The Indianapolis journal., 1893-12-12
AID FOR THE NEEDY
The Commercial Club Considers a
More Extensive Plan.
One Thousand Families May BE Depend
ent-The Unemployed's Relief Com
mittee Decides to Quit.

was held to hear the report of the COM
mittee to consider and recommend the best
means for relieving the wants of the
suffering poor and unemployed.
Col. Eli Lilly in explaining the object of
the meeting congratulated the club that it
had acquired so good home and upon the
fact that its first meeting in its new quar-
ters was in good a cause a
which was now claiming the attention Of
| the best thought of the country. 1.-The
| problem" said Colonel Lilly, that con-
| fronts us is the same that confronts every
big commercial center in the country. 1t
| Is a problem that we must meet and take
| care of as best we cam In accordance
with recommendation in the report of q
| committee appointed at a meeting of the
| unemployed this club appointed a commit
| tee to take up the general subject OF pro-
| viding labor for the unemployed as far as
possible and to afford relief for the needy.
| The dire necessity that prevails does not
arise from the fact that so many people
are now without employment, because at
| this season Of the year the trades people
are mostly idle. The cause of it is that
these people have had no work for weeks
| and months. and the money usually laid
| up to tide them over the winter has been
spent at the threshold of winter. rhe
vised a registration bureau and provided
| work for many as it could, but the
places were not equal to the demand. The
| Charity Organization Society had dispensed
| food and medicine and arrangements had
! been made for union of the efforts of
| the two organizations for pushing the
| work in hand"
| Secretary Fortune then presented the re-
/ port of the committee, consisting Of
| Messrs. Hanna, Lilly and Fortune.
tracts from which are as follows:
'"The undertaking to relieve suffering
| revival of industrial activity will, we be-
| lieve. be easer, less expensive and in every
| way better for all concerned If the subject
| portance of Centralized Bestowal of Char
1 ity, is sufficiently understood and adhered
by bT he public he to duplication Of e
| stitutes very large waste. The influence
| of such charity Is bad. 1t Is the duty Of
| every citizen, those who are helped as
| well as thoes who help. to look carefully
| to provident use OF relief. 1t is especially
important at this time. According to pres
| ent Indications, 1t is probable that there
/ will within month be about one thousand
families in Indianapolis who will be depend
likely that their need will continue three,
perhaps four, months. IL will require all
/ to provide for this large number Of people
| In the most economical way; IL great care
| is not exercised there will be suffering.
of relief Those who wish to give directly
should at least advise the main organiza-
ton as to whom they have helped This
| THE Charity Organization Society is now
conducting it's relief work under the gen.
we believe. is being well done. We have
| erdeavored TO ascertain IL Ii was at fault
II; any way: we have found little foun6ao Itao
| believe that there has been no worthy case
| of destitution brought to the attention of
| as promptly as possible. Under the ar
| rangement of this committee with the so>
ciety' We are prepared to give the assur-
need suffer for food, if application for aid
| is made; that citizen need feel that 1t
if he discovers there is brought to his
attention a case Of destitution; that any
worthy case found by any society will, IL
reported, receive adequate relief from this
| organization.
'It will soon be necessary to appeal to the
public for contributions for Carrying on
this relief work. When the appeal is made
1T will be forced by necessity, and it is
hoped that the response will be sufficiently
| liberal to provide for all needs. We desire
that it should be understood at this time
that believe it a mistake to continue
usual way for any considerable length of
| time When the necessities of the situa-
ton have been more fully demonstrated we
hope to be able to arrange for the opening
of a food market where a regular order of
| provisions may be bought, at certain in
tervals by unemploy ed persons unable to
get credit elsewhere. All persons receiv-
ing aid I'm this way will be required at some
time to pay for the food furnished them:
Until this plan can be put in operation, il
the general situation demonstrates the need
Of 1T. we believe it to be of the utmost i'm
portance that citizens should cooperate In
supplying relief through one channel"
Mr.. Hanna then addressed the club upon
the matters involved in the report. He said
in substance that at first the committee
deemed it best to make as little demon
stration as possible. The greater the dem
onstration the greater would be the demand
for: relief The theory of the charity organ
ization said Mr.. Hanna, has been that able
bodied men must provide for those depend
ent upon them when work is obtained.
During the past six days the number Of
applications day have averaged fifty.
Previous to that time they ran from thirty
families to whom aid is furnished The
| practice is where application is made to
furnish food that Will last forty-eight hours.
| Another visit is made, and If the circum-
| stances warrant ticket is given that will
keep the family for a week. The rate of
pledged will be exhausted in ten days. We
are supporting none but the Indianapolis
poor. There are people who came here six
months ago with good intentions who are
| now dependent on this committee. Some
have come purely for the purpose of secur-
| OF the township trustees, have been shipped
back from whence they came. The people
| we are helping are second class laborers.
| They are the first to be discharged and the
| last 10 be employed. We are not in a
| position TO say 70 them work or you shall
| have no bread for there is no work
| I'VE have them on our hands. can't
| send them away and we must help them, -
| said he. "A large number of people are in
straitened circumstances who have not
| asked for help. Many of these have had
credit at the corner grocery upon the the
| ory that they would secure work. 1t is inn
| possible for the grocers to carry these peo-
| pie for any great length Of time, and we
| shall have them on our hands The spirit
| of benevolence as exhibited by individuals,
| churches societies and neighborhoods is
| all that could be desired but If a man in
| need goes to all of these assistance Is likely
| to be duplicated, and in a short time the
| expense will have been SO great and the
| drain so serious that the enthusiasm will
wear out and the season is so long that
| hold out Under Rev. Oscar McCulloch $
mana cement of the Charity Society Organi-
zation the chief thing aimed at was to keep
| pauperism down. The stringent regulations
| adopted as to tramps has reduced the num-
| ber of dependents. The tramp is sent to the
| workhouse and so well is this known 10
| this rowing brotherhood that the most di-
| rect way through the town Is around II, and
| the tramp affliction is reduced TO the
| minimum. The most essential thing 10 eS-
tablish at the outset Is TO have a report OF
| al cases of deStitution here not 10
| help people who have been helped The
| help is Il serious question III legislation Is
| ne nd LAT N is a