Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-06

TIEs-woRTHY AND UNWORTHY APPLICANTS FOR
RELIEF-AoESTs RARELY IMPOSED UPoN-NoT
so WILLING TO HELP TRAMPs.
'This spell Of frigid weather has been seri-
Gus time for u.s." said an official at the head
quarters of the Associated Charities to STAR
reporter this morning. "We can hardly re-
member such a period Of necessity for work in
our line Of outdoor relief. Applications have
been coming in from every hand for assistance
in the shape Of food, fuel and other necessaries,
so that our utmost recourses have been taxed
to supply the needed demand. There ia hardly
comparison to Be made in this respect be-
tween the past week and the corresponding
week OF last year. So narrow is the margin by
which majority of the community is sepa-
rated from actual want that a cold snap like
this brings Thousands to begging for help.
WORTHY AND UNWORTHY APPLICANTS FOR RELIEF
''Of course, one great difficulty that we have
to encounter is in distinguishing the worthy
from the unworthy. But so thorough is our
system of management and so extended our ex-
perience that We have comparatively little
trouble in determining who of our applicants
are deserving or vice versa. Out Of every five
such applicants it may be said that four are not
worthy, and upon them any aid that we could
give would be worse than wasted. However. il
Is rarely that we arc imposed upon, because we
have learned to know good from bad in this
business. understand it so thoroughly myself
that L can tell in almost every case whether
help ought to be given or not. and am sure
that [ am almost never deceived. 1t is a COM
mon practice for people to give different names
at different periods of application to us, but /
have so accustomed myself to remembering the
people who apply that in nearly every instance
recall the face and promptly look up in the
records the name associated with it in my recol-
lection. Sometimes woman-there was one
here today of that sort-will have given as
many three or four different names in the
course of our dealings with her. Her object in
doing this. obviously, is to evade any remem-
brance on our part of previous help bestowed
or of unfavorable facts learned regarding her.
Nearly always this trick is unsuccessful and it
only serves TO excite our suspicious.
RARELY I1eposED UPON.
Furthermore. experience has taught me to
know almost infallibiy deserving applicant
from one who is undeserving. In a case where
feel sure that the petition is an honest one
respond to il Immediately by giving what is de-
sired. This rule particularly applies during q
spell of weather such as we have been having.
during which poor families are apt to be in
distress that requires charitable attention with
out moments unnecessary delay. Otherwise
the circumstances are promptly investigated
and action taken accordingly. We have one
hundred visitors who go about for purposes of
the sort. 1t would be absurd to say that we
but contend that such a thing rarely occurs.
do assure you that 81 900 in our hands today
will go far for doing good "A 900 or IS 900
would have done very few years ago, thanks
to the systcmatized method to which we have
reduced our operations.
NOT WILLING TO HELP TRAMPs
Zone thing that we consider in the distribu-
ton Of our charity is the question of residence.
We are not so willing to help non-residents of
~ "a, rb< L. Co.,
obvious reason that We are not DESTROYS of en-
cOuraglng pauper immigration from else
where. Tramps frequently come to US. In
fact they count to a large extent upon such in
situations as ours for support in cold weather.
But know a tramp as far as can see one. and
they never impose upon us. They flock in
here during spell of frigidity like this, but
no welcome suggests their coming again. You
must not suppose that because We hcve given
once we hesitate on that account to give again.
Such Is very far from being the case. In truth.
there is no special limit set to our giving. save
the extent of the deserving of the recipient of
aims, as well as We are able to find it out.
We only object to being called upon often
by persons who are not worthy of help.
One thing We never give. and that
is money. TO try to alleviate poverty in that
way Is simply TO propagate pauperism. What
ever We give is i'll the shape of supplies work.
As for the latter. We keep on hand always list
of persons who desire to employ labor. and also
There is apt to be plenty of employment for
those who wish TO have it, because those appli-
cants who care to work for what we give them
are very much in the minority. The difficult
ties which enbarass the administering of char
tiles in this way are manifold. Ii is hard to
dispose of whatever is to be given in such
manner that it shall be of actual service. Very
often the wife anG children of drunken hus-
band and father VIII be sorely in need of help.
and we must bestOw it in such a way that he
cannot possibly turn it into drink.
SUPPLIES WHOLLY PROM VOLUNTARY coSTRIBU-
TICSs.
''Our supplies are wholly drawn from per-
sons who send us their contributions in the
shape of money. provisions, clothing or what
not All these things come in most usefully;
but it would be vastly good action and pro-
ductive of great amount of happiness to the
poor ii one OF two of the very rich people here
in Washington should provide us out Of their
oyerhowing purses with means which we have
not now for allevi.ting actual distress. Had
an opportunity il. the public press / would APP
peal to them now for aid
The Harrison and Morton League.
About hundred District republicans assem-