Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-13
TO HELP THE POOR.
A Noble Plan Devised by Ladies in
the Treasury Department.
A CLERKS POUND PARTY.
The Articles TO BE Brought to the Office To-
morrow Morning and Distributed Through
the Police i'm the Afternoon-Good Work
Done by the Police Already.

A number of kind-hearted ladies employed
in the Treasury Department have inaugurated
practical movement for the immediate relief
of the poor of the District. whose suffering
during the prevailing cold spell is intense and
long continued.
The charity referred to is in the nature of a
pound party" of which the poor will be the
benehciaries. A committee Of ladies who were
interested in the plan. but whose modesty pre-
vents the publication of their Names waited on
Chief Clerk Stocks yesterday and asked his
cooperation. They stated that they had
learned from Capt. Austin of the police that
there Is more suffering in this city at present
than ever before within his experience and that
the poor fund is practically exhausted.
The ladies said that they had concluded
that the case called for prompt action. I'm
mediate relief WAS needed and valuable time
would be wanted in securing the passage of an
appropriation. The committee said that much
good would be accomplished il the employees
of the Treasury Department would each con-
tribute something toward the charity at once
and suggested that each person give
n pound of groceries or eatables of any
Kind or money with which to buy coal. The
ladies wanted to canvass the department, but
feared it might be against the rules. Mr..
Stocks Endorsed their plan and laid the matter
before the Secretary.
That gentleman said that an exception ought
to be made in this and that he certainly
would place no obstacles in the way of the
charity.
The ladies were thereupon furnished with
letter addressed to the heads of the different
offices in the treasury, of which the following is
a copy:
This will introduce to you a committees of
ladies of the Treasury Department who have
been granted the privilege Of presenting 10 the
heads OF bureaus and chiefs Of divisions of the
Secretarys Office a commendable and worthy
plan, whereby the poor residing in the District
OF Columbia may be given aid.
Respectfully yours.
FRED. A. STOCKS, Chief Clerk.
GENEROUS PROMISES MADE.
This was taken around the immense building
in a short space Of time and the ladies' appeal
met with a generous promise of a prompt re-
sponse on the part of each official. The articles
most desired are bacon, cornmeal, -four, coffee
sugar, oatmeal, DC, and money for wood and
coal.
The plan is for the clerks to bring their con-
triburion to the Office tomorrow morning and
give ii to their chief, from whom il will be
vision of tho ladies' committee The con-
tributions will be collected in this way
during the forenoon and will in turn be placed
in the hands Of the police for distribution
during the afternoon and evening to worthy
persons known to be suffering from want of the
actual necessaries Of life.
Three years ago when the winter vas psrtic-
ulariy hard on the poor the ladies in the regis
ter's Office donated and distributed over LOCO
pounds Of food to the needy In the same man
ner as il now proposed
The sum Of $50 was collected in the treasury
yesterday before any special appeal was made
and it WAS turned over to the police for inn
mediate use. .
The movement il o most deserving one, and
will undoubtedly be adopted in some Of the
other executive departments.
GOOD WORK OF THE POLICE.
'In regard to the appeal for the suffering
poor, which ! read in TnE EVENING STAR Of
this date, / write to say that have charge Of
boys organization known a. the Mizpah Branch
Of the Ministering Children's League and
that they have now In their treasury