The work of the board may be classified as follows:
1. The purchase and division of estates into small farms and placing thereon families who are unable to earn a decent living in their present surroundings.
2. The enlargement of holdings by the purchase of neighboring property for those who cannot be moved.
3. The construction of decent and comfortable cottages for the poor, in the place of the wretched cabins they now occupy, and the repair of their present homes as far as possible.
4. The construction of public works, road building, the draining of swampy lands, and other undertakings that will furnish work and wages to the poor.
5. Aiding fishermen along the coast by furnishing boats and equipment and by securing them a market.
6. Instruction of the women in industries that can be carried on in the home, such as weaving, lace-making, and knitting.
7. Schools of housewifery for the training of mountain peasant girls for domestic service.
8. Loans of money to farmers to purchase cattle, sheep, and other means of self-support.
9. General improvement and repair of homes and the relief of individual distress through parish committees.