The Portland daily press., 1879-11-20
ASSOCIATED CHARITIES,
A Meeting for the Purpose of Organizing
Adoption Of Constitution

i
Adoption Of a Constitution.
A meet ing for the purpose of organizing {
society to be known as The Associated Chari
ties Of Portland, an extended account of the
plan was given in Yesterdays PREss-met a.
the residence of w. S. Dana; Esq, on Higl
street, last evening. The following ladies ant
gentlemen appeared as representatives of the
several churches and charitable bodies of the
city. j. P. Baxter, Rev. Mr.. Phelan, Mayor
Walker w. W. Thomas, Rev. E. Y. Hincks
Prentiss Loring, c. c. Hayes, j. r. Thomp
son, C. II. Baker, Rev. f. Southworth, Mrs
Geo. S. Hunt, j. j. Gerrish, Rev. Mr.. Dalton,
Mrs. Merrill. An organization was effected by
the election of Mayor Walker as chairman,
and Prentiss Loring secretary. At previous
meeting w. w. Thomas, w. S. Dana and j.
p. Baxter were chosen as committee to draft
constitution. This committee reported
through Mr.. j. P. Baxter as follows;
CONSTITUTION.
1.-The name proposed is The Associated
Charities of Portland.
2-Its purpose is to procure reliable informa-
ton Of the condition of the poor for the bene-
city, and of individuals benevolently inclined
to pl ace this information at the disposal OF
such associations and persons, and the public
authorities; to procure their harmonious COOP
Grafton with each other; to have system of
registration at some convenient office, where
detailed information shall be kept ON record,
for easy and instant reference, of every case
relieved by any One of the many public and
private charities, and so far as possible, OF
those relieved by private persons.
3.--Its membership shall consist of the May
or of the city, who shall act as President of
the Association, one delegate from each of the
charitable societies and each of the churches
OF Portland, which desire to send delegates,
the city physician, truant officer, pension
agent and one of the overseers of the poor,
who shall constitute Board of Government.
any person who shall pay TWO dollars annual
ly into the treasury shall be entitled to MEM
bership and to vote at the annual meeting;
and any person paying twenty-five dollars at
one time shall become a life member and en-
titled to the same privilege of voting.
4.-The annual meeting shall be holden on
the third Thursday of April of each year, and
monthly meetings on the third Thursday of
each month from October to April inclusive.
5.-At the monthly meetings each member
shall present to the secretary a list of all APP
plicants for charity to the society which said
member represents, and to private persons
known to said member, and said names, to-
gether with such Information as shall have
been obtained respecting them, shall be entered
by the secretary on on the books of the aSsoci-
alton, and at such meetings shall also be put in
force such methods as shall have been adopted
for the investigation of the cases of persons
whose names may have been furnished the as
ISOLATION for that purpose.
6.-This association shall in no way work in
OPT osition to. or interfere with the work of any
charitable society of the city, its purpose being
to procure reliable Information of the condi'
ton of applicants for charity, for the use of
benevolent societies and individuals, SO as to
prevent imposition, by vicious and worthless
persons, upon public and private charity.
IA board of visitors shall b3 elected au-
nually, whose duty shall consist in investigat-
ing such cases within their several districts
as the secretary shall call their attention to,
which information shall be promptly commu-
nicated to him upon blanks furnished for that
purpose. Visitors are in no case TO bestow aims
upon these they visit, but shall give them such
advise as may be deemed necessary, and shall
especially enforce upon them the necessity Of
self-support and independence, and shall fur
Their, if practicable, obtain employment for
them or direct them how to obtain it, so as to
prevent them as far as possible, from becom-
ing dependent upon charitable societies for
support, keeping in view "that the true tunc-
ton Of charity is to put an end to cldrity.'
ga secretary, who shall also act as treas
urer, shall be elected annually, whose duty it
shall be to keep the records of the society and
to enter in the Register the names of appli-
cants for charity, and all information respect
ing them which shall be furnished him by
members and visitors, and, also, to transmit
Information to eLquirerS when requested. AT
the annual meeting he shall furnish report
of the doings of the society for the year.
9.-This constitution may be amended at
any meeting of the society by notice given at
previous meeting.
The report was accepted and adopted article
by article.
The gentlemen present then held what
might be aptly termed an experience meeting.
The result of this comparison of notes indi-
Gates that large proportion of the chart able
effort bestowed in Portland is received by per-
sons who are not entitled to it. The fund of
anecdote presented on this occasion would fill
pretentious volume if written out in detail,
and in many cases was of the most ludcrous
description. 1t was stated that very large
proportion of the mendicants applying for aid
in this city are of foreign extraction. Many
of these people emigrate from the British
provinces, and Europe contributes fair quota.
Only about oneeghth of those assisted are of
native birth. Mr. Baker, one of the overseers,
reported that he had returned to their homes
in one year GOO persons who had arrived here
in condition of pauperism, and who were
obliged to be transported by the lines of rail-
way and steamboats, which originally brought
them, under the statute in such cases provd-
ed. A man was sent to Montreal yesterday
under this rule, and a woman and two child
rem will be forwarded to New Brunswick on
Monday next The reason of this influx of
paupers is the fact that the pauper system of
the Provincial governments is very incomplete.
In England where charity has been greatly
systematized, raupersm prevails to an alarm
ing extent. In France. just across the chan
mel, where no organized provision for charity
is in vogue, paupers are almost wholly un-
known. 1t was argued from these facts that
the multiplicity of charitable institutions in
creases the number of habitual applicants for
aid. By the system which the new organiza-
ton proposes to inaugurate, it is believed that
only such persons as are really deserving of
assistance will be able to receive it,
A committee was appointed consisting of
Messrs. Baxter, Dana and Thomas, to arrange
plan for districting the city, adopt bylaws, and
such other regulations as they may deem expe-
dent. Another meeting will be called as soon
IS their plans have been fully perfected.
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.
THE ALPHABET OF LIFE.