Evening star., 1893-12-08
TO HELP THE NEEDY
Practical Suggestions Looking to the Re-
lief of Suffering
How Employment May Be Provided
Fund for Relief-The Problem
of the Winter.

Much serious thought Is being given to
the problem of caring for the needy in
Washington during the winter. 1t is gen.
orally believed that as a sequel to the
period of financial depression through which
the country" has passed the number OF un-
employed will be much greater than usual,
and the distress will be more widespread
than If the rigors Of winter only are 10 be
combated. The wolf will be at the door CT
many a man who has always found means
heretofore of providing for his family.
Practical suggestions have been made to
prevent the suffering which this condition
of affairs threatens by providing employ
ment on public works for as many as pos
sible The District Commissioners have
given official approval to such a plan by
urging Congress to make appropriations
Immediately available for the improvement
of roads. The Star has received a number
Of communications bearing upon this gen.
eral subject. "Washingtonian" says:
"In yesterdays issue Of your paper / not
ed with satisfaction akin to enthusiasm
the plan proposed by Taxpayer to avert,
during the severe winter months, suffering
among a class of people who are entitled to
our warmest, readiest assistance In this
time of universal business depression. Since
the establishment of The Star 1t has been
the peoples friend, and 1 beg of The Star
to forward Taxpayers suggestion with
all it's might, and call upon its multitude of
readers to do the same"
Patronize Home Industries.
Another writer, Manufacturer" says:
"Now is the time for our Washing gton peo-
pie to 'patronize home industries There
are over 500 manufacturing establishments
In the District of Columbia, and nearly
everything in the grocery. housefurnishing.
b,,il lin
produced at as low cost as anywhere in the
country. If every purchaser would insist on
buying Washington articles, from bak-
ing powders and flour to bricks and cement,
our working people would have plenty to do
and money would be kept here that now
goes by the thousand every day to pay for
similar goods made in New York, Balti-
more Philadelphia and elsewhere. Let
every person give homemade goods the pref
erence, and our working people will have
plenty, and that means good times
An Auxiliary Police Force.
A judicial officer of the government writes
to The Star a suggestion that if carried out
would furnish employment to many men
and at the same time relieve the community
from anxiety in other respects. This is in
| the form of a petition to Congress asking
THAT there be Immediately authorized an
auxiliary police force of 300 night watch
men. who shall serve for six months, to
wit: From the 1st of November to the 3Oth
of April in each year, who, in conjunction
with the regular police force, shall do duty
| from 10 pm. to am; who shall be sub
ject to police authority and discipline. and
who shall be paid while so employed at the
rate of $50 a month. The undersigned re-
spectfully represents that this would give
efficient protection when it is most needed,
during the winter months and in the night
| time; that 1t would give subsistence to 300
| men at a season of the year when hundreds
| of respectable and worthy men are without
employment, and that 1T would allay the
| horrible sense of danger that is now dis
| turbing thousands of homes"
The writer says: THE painful, nightly
| anxiety which now reigns in almost every
| modest home in Washington is something
which should receive immediate legislative
action, and the sooner the better In Kan
sas City a much worse state of affairs ex-
listed when the Color ado min ers came troop
ing eastward, which was promptly stamped