Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-17
DIS TRlBUTlNG RELIEF.
The Central Committee Open Depot for
Supplies.
Progress in Completing the Details for
the HOuse-tO-HouSe Inspection
Funds Appropriated for Use.

which authorized the granting OF relief
through two agencies, namely, The police
and the Associated Charities. At meeting
of the central relief committee at the Post
building yesterday afternoon Mr.. Lawrence
Gardner, the chairman Of the committee on
distribution. announced that the committee
had that day opened an Office at GA Louis
lana avenue, in u store rom, in the build
ing of the Central Union Mission, which
had been ten1ered by that organization for
this purpose. A clerk has been placed in
charge. and The committee is now ready to
receive contributions. 1t was the intention
to make this office a depot of supplies for
food, clothing. etc. A number of applicants
had come there today for relief. But there
was no provision 1T rhe headquarters for
Individual relief. II was not the under
standing of the committee that 1t had zen
organized for such a purpose, but rather
that all cases were to be referred to the
various agencies through which help could
be given.
The headquarters was designed. Mr.. Card
ner said, for the bringing together Of contri-
buttons which were to be distributed to the
poor through the various agencies hereto
fore named. In his opinion the time had ar
rived when the central committee should
make appropriations to the credit of the
various agencies, that the work of ex-
tending relief might go forward as rapidly
as possible. He also said that blanks had
been prepared which could be given to APP
plicants for relief, and upon their presenta-
ton at the headquarters of the committee,
the applicants would be referred to the
proper agency, where the cases could be
looked into and aid given as might seem
TO be warranted. The money needed would
come from the funds of the central commit
tee. He also called attention to the meal
tickets which could be purchased and given
to the needy, and meals would be furnished
at the Central Union Mission.
The Work Up to Date.
The chairman of the committee, Col
John Tracey. stated as supplement to
this report that under the temporary plan
adopted by the committee to serve Until
some organized method could be devised
there had been since January 163 cases
referred to the police, with the request
that they be investigated and relief given
II the circumstances warranted. In the
same way 2l0 cases had been referred to
the Associated Charities. There had been
3o2 cases in all referred by the central COM
mittee since the date named to those two
agencies. Previous to this date there lad
been applications attended to. which made
the total something over 500.
He thought that now the time had come
to work with more system, and as pre-
mittee ascertain from the police and the
Associated Charities what financial re-
sponSibility had been incurred for relief in
the cases referred by the committee TO
those two agencies. A statement of the
funds in the hands of the treasurer of the
committee might be presented for the in
formation of the committee
This suggestion was subsequently offered
in the form of a resolution by Mr.. Gardner,
and adopted.
In reply to an inquiry from Mr.. Noyes
the chairman stated that the concert fund,
which had been turned over to the COM
mittee. with the condition that it be ex-
pended through the police had been made
available. he thought, in part at least for
distribution by the police.
The treasurer of the committee, Mr..
Beriah Wilkins. who came into the meet
ing later, informed the committee that the
entire fund. amounting to s3.944.12, had
been turned over to the police.
Mr.. Noyes inquired IL there was any
means Of the committees knowing how
the money was expended so that there
might not be duplication of relief through
the other charitable agencies
The chairman replied that he had TO
doubt the police would be perfectly willing
to furnish any information required.
The central relief committee. Mr.. Noyes
thought, was intended to be medium of
centralizing the funds contributed for the
relief of the poor. 1t was the purpose that
the committee should devise an efficient and
economical method of expanding relief
sition. The committee had decided instead
of creating new agencies of relief to make
use of those already in existence and by
means of Information in the possession of
such an organization as the central commit
tee the proper checks could be established.
But If the money was to be expended by
the various agencies. without any super
vision on the part of the committee. or any
information as to how the relief was being
given then the committee was merely a
conduit for the transmission of charitable
funds. and if that is the case then the
ganization would be an injury rather than
a benefit. The committee under such con-
ditions would merely divert money from its
usual channels and then delay and obstruct
its passage back again. Unless the commit
tee can bring about more economical and
better administration of charity funds. then
there Is no practical purpose to be gained
by its existence. All that remained would
be to complete the plan of canvassing the
city for contributions and then disband
He maintained that the committee ought to
know each day the course of business in
the agencies through which the funds are
distributed In order to prevent duplica tions.
In the opinion of Mr. Gardner all monies
ought to be disbursed under the supervision
of the committee.
Less Money for the Associated Chari-
ties.
Mr.. L. s. Emery. the secretary of the
Associated Charities, in response to an in
quiry said that about seventy-five cases re-
ferred to that organization by the commit
tee had received relief. AS to the effect
the organization of the committee had
upon the flow of money to the Asso-
ciated Charities, he said that last year
at this time the Associated Charities
had received from The Star and the Post
considerably more money than this commit
tee had collected. This year only about
81 300 had been collected for the Associated
Charities and very little clothing had been
rrft tod hat h1d
through The Star. In his opinion the flow
of money had been checked.
In accounting for the small number of
10 cases relieved out of the 219 cases re-
ferred to the Associated Charities by the
committee, Mr.. Emery said that usually
one-half of the applicants for relief were
unworthy. They had no real need to ask
for relief. But ii was found that when it
was announced that money was being rails
ed for the poor. persons gave up their places
at service, abandoned work and came and
asked for relief.
Mr.. Noyes inquired If there was any
means of knowing that those who had been
refused relief by the Associated Charities
had not applied to the police.
Mr. Emery replied that he did not know
whom the police relieved.
Then MIR. Noyes suggested that the CEN
tfal relief committee might become a me-
dunn for conveying such information be-
tween the Associated Charities and the