The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-09-26
HOW TO Do CHARITY WORK
Edward Wilder Makes His Plans For the
Poor Much Clearer.

Edward Wilder Makes His Plans For the
Poor Much Clearer.
Since the famous meeting at Library
hall at which Edward Wilder expressed
such decided views regarding the treat
ment of the poor by the people Of To-
peka this winter the Associated Charities
have not had a meeting.
The committees to visit and confer with
the city and county authorities on the
poor question have not sent in their re-
ports and they will be expected to pre-
sent them at the regular annual meeting
which takes place at Library hall next
Monday afternoon at 4 o'clock. This is
also the regular election of officers and
directors The plan of Mr.. Wilder will
also be further discussed.
Notwithstanding the amount Of adj
verse criticism and in some instances
abuse that his scheme for taking care
of the poor has brought down upon him,
A1r. Wilder continued to Investigate the
matter and is more in favor of his idea
now than ever. When he was east re-
Gently he talked to a good many people
about it that had had experience and
they left the impression with him that
they too considered IL the only good way
to protect the deserving in all cases.
s'This is not political idea" said Mr.
Wilder, sit is simply question of keep
ing the most people from starving with
the means at our command, and Of keep
ing unworthy people from rObbing the
L
and all with whom have talked on the
subject agree with me, to give employ
ment to a deserving number than TO
keep in idleness host of unworthies.
"If we should offer 81 a day to the
Door people of Topeka it would not be
long before all the poor people in Kansas
would be locking into Topeka to be en-
plOyed at that price. And if we should
make the hire $3.50 a day they would be
coming in from Oregon and Indiana.
Another thing, we do not want to COM
pete with the living industries of our
city in the matter of wages. 1t is sim ply
charity work, and while we can get
along perhaps without the work they
would give us, we can use it.
II think it is a good scheme, too, to
have the city divided into twenty or
thirty charity districts and have one Wis
itor' for each. Let the visitor be visi-
tor in reality and get posted personally
on the poor Of her particular district: not
sit down and receive promiscuous appIi-
cations and deal out prOmiscuous aims.
II know that the way we handled the
poor here last winter there were lots of
people who received aims that were sim
ply frauds and took the food out of the
mouths of their deserving neigh bors.
Whenever we would be donated a car of
coal or fifty sacks of -four, and the fact
was printed in the papers. we were i'm
mediately besieged BY people who did
not really and absolutely need it as a
charity at all until we were compelled to
tell deserving people that we had moth
ing for them.
Il am not in favor Of advertising our
donations. either of money or articles, IN
the papers until the end of the season
when a satisfactory report can be made
to the public covering the entire winter.
My only aim in this is to do the most
good with the limited means we have.
invite Independence among the people
and have the charity work this YEAR
handled in way to please all Interested"
Somebody at Jewell City who cares
more for something to eat than clothes
wants to trade a sewing machine for a
COW.