The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-13

charitable societies and persons The times
have been hard. Even during the ls.st summer
and fall work was scarce. At the pcesent time
for every chance coming to the nosice of the
Bureau OF Charities we could supply dozen
pairs OF willing hands Many apply.simply Tor
work-a very proper demand-and {. is hard to
be unable to direct them to it, 1t is card, even
in the cases OF able-bodied men-juSt in from
suspended operations OF ranch, tinker cutting,
mine or railroad work-men withGdt families
and, in most cases, through impressdeuce or
dissipation, without money as we'll at is pity
not to be able to give employment to sven such.
Though this class be entirely DESTITUTE. the
bureau cannot often help them. besause their
number 10 legion, and because, too, tSe local re-
sources are insu tficient for our OWE laborers,
and we cannot justly charge our chs<ities with
the needs of such an influx. MGreover, it
should be plain to all that the bureau should
not be the means OF casting such burien upon
King county, the city, private ch6Iity or the
personal benevolence OF our citizens.
1t should be remembered that adislsoportion-
ate number of our less floating popts;ation--an
unusual percentage OF those who mas be more
properly deemed residents of King cszsInty aud
Seattle are not only asking for relief, but there
are many cases of deep distress among our own
people that can hardly bs said to Be having
what may be termed adequate relief 1t 10 only
by closest calculatiOnby cooperatio;i and re.
lief-giving agencies and persons, and the best
work we are able to do through ouT corps OF
more than ninety visitors. on the basieof inves-
tigation and utmost discrimination that We can
relieve tho main pressure of those Feally en-
titled to direct relief
OF our own people, do We relieve al: that are
worthy? The inquiry cannot be answered In a
word. Regarding the whole problem. We are
but at the threshold-the very beginrsjng-of
fifty undertaking. Keeping in saiud the
point OF departure and the aim in the premises,
We fall far short Comparing what 10 90 with
the work to be done, we are away behtnd. But
our particular responsibility in any g3veu case
must be measured by the means at command.
With the means at our disposal and compared
with the conditions that would be ceStaiu un.
der unorganized or detached and IRRESPONSIBLE
aimsgiving charity, the service actusdly being
performed, 10 not only large beyond anything
imagined by the average citizen, buto meal
culabe and permanent value to the cor. munity
and 10, comparatively, Of the very best As
ordinarily viewed, all worthy cases ere taken
in hand, though not always relieved in Ihe form
demanded BY applicants. The applicants do
not DO our investigating for us nor dStermlue
the functions or resources of cur snarities
Their interests, as We can best discesn them,
and not their wills, are We in duty souud to
serve. But We do take still broadefview of
worthiness The regulation idea of wsrthiness
belongs to the realm Of mere stomach and rags
charity-that which stops short at dispensing
aims. In the spirit OF our work, of watch the
number and character OF our friendle visitors
should be sufficient guaranty, not slsas, but
friend, means not that aims are too m:,ch, but
too little-beggarly, when unaccompe.iied by
the positive, thoughtful friend who gi4es him.
self or herself to the whole problem, Whatever
1t may involve OF personal service, Coaching
down into causes and including the alsas every
time. SO far as they should or may properly be
bestowed. Thus. to the principles, sr5rit and
operations Of our work every case is worthy of
human sympathy and all the relief We isavs the
power to bestow. The deeper the isSue, the
more continent or complex the disease, the
more worthy the case, excepting. of cousse, that
in the direct giving Of what we term ssaterial
relief the demand 10 80 large and the 81 pply so
limited that We are obliged to discriminate, not
only between worthy and unworthy but BE-.
tween worthy and more worthy.
Work 10 what We want: work-regular or for
week, . day or an hour-oi any na,sr re- that
men, women, boys or girls can do, ttsat have
families more or less dependent upof: them.
Business men, shop managers. Housewives of
Seattle, We ask you to help US by sendisg word
TO the bureau whenever you have anything in
the nature OF work that such can do. 1fe will
not send you Migrants or "queer rsrsons'
Though we can make mistakesl, but tlose for
whom and for whose you will be bestowsng the
best kind OF relief
We desire our friends and also those sho do
not understand the bureaus junction. TO re-
mem her that the bureau relieves in eve.y case
that can be commended TO existing soG5ces of
relief. and that when an applicant return. to you
and says, ",he bureau will not help sle," it
simply means that we cannot so commesd him
or her. or that he 10 known to us an in.oostor,
or that he will not work or accept the aind OF
relief available, that be has not been nsar US.
being perhaps one OF the "rounders" CAT are
posted" and give all concerns that xlossly
question or investigate wide berth.
FDMosp I. DOLBY, Superintendent