Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-12-23
Associated oHAnIrrrs.


"otunR tOfth lkae WORK Done.
The board of managers OF the Asso.
ciated Charities held their monthly meet.
ing Tuesday night when Superintendent
Massey read the following report. which
presents the winters work OF the oroani.
cation:
| The total number of applications TO date
nave been 1858. There have been So coal
| orders, 81 grocery orders and 20 medical
prescriptions given to date. The character
| o. the applicants has changed Somewhat
from previous years. The first winter of
tne soclety's existence. about every family
That applied contained strong, Willing.
healthy man out Of work, because there
was no wo, k to be had. The present season
Inc majority OF applicants are either old
| persons, widows with small children. or
families In which there Ia sickness.
There are, however, still too many cases
In which the cry is, "ny husband has no
work" Fhey are OF that "hand to mouth, -
"happy.go lucky" "oatch Job :" class, who
always do, and always will spend az thew
60. These are the characters upon whom 4
little charitable severity" must sometimes
br inflicted In order to teach them a lesson
We regret that we have not yet been able
70 lully accomplish one OF the most Impor-
tant features OF successful charity orgapiza-
ton, that Of thorough cooperation with
AOiAot 1Afihk ukbuClbbs LUG lmDNrfAnpp
OF this must at once be apparent to all those
who have the good Of the poor, no less than
the good OF the city az heart We learn
that there Is TO be another aource of ont
door relief In our city this winter, that Of
the police fund. We might welcome this as
30 much toward relieving the worthy poor
were we not obliged to deplore the fact that
tney refused TO cooperate with us, thus
opening another channei for deception and
fraud on the part of those who may. by
Misrepresentation, obtain relief from both
sources. This, and all similar duplication
could be avoided IL all the relief giving
agencies Of the city would register their re-
lief with the Associated Charities, and thus
make our association sort of clearing
house OF charity information. This not only
| applies to general outdoor relief, such
as that given by City Council, Ferris
fund and the like, but also to
church societies. Its beneficial effects have
been FULLY demonstrated In the eo.operAtion
existing between our society and the Proyi-
don't and Female Benevolent societies, The
following Is an illustration OF the bad effect
OF not working together; A woman, well
known TO us as an utterly undoserving
character, begging under an assumed
name. came to us for coal, which we re-
fused to give. In q day or two aiterward
We learned that she had obtained half ton
from one OF the sources named above,
Such cases as this, II the facts were known,
could be multiplied many fold. Doubtless
many pastors know that families will dis
tribute themselves among various churches
during the winter In order to obtain relief,
They will send one child to one Sunday
school, another to a different one, and per-
haps attend q third one themselves, and
continue to get assistance from all. BY reg
lstration OF relief ut this office repetition
OF this could be avoided. AS the report
would come In from the different churches
we could readily discover the deception
and notify the interested parties.
The value OF cooperation In charity con-
not be overestlmated, as 1t insures speedy
and adequate 1ellef OF the deserving and
the exposure OF The undeserving. 1t also,
In measure, removes from the path of
the applicant the temptation to lie and de-
eeive, which Is the first step downward in
pauper's career. And increasing pauperism
In turn means an increasing population In
the almshouse, with heavier taxation upon
the people for Its maintenance. We thus
see that every argument, both nom the
standpoint of beneVolenee and economy, Is
In favor OF thorough and hearty co-opera-
ton.
We hope the relief giving agencies of the
city may early see the Importance Of CO.
operation and registration, so that all the
general relief Of the city may be found upon
our private records, to be used only by
those who may be chaTitably Interested Ia
any special case. We would urge this not
for the glory OF our own society, but simply
from our desire for the permanantimprove-
nent of the poor, and the reduction of
taxation upon the people.