Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-28
Mayor Gourley Wants a Special Fund
to Take Care of All Needy and
INDECENT Strangers.
COUNCILMANIC ACTION WANTED.
Claims Made That the Department of Char
titles Will Not Assist Any but
Pittsburg Residents.
OTHER OFFICIALS APPROVE TIE IDEA.
Numerous Cases Cited Where People Have Been Bur
dens on the Bureau Of Police.

charge OF all objects OF charity that do not
come strictly speaking within the limits of
the Department of Public Charities. He
wants a fund created by Councils for the
purpose of relieving the cases of persons
who do not belong in the city, and it is
probable that something will be done about
it next year, when the appropriations are
made.
The attention of Mayor Gourley was
called to the matter by the case of Mrs.
Mccormick, who came here from Pomero v,
O., looking for her husband. She spent
Monday night in a miserable place on
Liberty street and the following day applied
to Mayor Gourley for assistance. She was
without money and friends and after fail
ing to find her husband, wanted to be sent
home again. She wept bitterly in the
Mayors Office and between her heart
rending sobs, said the Department of
Charities had refused to do anything for her.
She was hungry, and there was nothing else
to do but make an effort to do something for
the woman.
JUST A TRIFLE FRIGID.
Mayor Gourley then wrote letter to
Chief Elliot, asking him to do something
for her. When the letter arrived at the De-
partment of Charities, and while being read
by Chief Elliot icicles seemed to form and
hang pendant from the side of the letter.
OF course the chilly feeling between the
Mayor and Chief had nothing to do with
the case, but the woman was turned away.
She again applied at Mayor Gourley's
Office, and seemed to be desperate. Mavor
Gourley then took her to Controller Nor
row and asked the latter to intercede with
the head of the Department of Charities.
The Controller wrote letter, and also OBJ
tanned the signature of William Finn to
the petition. The woman, armed with the
letter from Messrs. Morrow and Finn,
again appeared at the chiefs Office. This
time some attention was paid to the letter
and the woman furnished with Transports
tion to her home.
In cases of this kind it is not supposed
that the Department of Charities should do
anything, but the men in the Office rarely
turn worthy case away. The taxes levied
to support the department are for the main
tenance of Pittsburg poor, and not strangers.
In speaking of the scheme yesterday,
Mayor Gourley said:
A HEAVY INDIVIDUAL TAX.
"There ought to be some method BY which
every deserving poor person is helped along,
no matter whether they reside in the city or
come here from another town. Every week.
have two or three applicants for aid who
tell me that the Department of Charities
will do nothing for them. There is nothing
else for me to do then but turn them away,
or give them money out of my own pocket.
do not think city oficials should be made
keep up these people, but the city should
do it. can recall many cases where people
have applied to the Department of Charities
and have been turned away. When they
come here 1 cannot ask them why they come,
but try to do what 1 can to relieve them.
When man is starving it is not the time to
ask him why he hadn't studied the question
of economy to such an extent that ne could
live without eating. The only thing to do
is to feed him, and the sooner it is done the
better.
Every often in such cases have sent the
people to Chief Brown with a note asking
him to take care of them. Then they be-
come burden on the Police Bureau, and
show the advantages Of city hospital. We
have had any number of women cared for
in the Central station, who should never
have been sent there, but were turned away
from the Department of Charities / see
nothing in the law that will prevent Coun-
ellis from making
A SPECIAL APPROPRIATION
each year to cover just such emergency
cases. 1 do not think it would cost more
than from $500 to s., 900 per year, and hope
to see something done about it next year,
when the appropriations are made. A city
the size of Pittsburg should certainly take
care of all the cases of distress that come
within her gates. When people become
stranded here they should be helped along"
Chief Brown, of the Department of Pub
lie Safety, said: "For some time 1 have
wanted just such an institution as Mayor
Gourley speaks of 1 think it would be a
blessing, and see no reason why such fund
should not be established. We have one
woman in the Central station now who is
costing the Police Bureau 20 cents day,
and from other than a humane standpoint
do not see any reason why We should be
compelled to keep her. She is a stranger,
and is such a case that the Department of
Charities does not want We could not
allow the woman to starve in the streets,
and took her in. would favor a kind of
slfeltering arms, where sick and INDECENT
persons could be taken care of until their
friends are heard from. l am heartily in
favor of the scheme, and hope it will bear
fruit. Ny private purse has also suffered,
but do not begrudge what little give.
Nevertheless do not see why L should be
compelled to 60 down in my pocket for
money to assist poor people when it is the
duty of the city to do it.
A LEGAL POINT INVOLVED.
Controller Morrow said: "It would be a
most excellent thing if it can be done, al
though l am not so sure that Councils have
the power to use the public money for such
a purpose. The law may not say anything
against it, but the question is, does it say
anything in favor of such a move? The acts
of Assembly gives cities certain powers, and
we cannot overstep our rights. L would
like to see such fund and do not think it
would have TO be very large"
When the reporter mentioned the idea to
Chief Elliot. the latter listened until Mayor
Gourley was mentioned. He then turned
on his heel and said he had nothing to ssy
to Mayor Gourley's scheme. The cold air
whist,ed through the windows he gave
the door bang and disappeared into his
private Office The clerks at the department
stated that they try to take care of all cases
.ress, whether they belonged in the
not. Nearly every case of people
away, if examined, they said would
Id unworthy.