The Portland daily press., 1882-04-21
ASSOCIATED CHARITIES.
The Animal Meeting and ohicial Report

FeRo,o Members Of the Associated Charities
of Portland:
In closing the seasons work it is proper tnal
we should review briefly the work that we
have accomplished during the winter. In i,,
reports of the Secretary and Treasurer VIII
furnish us with the more inn ortant partlcui
SO that there will be left but little for me 70
say. The purposes for which this society was
formed, namely, the diffusion of knowledge
respecting the true condition of those claiming
charitable aid; the suppression OF street peg,
ging and the lettering Of the condltlon Oh
mendicants by. kindly advice; the procure
ment Of works for them, and, when necessary,
temporary aid from the proper sources, have
been we'll carried out, and we have reason 70
rejoice in what has been accomplished though
much less than we desired to accomplish. Inc
work room has been a busy place all winter,
and great amount OF useful WORK mas p y, o,,
done. Many poor women who say that they
would have been obliged to call upon tne
charitable societies of the city for help, but LOT
the work furnished them by this society VIII
bear witness to this. And if the carmen Us
which remain unsold can be disposed OF at inc
sale which the committee will shortly open on
Middle street, we shall be able next winter 10
start on q larger scale than we began upon the
past winter. 1t is greatly to be hoped that the
public will give this sale attention, and by
freely purchasing these garments, aid this I'M
portant work. With respect to street begging
tirely get rid of it, if our citizens would only
bear this society in mind, and never give any
thing at the door to any one whom they do not
know all about, until they. have the case ex-
amined and reported upon by this society. 1t
is very easy thing to do, yet, / am OF ten,
asked how to do it, even now, after SO mucn
has been published on the subject.
During the winter well known lady OF this
city who had considerable knowledge of this
society said to me- there are two girls who
come to my house daily for food, and have
been in the habit of giving them. but shall do
SO no more, as saw them call at neighbors
yesterday, and, after getting their baskets
filed, come out, and select such things as
pleased their fancy, and deliberately throw
away the remainder; good bread and butter
and other things, stamping the snow over them
to conceal them. / asked if she knew who
they were, or what their necessities really were,
and she replied, no. Why, asked l, did you
not in the beginning get their names, and send
to the associated charities, who would have
reported to you their condition at once, and
prevented them from going upon the street.
which should never be allowed at ALL "Why,
never thought of it." she replied, II wish 1
had done so'' People do not consider what
wrong they are doing the poor by encouraging
beggary. Society cannot afford to have beg
CARS growing up in the midst, and beggary
should be discouraged by all possible means.
The shiftless should be made to work, and the
of charity devoted to children,
the sick and infirm. l am frequently asked,
what would you do with family where the
father is incorporate and does not furnish his
wife and children support? should take his
children from him, if the mother was not able
to care for them, and place them in good
homes, where they could grow up under prop
or influences. The children might be saved at
least Such course strictly carried out would
cause many such men to become temperate,
and take care of their families; men who now
leave them to the care OF the charitable, know
ing that they will be taken care OF, and intend
sharing with them the bounty often too freely
bestowed. As a case in point I will call at
tention to one which this society has managed
this winter. Sometime in February enquiry
was made at our office respecting family.
the father of which had left for parts UNI
known. The visitor investigated the case and
found it most trying one.
The mother was cripple unable to go out
Of doors, and there were two boys and three
girls in the family ranging from two to twelve
years of age. One of the boys about ten years
Of age, from neglect and abuse, was lying help
less in crib, sick with consumption and not
expected to recover. The house was filed
with noisome odors to which the poor sick boy
and the little children were exposed night and
lay. The first thing was, of course. to see
that fuel and food was supplied; the next to
zee what disposal could be made of the family.
The mother, although cripple, had hope of
and insisted on keeping her children
together, and the little sick boy cried and
,lung to his mother when a change was sug-
yested. Evidently his mother must stay by
him. It would be cruel to separate them, and
yet it was dangerous and cruel to have them
remain in the condition they were in. While
he matter was being considered, some charit-
able person, out of kind heart, called atten-
lion to the case through one of the papers, and
1t once, money, food and fuel were poured in
upon them. The children had candy and
r briu for M
coal bin supplied the thievish neighbors
But this supply was of course short lived and
suddenly ended, and the family was thrown
wholly upon the visitor. It was necessary TO
10 something, and it was decided to break up
,he family, and try and save the children if
possible. The mother and sick boy were at
once taken to the Greedy Hospital, and the
other children placed in temporary homes.
The result is that the crippled mother and
sick boy are having good air, clean bed, and
proper food and medicine, and the former
is likely to be cured sufficiently to eventually
be able to take care of himself. The youngest
girl has been adopted by a worthy family in
Deering to take the place of little girl lost,
and the other children will soon be placed in
lies of unorganized charity, what would have
been the condition of these people today, If
they were indeed all alive? II does not require
much Imagination to see. There is one SOW
sregn remedy in all cases where family is
growing worse by being kept together, and
hat is Separation, and it. should be kindly but
firmly applied. had hoped before the close
Of the season, to have seen the charitable so
cieties of the city accommodated with room
Or rooms in common, where the managers
could meet each other and know what all were
doing, but no suitable place has yet been found.
hope, however, at no distant day, to see this
as it is of the greatest impor-
lance that each society in the city should know
what the other societies are doing, and that all
in charitable works should be able
TO meet together and exchange knowledge.
a custom of the Provident Associa-
shall yield my place as President to another
this year, and decline a reelection, having
served two years in that capacity.
sEcRETARY's REPORT.
At the close of the second year of this socie-
ty the board of directors submits to its MEM
bers and contributors, the following report
During the year this board has held six meet
ings and the visitors five conferences The
outside work of the individual members has
been directed to the investigation OF cases OF
want brought to their notice and to endeavor
to relieve them in the best and most perman-
emit way. Sixty-three cases have been thus in
and relief in some shape has always
followed, by work when possible, by aims
through other relief agencies, when necessary
The Office has become sort OF labor exchange
where many poor men and women have heard
of odd jobs by the day or hour, leading in some
instances to regular employment; The
greatest want is q sufficient demand
for coarse labor, if one is able and willing to
work the opportunity should be offered. To
give the fuel and the bread for immediate need
is we'll, but how much more to provide that the
fire may not go out again, nor the barrel of
meal again fail. Through the agency OF this
office, one young orphan girl has found COM
Portable and happy home in the country. A
family whose restitution and suffering could
not be exaggerated, the mother unable ito
work, the eldest boy, i'll with pneumonia, fast
lapsng into consumption, have been taken
from their wretched home and placed under
conditions favorable to physical and moral
health.
1t has been objected to all charitable organi-
cations that they check the benevolent impulse
in the individual, and that it is better to give
directly to the alms-seeker than to aid through
associations, but we believe that in several In
stances, it has been proved that impulsive
charity is not always the truest nor wlsest.
The work-room for women was re-opened De
cember 1st with alzeal which has yielded to no
The ladies of that commlt-
tee and their assistants, have met twice week
to prepare the work. Though the sum PAID 10
the applicants is small it is regular income,
earned by their own labor, and, in some 1nstan,
ces, the only one. Work has been furnished
to twenty-five women, the weekly average De-
ing fourteen.
With wise caution, the committee nave
not allowed the expenses to exceed the recelpts
but could increased sales be made many more
paodv vuornnn ocr1ld ha ai1nd The committee