The morning call., 1893-10-16
LACK OF SUPPLY.
Captain McPhee Has Some
Suggestions.
FEEDING THE UNEMPLOYED
1t Is Proposed to Have All the Char
tiles in This City Distribute
From One Point.

The many men who are at present the
recipients of two meals each day at the
new Postof1ice site are ip danger of having
their rations reduced, if the public gener-
ally does not wake up to a realization of
the fact that it must be more liberal.
When the Salvation Army took hold of
the matter Captain McPhee was assured
that an abundance of provisions would be
forthcoming, if only people could have
confidence in the management of the
charity. and when Fry and Wiley were
depOsed liberal promises were made by
many people.
But they seem to have become forgetful,
and the burden of paying for supplies has
fallen on few persons and they are get
ting tired of supporting it themselves.
During the past week the army has had TO
borrow money from some Of its other
funds, and while the amount as yet Is net
Large, Captain McPhee says that wuen
be agreed to take the management it was
with the understanding thai the army
should 90 the work, but thay il should not
be compelled to furnish arT OF the funds.
Something must be lone" said Captain
McPhee, "or we, WI have to lock the
place up. The few whom we have de-
pended on say they cannot carry all the
come from? There are some of our
stanchest supporters in the Lifeboat that
will not help in this, as they say they have
no confidence in it and think we are being
imposed upon by lot OF the profession
ally unemDloyed.
And there may be some truth in that.
There are few men there whom | have
known f9r two years. and there are, per-
haps, OF. Us who are unworthy, but when
we get tue work test that will weed them
out. l have been to see Mayor Ebert. but
did not find him yesterday, and | am going
to propose that the streets be swept by
hand instead OF by machines. If one man
has the contract and be could get it swept
by hand for what it now costs to run his
machines | can see no objection TO having
ii done that way, and l am sure we have
hundreds of men who would be willing to
do it.
~ his is not impracticable. Most Of the
cities in Europe have their streets cleaned
by hand, and even IN London this is gen.
orally the rule. If it succeeds in those
cities, and men make their living at it
year after year, it can be made a success
here ii we can get the opportunity.
I'VE have also been trying 10 work out
plan which would be the means Of de-
tecting the impqsters and those who try 20
work more than one charity at a time
will soon be spotted. We are trying to gel
all the charities to work together, the
Christian Union Mission, the various ben
evolent societies, and all the organizations
in the city which are interested in this
sort of work.
IF common distributing point can be
established and all supplies of every kind
sent there then the different organizations
can issue orders on the central depot TO
whom they please but a person bringing
orders from TWO societies at the same time
would soon be caught. whereas now he
may get aid from all of them at once.
Then, too. we are able by our system of
working to provide for the needy. and at
the same time be more economical than
these other societies. Our meals that we are
furnishing now cost us 1-12 cents apiece
while it costs the Associated Charities 40
cents a day to feed and shelter one man.
If we had that we could almost take care
of three men.
''Our head cook tells me that we can
easily feed 5000 persons at the Lifeboat
with the plant we have al present, aud If
an arrangement can be made which will
furnish sufficient amount of food we can
take care of the needy aud do 1t very well.
But unless the city and the citizens
wake up TO the truth of this they will find
this number of people turned out for the
city to provide for. We are willing to do
the work, but we must have something to
work with"
At meeting of the Free Progressive
Lyceum Yesterday afternoon at Washing
ton Hall, on Eddy street, subscription of
81 80 was taken up to start fund for sup
plying the unemployed at the sandlot
with straw on which TO sleep
W. J. Kirkwood made al urgent appeal
for practical help for The men. He said
he had visited the scene and found that
many were compelled to sleep out in the
open because of the inadeQuacy Of the
awning provided.
II was decided TO agitate the subject at
the lyceum after the close of every Sunday
afternoon meeting hencefor;h, with view
of arousing practical sympathy for the
unemployed.