The city of Chicago has agreed to pay up to $450 each to about 3,000 persons who had been arrested or ticketed for panhandling. “The panhandlers’ lawyers, from three firms, will split $375,000.” Panhandling advocates had reacted with indignation to a city proposal to issue the beggars warm clothing instead of cash. For a case from San Francisco in which many of the recipients of such a cash distribution spent their handouts on something other than warm clothing, see Feb. 3, 2000. (Curtis Lawrence, “Beggars can be choosers”, Chicago Sun-Times, Nov. 9).