government；　it　is　not　likely　that　the　innumerable　private　organisations　which　are　pecking　here　and　there　at　the　social　question　should　possess　any　systematised　method　for　the　purpose　of　comparing　notes　and　storing　information。　　This　Intelligence　Department；　which　I　propose　to　found　on　a　small　scale　at　first；　will　have　in　it　the　germ　of　vast　extension　which　will；　if　adequately　supported　become　a　kind　of　University；　in　which　the　accumulated　experiences　of　the　human　race　will　be　massed；　digested；　and　rendered　available　to　the　humblest　toiler　in　the　great　work　of　social　reform。　　At　the　present　moment；　who　is　there　that　can　produce　in　any　of　our　museums　and　universities　as　much　as　a　classified　index　of　publications　relating　to　one　of　the　many　heads　under　which　I　have　dealt　with　this　subject？　　Who　is　there　among　all　our　wise　men　and　social　reformers　that　can　send　me　a　list　of　all　the　best　tracts　upon　say；　the　establishment　of　agricultural　colonies　or　the　experiments　that　have　been　made　in　dealing　with　inebriates；　or　the　best　plans　for　the　construction　of　a　working　man's　cottage？

For　the　development　of　this　Scheme　I　want　an　Office　to　begin　with；　in　which；　under　the　head　of　the　varied　subjects　treated　of　in　this　volume；　I　may　have　arranged　the　condensed　essence　of　all　the　best　books　that　have　been　written；　and　the　names　and　addresses　of　those　whose　opinions　are　worth　having　upon　them；　together　with　a　note　of　what　those　opinions　are；　and　the　results　of　experiments　which　have　been　made　in　relation　to　them。　　I　want　to　establish　a　system　which　will　enable　me　to　use；　not　only　the　eyes　and　hands　of　Salvation　Officers；　but　of　sympathetic　friends　in　all　parts　of　the　world；　for　purposes　of　noticing　and　reporting　at　once　every　social　experiment　of　importance；　any　words　of　wisdom　on　the　social　question；　whether　it　may　be　the　breeding　of　rabbits；　the　organisation　of　an　emigration　service；　the　best　method　of　conducting　a　Cottage　Farm；　or　the　best　way　of　cooking　potatoes。　There　is　nothing　in　the　whole　range　of　our　operations　upon　which　we　should　not　be　accumulating　and　recording　the　results　of　human　experience。　　What　I　want　is　to　get　the　essence　of　wisdom　which　the　wisest　have　gathered　from　the　widest　experience；　rendered　instantly　available　for　the　humblest　worker　in　the　Salvation　Factory　or　Farm　Colony；　and　for　any　other　toiler　in　similar　fields　of　social　progress。

It　can　be　done；　and　in　the　service　of　the　people　it　ought　to　be　done。　I　look　for　helpers　in　this　department　among　those　who　hitherto　may　not　have　cared　for　the　Salvation　Army；　but　who　in　the　seclusion　of　their　studies　and　libraries　will　assist　in　the　compiling　of　this　great　Index　of　Sociological　Experiments；　and　who　would　be　willing；　in　this　form；　to　help　in　this　Scheme；　as　Associates；　for　the　ameliorating　of　the　condition　of　the　people；　if　in　nothing　else　than　in　using　their　eyes　and　ears；　and　giving　me　the　benefit　of　their　brains　as　to　where　knowledge　lies；　and　how　it　can　best　be　utilised。　　I　propose　to　make　a　beginning　by　putting　two　capable　men　and　a　boy　in　an　office；　with　instructions　to　cut　out；　preserve；　and　verify　all　contemporary　records　in　the　daily　and　weekly　press　that　have　a　bearing　upon　any　branch　of　our　departments。　　Round　these　two　men　and　a　boy　will　grow　up；　I　confidently　believe；　a　vast　organisation　of　zealous　unpaid　workers；　who　will　co…operate　in　making　our　Intelligence　Department　a　great　storehouse　of　informationa　universal　library　where　any　man　may　learn　what　is　the　sum　of　human　knowledge　upon　any　branch　of　the　subject　which　we　have　taken　in　hand。


SECTION　6。CO…OPERATION　IN　GENERAL。

If　anyone　asked　me　to　state　in　one　word　what　seemed　likely　to　be　the　key　of　the　solution　of　the　Social　Problem　I　should　answer　unhesitatingly　Co…operation。　　It　being　always　understood　that　it　is　Co…operation　conducted　on　righteous　principles；　and　for　wise　and　benevolent　ends；　otherwise　Association　cannot　be　expected　to　bear　any　more　profitable　fruit　than　Individualism。　　Co…operation　is　applied　associationassociation　for　the　purpose　of　production　and　distribution。　　Co…operation　implies　the　voluntary　combination　of　individuals　to　the　attaining　an　object　by　mutual　help；　mutual　counsel；　and　mutual　effort。　　There　is　a　great　deal　of　idle　talk　in　the　world　just　now　about　capital；　as　if　capital　were　the　enemy　of　labour。　It　is　quite　true　that　there　are　capitalists　not　a　few　who　may　be　regarded　as　the　enemies；　not　only　of　labour；　but　of　the　human　race；　but　capital　itself；　so　far　from　being　a　natural　enemy　of　labour；　is　the　great　object　which　the　labourer　has　constantly　in　view。　However　much　an　agitator　may　denounce　capital；　his　one　great　grievance　is　that　he　has　not　enough　of　it　for　himself。　　Capital；　therefore；　is　not　an　evil　in　itself；　on　the　contrary；　it　is　goodso　good　that　one　of　the　great　aims　of　the　social　reformer　ought　to　be　to　facilitate　its　widest　possible　di