The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-12-30
NEW YORK's room.
Mech Move D,a~es- Rcperted ts1~ ne the
respsn dssa Dnte Last srssoa.

notwithstanding tho mildncss VI the
weather and tho show Of industry. which saein
to encourage The hop that there IL less suffer
ing among tho poor than last year. the converse
of that proposition il true. Reports VI tho rcp-
rcscntatives Of charitable organizations indi-
cato from twenty to twenty fvo per cent moro
cases of dcsitutun than in December. 1876. II
IL true that thor" IL Las diatross from cold, but
there X more from hunger. The cause is lack
Of employment Only small part " the vast
army ~ labcrcrs fnds ANYTHING ~ do on tho
great elevated railway and Brooklyn bridge
constructions Notwithstanding the magnitude
of those works. There IL liula going on in
municipal improvements. and. with tho oxcep-
ton Of some special branches Of industry bon
officially affected by the holiday season. tho
present timo Ia ono OF unrxnmpled dulnrss
in ull departments Of trade and manu- fnciurc.
Tn Welding to the general pressure OF hurd
times, emy loyers sought relief iOrawhile in re-
duction Of salaries. When these got 40 low that
they could be cut down no more. and still the
stagnutiOn in business reduced more and more
the abiliiyto pay them, enforced dIsrhnrsos ioI-
lowed. Within n few weeks pnst, the number
OF old aud valued employees discharged rom
greater than was ever heretofore known IN this
city within II like space OF time. Nhllo AFFAIRS
crs and persons operating on commissions the
small fry of tho vast horde OF iniddlcmen-h
convenient but not Indispensable class III socie-
ty-hnd been reduced to bankruptcy.
Another consequence is that while the claims
upon charity are thus greatly increased. tho
ability TO respond TO them is prOpOrtiOnaicy
diminished. Those who few wears ago gave
hundreds Of dollars annually To chnr.ty are
now actually only able to give tens. md mnny
who Inst wear gave spnringly nlrcndv iind them
selves compelled 10 beg ~ ,"turn Of thgii cunil,
". Thus the various ch1riiahl' cnirrptlN, IS
mud their cofIrrs moro nearly empty thnn ~
any Decomber Tor many years pnS,, I9si whoh II
Is most requisite that they huuld be lull. .
In the ,'ntire month ~ December. 1876. tho
applications To- the AseOcation for improving
! tho Condition of the Poor. numbered but 91l.
| In the first sixteen working DAYS oi this cur
rent month tho npulimtlons numborod LIZ
Mr lIrseh. Sc rctary ol the United Hchrcw
! Chnritics reports n like condition of aiInirs.
! Times must indeed I've hard when people ~
thrifty ns IN llslrew5 have 50 ma,hy ol tnu,
! for aid. who on the lat Of November last were
nny less Than on the corresponding datf Last
/ year, were alrrndy, IN lust on month ll'ir, on
/ SD. 80 far ils Nr Hr-rh can estimate. ticro
/ nrr TWENTY-FIVE Tnrc cont. moro Applications mere
! Tor charity now than there ever were before
! The SurlcB OF ST. Vincent de Paul inds
! H. Charitable MD demanded hy a largcl
number Of needy persons thnn IN any
| preceding W ntcr since lis organiyhlon' anu u
| not exempt from tie conditions ot rc1if' ON
| owing to dimin shed contr buttons. complained
oi by other Ors.inz! lOns ol Ike charncter: ~
officers think that the number Of applicants ipi
charity now il about twenty per cent greater
than IN the corresponding period OF last year
Notwithstanding the labors oi ul society are u
| n very considerable degroe confined among th'
| industrious class. who derive benefit from Tn,
great works of construction already spoken oi
| There is not an inst tuition for the cnra % th'
distressed, the homeless, the SICK, ana IN" hclp
lcss. which does not find It's capacities taxed L
| the utmost.
Mr. Kalicch. Superintendent Of the Out door
| Poor. rays that the number Oi aupll'unt7 aIuN'
| thr ordinary pauper class IL greater than ms
! year. TAe reduction 10 poverty OF 40 many q
the hitherto soil -Suppofung clNrs ne deems
noteworthy ami painfully significant feature