The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-11-30

To repress eeggary by the above means
and by the prosecution of impossorS
To promote the general welfare or the
poor by social and sanitary reforms ana
by the incubation OF habits OF prosioence
and seif-dependence.
Our membership Is composed OF All wno
pay s. per annum. Our annual mee.ing =
in February. Our directory consists Oh
fourteen members, of whom the cnairMan
OF the county commissioners OF hih-
county, the mayor and the chairman OF
the board Of public works and the presi-
dent of the Board of Friendly Visitors are
members ex-cficio. The board holds It's
meetings monthly. and an executive COM
niittee meets weekly for minuter 0etaiis
An Office is maintained, with paid agent
and Office boy, through whom carefui IN
vestigations Of all cases are made and 9
record Systematically kept for the use and
benefit of ali interested.
For the last year, as an ADJUNCT 10 the
bureau. there has existed board OF
friendly visitors. comprising from one TO
two hundred of the devoted women OF
Seattle, maintaining q separate organize
ton ssand independent treasury. they
have met often and faithfully for the study
of scientific charity. and TO form and exc
cute as comprehensive and efficient plans
as possible. By their aid the city has been
districted according to the nine wards and
a vice-president constitutes the head OF
each district committee. They represent
and exemplfv the spirit of Loweii's line,
The gift without the giver is bare
After investigation by the agent the
respective cases are assigned TO individual
friendly visitors. who assume kindly
care thereof. Thus individuals are
brought into that desirable personal touch
which is the soul of true charity.
Hasty conclusions are avoided. and the
benefit of mutual consultations are felt In
the education of the co-workers, in appre-
ciating the perpsexities and sharing the
responsibilities of the problems presented.
The resources OF the bureau consist of
mem bership dues and monthly contribu-
tons. During the first year We received
and expended about 81, and this, the
second year, which is vet unfinished, We
shall receive and expend about s., 800. At
the present time the expenses for salaries,
office. postage and printing are about $ioO
q month. and we are now about $100 in
arrears, withsabout 500 back dues and
pledges uncollected. For efficient work
we could well use s.. 500 per annum. This
financial summary does not embrace the
receipts and expenditures of the Board of
Friendly Visitors, nor the supplies of
clothing, food and fuel received and dis
pensed.
Time forbids details, but among hum
dreds of instances let me tell you of the
Mcdonald family. where the delicate
washerwoman strove to support herself
and six children through last winter. and
with spring came pair OF twins. Neigh
bors were kind, but the washtubs had to
be pledged for milk. To the friendly
visitors a ticket to Toronto. Canada, with
cial permit TO have q baby carriage IN the
car, were had. With adequate clothing
and q supply of provisions. the family
were sent last August to anxious relatives
in Ontario. The pathetic predominates,
but the ludicrous is not entirely wanting,
for ON file at the office is letter from Mr..
Axe, of Slaughter. asking for two men
who are willing TO work for grub and to-
bacco, providing they could sing and
fiddle. /"
We do not appear before you tonight
with statistics of our work appropriate for
the annual meeting of February; do not
come with pride or boasts of what has
been done or claim credit for what has
been done by public authorities or other
organizations. We confidently believe
that they have been rendered more useful
through our helpful cooperation. while
supplies to con siderable amount have
directly and indirectly been distributed
from other sources. Many families have
been helped to ge, to distant homes or rel
atives; many children have been found
homes and adoption. The tendency has
been to repress beggary and promiscuous.
indiscreet giving and to establish
a system among other exist
ing charitable organizations. with
whom in the future We hope TO have still
greater cooperation. A vast amour. of
substantial good. not capable of actual
figures. has thus been accomplished, and
very largely through the Board OF Friendly
Visitors. which has been the mainstay in
our active work.
With such general statement of the re-
suits of our work, we, who know most
about it. have frankly to confess that our
efforts have proved only partial success.
We have had to study methods and profit
by mistakes. and have had to educate our.
selves as we'll as others. into grasp and
attempted application of fundamental
PRINCIPLES Our resources have not been
adequate to our needs. We have been mis-
understood; have been criticised; we have
been ridiculed; We have been blamed.
Perhaps unreasonable expectations have
been awakened in the minds of
ment in not receiving the aims
may, oftimes, have reacted upon the
minds of our friends and supporters. Our
name has been too often used as an ex-
cuse for citizens not doing or giving what
they otherwise should. and perhaps
would. We are often blamed for using red
tape--having too much machinery and
spending our money IN salaries ana ex-
penses, and giving advice instead OF
money, food and clothing promptly and
directly as demanded. Many weH dts
posed persons frankly prefer TO bestow
their gifts directly, without so-caiied red
tape or an agency, but such help cannot be
really given With any knowledge OF the
facts as TO the real needs OF the
applicant or what help he may
h. getting from other sources. AS an IN
stance, few days ago young woman
came To my office with subscription
paper for the benefit of q widow aud four
destitute children, stating the paper was
drawn by her minister, and she had se- |
cured about s. thereon. with aid from the
Alter some questions 1 referred
her TO our agent of the bureau. with the |
assurance that II the case vas rs repre-
sented ii should have due attention. She
promised TO go TO the office. but did not do !
so. aud ye are lett in the dark as TO the
facts relative To the family, the minister
and the solicitor All may have been true /!
and honorable, but who Knows And - |
il not evident that such irresponsible /
solicitation Is highly inexpealenaf In |
asking cur friends and critics for |
Of time and money, |
the bureau a!so asks moral support TO aid |
us in forming strong public opinion. |
without which no great reform IS possible.
Charity machinery will not run Itself 10 /
is dead and deadening mass unless there |
is motive power behind IL That motive
power exists only in eonsecrased hearts |
aud enlightened minds. haxlng adopfea !
Awarded Highest III
n r. ID