The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-12-15

win the new charity almsglvlng is
incidental and temporary. 1t seeks
immediate causes. It's chief aim is to
help people help themselves. Any
thing less than that is of minor i'm
portance. It seeks no less to protect
the benevolent public against the pro-
fessional beggar. The new charity
applied-let us say here in the City
of Chicago would, in the place of
our present lax system or no system,
establish what with us is a crying
need, a thorough system covering the
whole city.
1t would seek to unity all existing
charities and get them into touch and
communication with one another. In
our present go-as you-please system
each section of the city and each form
of charity of the city, hustles for its
own interests without any special
thought about other charitable organ
izations. The consequence is con-
stant overlapping of relief. Differ
ent organizations or churches give to
the same person. A case was discov-
cred where family was receiving aid
from six different sources and living
in comfort. Hundreds of persons
make business of working as many
charities as possible-an easy matter
in the present unsystematized condi-
ton of our charitable work. 1t is a
poor professional who cannot get at
least three turkey dinners from as
many unrelated sources at Thanks
giving or Christmas.
Necessary to Investigate.
1t would organize bureaus of inves-
tigation. Indiscriminate giving does
not know to whom it gives. Itwould
not be difficult task so to scatter in
vestigatirg bureaus all over the city
that within year every chronic case
of poverty in Chicago could have
been investigated and vast amount
of information obtained that would
prove of inestimable value both fol
the present and future distribution
of help. Investigation would soon
discover the worthy and the unwor-
thy. 1t could soon find out from
what and how many sources families
were receiving aid. 1t would discov-
er the causes of poverty, out of work,
drink, Incidence, sickness, bad man
agement.
1t is certain that to help family
or an individual without knowing all
these things is bad business. No
sane doctor gives medicine without
knowing the kind of disease he is
treating. Investigation of 28,00O
cases of pauperism in thirty-four
cities showed $500 absolutely unwor-
thy of aid, or more than 20 per cent;
only $500 were worthy of continuous
relief; 1000 needed only work, and
7,400 needed only temporary relief
To treat $4,000 persons all alike, that
is, give them aims Unfortunately
would be insanity. Investigation and
discrimination are much needed fac
tors in Chicago charities.
System of Registration.
1t would arrange for thorough
registration of each family or individ-
ual SO investigated, and of all peril
nent facts discovered. Registration
would include name. address, mum
ber in family, occupation, nationality,
former residence, personal habits, in
or out of work-in fact, everything
bearing upon the matter of immedi-
ate help, and particularly upon the
more important matter of helping
them to help themselves. Such reg
istration centrally kept and open to
all interested in charitable work
would prove great labor-saver, as
we'll as guarding against imposition.
Even in SO large city as ours fam
lily could not long prey upon the pub
lie under this system.
A system of friendly visiting would
result. All that many poor people
want is encouragement and friendly
direction. So the motto of the new
charity is, "Not Aims, but Friend"
Friendly visitors are to be friends,
and not dispensers OF aims.
To do all this thorough organiza-
ton of all the charities in the city
under one central head, not interfer-
ing with the autonomy of any, would
be necessary. A central headquar-
ters,with sub-headquarters, on north,
west and south sides, and these
again divided into districts, would
fully cover the ground and afford a
simple, yet comprehensive organiza-
ton.
No city in the country gives more
literally for charity than Chicago. In
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