Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-04-11
wisdom In Charity.

- lecture on the subject of"Wlsdom IN Charity
by J. Cooke, of Boston.
The city of EIbcrfeld, in Germany, is ne'
Dusseldorf and has at present population
about $4,000 inhabitants. By judicior
y system Of district visitation, it has reduce
y the number Of its paupers from one in ten
J.; one n eighty. To day there is no able bodie
y. paupcrisul in EIberfeld. This result has al
;, tracted attention in Great Britain, and ha
n been initiated in the district Of Naryebont
e in the city of London with great success
Vt There have been limitations Of it in New Yorl
g city on suall scale, aud especially in Ger
a mantown, in Philadelphia. At this momen
[ the most strategic words concerning poor re
3 lief are Ebcrtcld and Germantown. In Bos
ton, SpringGold Rochester and Syracuse some
imitation has been commenced OF the Elbcrfeld
enterprise.
| What was done in this German city? Very
much what Chalmers did in Edinburgh, when
he began his famous experiment at the West
Port The whole poor quarter was dstrictcd
and sub districtcd, and the rule was adopted
never to give cut charity except when the
reasons for doing so were clear to committee
OF intelligent ladies aud gentlemen, who bad
visited personally the cases in need. Onc
central regulation at Eibcrfcld was that no
visitor should have more than four families on
| his hands. There were eighteen DISTRICTS and
each vas subdiviGcd into fourteen smaller
portions. Voluntary aid and the city official
| relief were united. Eighteen men were Sc
lectcd by the municipal government to super
intend the districts; and then In each sub.
district number OF visitors were appointed
to report TO these supervisors. There were
some two huodred and fifty visitors, men and
women. No one vas allowed TO have bur.
densomc field. Often the number OF families
put down to one Individual for visitation was
only two. The service of visitation was un-
paid as was also that Of general supervision;
but SO was the work distributed that no busy
merchant, 20 head of a family, no matron
with children unGcr her care felt burdened.
Little by little it came to be mark
of good standing to 20 down among the poor
and attend to three or four families, as part
of the duties OF the week. We have persons
who will rise and 20 out Of an audience II the
topic Of poor relief is introduced too ofton.
They are si!kep, soft Christians, brought up
in kings palaces; and their religion consists
chiefly OF enjoying the meeting on Sunday.
There is another kind OF meetlng-that occurs
when one goes about Iron house to house do
ing gool aud this they do not enjoy. Until
American Christians learn to DO what German
officials have taught average citizens under the
state church to do at Elberfcld, there will be
no proper quickcning here Of our sense OF re-
sponsibity for the perishing and dangerous
quarters Of great towns. There must DO an
institution OF new order of nobility. 1t was
instituted, indeed, when our Lord washed his
disciples feet and when he went about from
house to house doing good
Of the good work recently accomplished ln
Germantown, the lecturer says:
Germantown is the twenty-secOnd ward OF
Philadelphia, and contains 1000 people. A
union OF ladies' and gentlemen was formed
there, and they made it rule never to give
money to any poor person. Even coal was
distributed cautiously. Their plan included
careful visitation after Chalmers principle, and
territorial supervision Of email districts. They
put fifty visitors at work, under the general
direction OF nipc men and one salaried super
ntendent. regard the Philadelphia oxperl'
mcnt IS exceedingly suggestive for American
soil. Thc German experiment needs q little
change in being transferred TO our country. A
board OF supervisors, all men, governed board
of visitors, al women; bet the head OF the
enterprise Vas Robert Coulter, salarcd su.
pcrintcndcDt, whose business It Was to look
into every case professionally.
The first difficulty the Germantown enter
prise had was indiscrimnatc almsgiving at
the doors Of private houses Of course, II VIC
toss our charity misccllaneous!y on tho thres-
holds Of our homes, an enterprise ike thls
Germantown Rclct Association will langulsh.
The ladies who were visitors had cards printed
and distributed among the households, and
whenever bcgSsr applied at private door
his name was asccrtalacd, and &c was sent TO
Robert Coulter, with ticket. Oly small
pcrccatacc Of the cards thus gvcn out wsrc
ever presented to that intelligent ottocr. Ono
of the results effected at Philadelphia was
vcry careful asccrtainmcnt OF the history OK
| individual cases, and registration OF the per.
sons relieved or applying for aid. A tramp
5000 becomes known, if there Is union be-
| tween the churches. His record is undel-
stood in all parts Of the city, b. being under
stood at the central agency. Ii there ls no union
| Of the churches, cheat in one parish, found
out may usually become successful cheat IN
another parish, which has no intelligence OF
what its ncighbors have ascertainod.
IN this Germantown relief enterprise owl
dcncc accumuatcs that, outside of poor house
| roI;of rnt more than two dollars an Individual
has been required among those assisted au-
nua!lY by that work. Not more than eleven
dollars expense year for family has been
incurred since that Germantown experiment
began. Nome of this expense is given out ia
cash. 1t is all supplied in tea and clothing,
and occasionally coal and other necessary ar
ticlcs. Visitation among the poor, to be ef-