New-York tribune., 1868-09-10
CHIRITABLE RELIEF
CIrIzESs' ASSOCIATION or NEw-NoRk,
No Sl3 Broadway, Sept. s, 1865. )


No. Sl3 broadway, Sept $, 1860
To he PuLlie:
The Citizens Association, among its efforts to
promote the cauge ui good government has had occasion
70 investigate carefully the whole field of pbilantbropo
Iabors in this city, including private well AS public
charities From tho best information that the Assocla-
ton has hcn able TO obtain, 1t has concluded that not
less than five millions Of dollars annually expended IN
this city for nerent charitable and phanthropc oDees
II the expenditure Of large sum were made upon the
sound business principle Of enabling the recipients 10 heP
thmsevesthat IT, 10 Tlaco them In such improved sur
roundings that they would be able TO gain thelr own
livelihood and thus be converted into producers-the
great burIeps of paupcrism could be removed In
this countrv where the elements OF wealth so bound
le and where hundreds Of millions OF acres OF fertile
laud lie waiting for the hands 10 cultivate ana
develop their riches porery and ndnf dmog doegooied
D n,d trouen shoHd be uknown ana meg icW 0e ,n''
ksown when broad md conPrhenSre p'a!s. oa,J "g. &
he true nature Of Hgg, 0rc maze JOr WtH IcHDIu it
and charitable Efforts OF the present day
rather 10 superiuducc and mass totther tbe very l
ery which 10 ia the design OF these efforts relieve L
iudoent the vicious and the thuftess all DRIFT toward
large cities To- prey upon the dn@tfy anu S'bi.' ,
q widespread reputation for unh1undcd hhtrdlly Ihs
reputation has brought thousands 10 her doors seeking
their share who remain annual burden, very heavy 10
bc borne Unless taken to overcome this zen
dcucy, shall Zoe ucrptiuatug great tSll7 ana iuu,'
Ing them chronic "''" we are on''''0'Ds TO CONFER ''
Nature has wisely ordained that man. through labor
wins nom her a that necessary for ms comfortable
support An that tends 20 stimulate MN 10 aDor tehus
his highest good, aud all that tends to weaken ana
Consequently al phuanthIopic and charitable efforts
should be- based upon comprehensive pan o. e,aoy y
II tor hcDSsircs There nre Rt all nr. broad avenues
Of labor opeu which full The great etapes
aud uocessaries of fc be too abundant ana
to the soil man can always turn Tor suh-ihu ltWal1
r. n his industry. The floating population central
izug In this and other large cities, with irregular ana
uucprtniu employment VINO MI Our chataple uhs'Ii-
tions ana seek r,lcf through the thousand channels
"A n Ia
way they arc-vrry far from II Tor TINS lntthoI
turns the recipients into paupcr and consumers instead
OF producers aud good ciLensbut upon the sound pm
ctls of enabling H the men, women ANA chdren III tH
community 20 help themselves This is the kind of relief
which duty aud common sense dictate to 10 render.
ana this Kind ~ help should be furnished TO every person
Animated by these considerations the Association Get
itself earnestly To md means 20 cnrry rs views
INTO practical operation Que OF me results, mus iaf'
has been the organization Of the Labor Bureau july l.
les, by the Commissioners oi 'hatlues ana ,oI,ctiI,
upon the following general PLAN ttcomhehued Dy 'e
Books are opened at tho ofice of the Commissioner in
which recorded the names and residences OF ane
bodied applicants for employment, their ages places OF
nativity. length oil residence ~ the ol,5 HuS W ol so
ton. whether married or single the number oi persons
dependent upon them for support aud the health age
record is made OF applicants FOR laborers Of their
rsldences tie kinds OF labor required. the nationality,
single with without families and the limit of time
from date ~ application Ia Whlch such persons may he
by the party making application for them The Associa-
ton making arrangemonis % secure the organization
the Atlantic slope. and respectfully invites cooperation
al who approve of ana feel AN Interest IN this most
states have cordially ludorscd the plan Of Assooa
ZION Gov Fletcher OF h.,o9ri re'nadRd @ @ 5hat p1 sS
Of %SSn IN inS nSfS sp S%s Gov aIssa resa
sought Is triple blessing TO your city; 70 tho poor
Whom % on & n. eP Sns 70 teS tsS 5aie T9Gss GsyoP
fespsc fy gwen 90 examine BOO detail INTO the plans ~
tho Ass1-iaton u s believed that the heavy tax
imposed upuu capital and labor by efforts At temporary
re, can bc removed aud the beet Interests Of those 10
be- relieved ~ the same I'M, promoted
ae. rc taken nom the state Census Of ISIS F"gp~rs
aud persons relieved temporarily 2-s5'9 Hence, 10 tie
whole population OF The state Of Ncw York, Of 3s6ss
one unabltaut in thirteen was e,hor pauper or had
been pent Of charity during The year After making
persons we're counted three tmcs the figures
most startling. it mu-t also he remembered that very
we're never reported. and perhaps the number TINS
cy,d would offset those counted more than onco IN the
In us connection the following extract from Gov.
Norgas message lu 1850 s f'l az Significance: APP
rear nom tho Report ~ the Secretary OF state that
during the year ls, relief was granted by the public IN
On ~ ,e canal 10 seven ana four rcuths per cent Of
The entire population at an expense ~ N4yl39 ~ OF
those relieved fOrtyOne per cent were natives 0t TINS
country, ana fy-nne per cent were Foreigners "h1e IN
twenty years. from 1891 10 1851 the population of the
sfatc increa.cd only sIxrYoNg per c,Ht pauper,m in
cr,,ed In ths same period sEyES HUNDRED ASD
cat IN there one person relieved to every one
hundred aud twenty three inhabitants; In 1su, one 10
/ in 1866, one 20 every seventeen.
Though many persons doubtless received relief u moro
than place. and therefore appear repeatedly In The
returns though many Of the persons relieved were
not aupers the ordinary of the word, u s still
clear that the evil is great aud increasing one which
| urgently dtmgud a remedy
Itwond thus appear arthatIotwthsaudngth the beneficial
Influences which supposed to be conferred by our
public school stem, notwithstanding the increased
facilities among for general education. and the rapid
prusr,ss OF our country paupcram which, through these
Undergraduates should bc greatly reduced, has IN
creased tcufOd, that Is there ten paupers to-day
whore there TO the number OF persons 81
years ago Willie u "a years 1871 TO lsCJ. the population
Increased only 80 cent paupelsu Increased IN the
/ same period about 900 per cent
IL 1. said recently 6OO00 persons out OF
poymeut In this city while Hour Si per barrel and
while millions of of fertile lands In the West
waiting for hands to cultivate them Nearly half Of
population lives In cities. towns and villages; while
per centof the population should De thus
concentrated the remainder should be- distributed
| the productive portion ~ the soil
The Association Of the opinion that paupersm should
be dealt with in enlarged and ntel gent spirit OF pre-
vcnton rather than by Intellectual attempts at temporary
relief that the gifted minds Of the wise and tho shelter
ing OF the strong should be- directed 10 those great
ends and also that by Judcious arrangements all who
require relief should receive II without taxing labor with
additional burdens
No practical elevation OF man can be effected without
elovatng hi surroundings. There is enough for all
there s plenty for all and life be made great bless
10 all. II only wisely tue ample provisions the
| Divine Parent has made for all his children.
| PETER COOPER, President.
! RICH NJ. HENRY. Secretary.
|