The New York herald., 1877-11-28
ORGANIZED CHARITY.

REPORT OF THE SOCIETY FOR IMPROVING THE
CONDITION OF THE POOR HIGH SALARIES
AND REDUCED RELIEF.
To the ordinary observer the silent and effective
operations OF organized charity are never known 1t
Ia only when in times OF exceptional calamity that
the hand OF charity is thrust before the public
gaze or when tho annual reports furnished to the
newspapers, that those who are directly and pccu-
nariy Interested In the and Affairs OF tho
society may be ADVISED OF its managcm ent In cnscs
these the general public gets an insight into
the operations oil organized charity but otherwise IL
IL n scaled book to the uninitiated In this conncc-
ton tho readers OF the HERALD will tase u parcouable
curiosity IN looking INTO tue management OF
the most powerful. II not popular charitable nssocia
tons 81 this city as contained IN their annual report
recently published The New York Association Tor
Improving the Condition OF the Poor organized in
ls43 and incorporated in 1s4S. Among lts list OF
membcis and patrons many OF the leading families
Of tins city, and their donations have always been
frequent aud generous. The annual report Tor tho
present year furnishes tho following ta lated state
ment OF the amount Of relief distributed -
DISTRIBUTIONS EXPENSES.
september loIo.. 5000 10
October, lS,6........... ................. 1871 20
November, 1870. ........................... 243 o5
December, 1870. ......................... 52l4 %
January lSI7..... OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 1886 ~
February, lo1I.... 10 $50 70
March, isI1..... 1857 10
May, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 63S 90
june, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. $50 90
July, 1877. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 5sl 70
August, 1877. S77......................... 644 60
Total. S3s 9l7 60
According TO tho Treasurcr's report that Junction
airy paid out the SUN OF s47, ,642 "a which sum Ia
cudos salaries and the amounts ABOVE specified AS be-
ing dsburscd Tor charitable purposes Therefore,
taking the difference between the Two sum totals,
that Is, the difference between $47.042 "a and
$3s9l7 co. IL Is asceriaincd that tho remainder,
IS, I24 "a is partly the amount expended Tor DIS
tributing the rellef This Is exclusive OF commis
sions paid to collecting agents direct by tho
tion, sum IN Itself amounting 10 $3i26, which
swos the actual cost OF distributing the relicf TO
$l2 100 "a, and IS accounted for as toows:-
Salary to John Bowno secretary. ...... 81, 500 10
Salary to two assistant secretaries, rent, sla.
tioncry, postage, printing and Incidental
Ofllce expenses b224 Ol
Commissions 10 collecting agents 3,426 90
Making total OF $50 "a
A HEAVY pkRCExrAGE
Tho othcr side OF the ledger credits tho association
with having received from donations and collections
during the year 1877 the sum OF $50, 255 10, which
amount IL duly acknowledged by the treasurer There
torc per ledger account, the ASSOCIATION received
from NIL sources $29255 TO- and expended In salaries,
&C., $l2 100 a. leaving balance OF ST. l04 55 char
table purposes, making tho expenses orty one and
one-ha per cent OF the receipts, or IN othcr words
out OF every dollar contributed for charity forty one
and half cents TO doiray expenses, while tho poor
receive but huy eight and one-na cents out OF tho
dollar contributed and collected IN Their name
Many members OF the assocation and not the most
influential either, made wry faces at this analysis
when their attention was pointcdly drawn to those
significant facts. IL has been stated by n former
legacy OF $lI,000 was lett TO the association last
June from tho Hobrook esate but that tho Treasurer
does not include that sum nor make any reference to
II In his late report