The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-03
Tn. Bureau or Charities.

We believe, after q careful examination of
the subject, that nothing has yet been pro-
posed with reference to the amendment of the
condition of the poor more advantageous
than the Bureau Of Charities, of which Mr..
Theodore Roosevelt is the head. The high
character of Mr.. Roosevelt and his associates
leads US to hope for the very best results.
We trust that the FIRST step will be in the
direction of reform Of such practices as those
of Brace and Barnard, by which large sums
contributed for charitable purposes are ap-
piled to the purposes of ''salaries,'' making
Brace and Barnard themselves among the
most expensive paupers of the age. Let the
Bureau first insist that more money be given
to charity and less to the personal wants and
comforts of these two gentlemen, and at once
we shall have most desirable reform.
The Central Bureau has under its jurisdic-
ton one hundred and eleven charities for men
and women and children, hospitals, infirma-
ries and reformatories. 1t proposes to keep
record of every charitable society and its
standing; to have maps of every house in the
city, on the fire insurance plan; to employ
detectives and surveyors of buildings; to sup
press fraudulent charities; to prevent the in
crease of societies whose mission would in
terfere with each other; to enforce the laws
against begging and found q labor bureau,
and to establish branch Offices in every dis
trict, with district physicians and nurses,
as we'll as q dispensary and diet kitchen.
This is noble work, and we shall watch it
with interest. The great trouble heretofore
has always been that our charities lived float
ing, purposeless, drifting life, without disci-
pline or organization, and that no matter how
charitably disposed people might be, there was
no way of reaching an accurate knowledge Of
the wants Of the city. Money intended for
the best purposes was often applied to the
salaries of men like Brace and Barnard,
and fraudulent schemes were constantly CON-
ing to the front to attract money from the
unwary. Worse than all. when sudden crisis
came, as it came to US this winter, as an
unexpected, widespread calamity the result
of the panic and Of other causes which could
not be controlled, there was no organization
strong enough to grapple with it. Accord
ingly we had to depend upon private efforts
and upon the spasmodic expedients Of good
people everywhere. There was no general
control of the subject, no knowledge of what
was wanted, and no way of knowing whether
the wants we're in any way supplied
We should like to see some attention given
also to the ingenious plan proposed recently
by Mr.. Dana in favor of central house Of
labor. where the meritorious poor artisan
could find employment during the hard
months of winter. We regret that this has
not received more attention, and we commend
it earnestly to the Bureau of Charities. BY
expedients like this, calmly planned and ma
tured by humane and gifted men, we can
during the summer SO organize and develop
our charities that the utmost good will be
done. We may then feel that no human exer-
tons have been spared to promote the happi-
ness and comfort of the uoorest classes