The Helena independent., 1893-12-19
ASSOCIATED CHARITIES.
How the Needy Ara Looked After
Mllwaukso.

How the Needy Ara Looked After II
Milwaukee.
To the Independent.
A movement 10 on foot 10 organize In this
city tho Associated Charitisa" q system
already well known In many large cities,
and so simple. SO sensible as TO appeal alike
to the business man and the philanthro ropist.
Its aim Ia to Apply to charity tho principles
that make any movement efficient-oraani-
x,tion and the exercise Of cool understand
ing and Judgment. The details of the work
differ to considerable degree in different
cifies, but the principles are tho Same.
During a visit to Milwaukee last October
the v tier was much interested in the cys-
tenn in use there and gathered The following
details as TO its organization and work.
Any person subsor ibiug dollar or moro
per year 10 member and entitled to vote
at the annual meeting for the board Of d.
rectors. fifteen in number. Tho officers,
consulting Of president. vics.presidsnt.
| secretary and treasu'er are elected BY this
! board. The governing body is the central
counoil. consisting of this board, ten mems
bers elected by the board. and one delegate
sent BY each church and charitable organ
| ization. This central council meets once
month and simply controls the policy Of
| csivs any salary.
| There are two paid officers, the agent. a
man on a salary OF $1sO0 a year, and the
! registrar. a woman on salary Of $40
year.
The agent spends short hours at the
office. and during the rest of the time. in
vestigates reported cases. provides for ap.
plicants, proseoutes imposters. and visits
former cases to note their progress. He i
undsr the direct control of the president
and responsible only to him. They now
have An ex-polico captain. keen. energetic.
n of ~ a a hA mi.
nails and poor.
The registrar stays at the Office TO an
swer inquiries. keep records and acts az
lieutenant to the agent. under his author-
ity.
There is a committee on legislation. an
the president and agent consult whom In
doubt. and finance committee.
In the words OF ths secretary. "The asso-
citation acts as charitable clearing house.
II has nothing to give except advice. II do
ctdes who are worthy and who are not, and
shall bs done with the unworthy. It in
vestiGates and reports upon and records
every case brought to It's notice. and en-
dsavors to see that all are properly dis
posed Of; that those really needing help
meet those anxious to help. and that the
kind hearted are not imposed upon"
The association acts In connestion with
three auxiliary societies, independsn Or
gsnized and managing their own affairs.
The only connection is that the association
collects all subscriptions on condition that
the auxiliary societies help no ono until he
or she has been Investigated by the agent;
that they record their cases at the central
ofics and will help those who have no one
else TO help them.
The association has no oficia! recoani-
tion but the decisions of It's agent are re-
ceived as If IL had. If he hnds worthy
case. who has relatives able to care for
him. or who belongs to some church organ
ization or society, or for whom the city or
county are responsible. hs notifies such
persons, and urges them to look after their J
charges. and sees afterward that It has
been done. Tho actual giving is done BY
these organizations. and by the auxiliary
societies. who take personal charge of tho |
cases, after they have been investigated.
Such ia 3 brief aud necessarily mpsrfect
sketch OF the system in one city. 1t may
serve to clear up the ideas of some ~ to the |
offices of suoh an association, II has done |
a coed work for Milwaukee in stopping
street begging, insuring the care Of tho |
worthy poor and wedding out tho impos-
tors. The time has come for Helena, which |
seems to be progressive in all things, to
take some step in this direction. The num-
Der of those needing help is being increased
while the amount available to help them 10
lessened. The number of impostors in
creases as the numter of poor. The time
and place demand systematic organization.
EDWARD G. Russell.