He feels they should be working and not scrounging for food and money, and if there isn't work then they should be taken to the workhouses or prisons, a thought that many wealthy people of the time had.
The two "visitors" refer to the two business men who approach Scrooge asking for a charitable donation to help the poor and needy "at this time". Scrooge asks "are there no work houses?", are there no prisons?" And the treadmill is that still in use?" . All of which he thought that the poor should suffer because they were poor.
He says this in reference to a solitary boy left at Christmas time in School - The "poor boy" was in fact Scrooge
Bob Cratchit, Scrooge's employee, asked him to donate to the poor during Christmas time. Scrooge initially refused but eventually agreed to donate after his encounters with the ghosts.
Bob Cratchit
Bob Cratchit is an abused and underpaid clerk who works for Ebenezer Scrooge.
In truth, Dickens never reveals the status of Scrooge's mother in the story. We are given to believe that his father was stern, perhaps even violent in temper, and was not fond of his son and heir. This attitude remained until Scrooge was a young man, and then was allowed to return home with his sister, after his father had softened his attitude towards him. But of the mother we have no information. Not even a mention.
That would be Bob Cratchit.
Scrooge is to stingy.
Scrooge believes that the poor should go to prisons and workhouses instead of relying on charity from others.
In ' A Christmas Carol' Dickens was trying to portray the importance of giving to the needy and 'loving thy neighbour'.
In the beginning, Scrooge is:- greedy- cold-hearted- mean- selfish- uncaring- not generous- darkAt the end, Scrooge is:- giving- friendly- caring- joyful- free- generous
That he was collecting for the poor. He hoped that Scrooge would be generous at this special time. Scrooge questions wheather the prosions, workhouse and treadmill were still in ooperation. he is told they were. Scrooge is pleased to hear this as he is contributing to their opeation in his taxes