The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-04-18
A SIGN OF The TIMES
Central Relief Committee
Goes Out of Existence
for Want of Work.
PooRMAsTER HEWITS REPORT.
Jersey City Had A Less Number
OF Unemployed Than Neigh
boring Cities.

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| There were present at the meeting DR.. L. J.
! Gordon, Counsellor Otto Grouse, Rev, DR..
Stoddard, Mr.. Murray, Major q. X. Peag-
born and Overseer of the Poor John E.
/ Hewitt. The gentlemen of the COMMITTEES feel
satisfied that the report they render OF the
work lone by them in alternating the suffer-
ings and wants of the unemployed of the
| city, will b. as satisfactory and gratifying
| to those who contributed to the work as it is
| to themselves. They consider that the work
they have accomplished, with the able assist
ance of Poormaster Hewitt, is marvellous,
and with pride they declare that they ac-
| complished more, with less money, than any
of the adjacent cities.
DR.. Gordon, who has acted as treasurer OF
the committee, reported that the cash con-
tributions he had received amounted to
s. ,5S5.17. The expenditures were $3.50 "a,
leaving a balance on hand of $4l3.45. The
amount received represents about one-tenth
of the amount subscribed. However, the
collections are fair, considering the manner
in which subscriptions were asked. The report
of Overseer of the Poor Hewitt was another
| evidence that that gentleman is an authority
on Door matters. There has not been SO
much suffering in the city as in others, nor
| has the number of unemployed men been
| anywhere near the number in other cities.
Mr.. HEwIT'S REPORT.
Mr. Hewitt reported that TAG applications
! for assistance had been received. Every
| one of these applications were thoroughly
| investigated by the member of tina commit
tee or Mr.. Hewitt. OF the number sos were
given such assistance as was deemed wise
| and necessary. The others, 14l in number,
| were thrown out because the applicants were
not deserving, being old timers, and marked
- r. H.-Ek,. lol- nc orr11 Tho f1S
| families assisted consisted of 1881 grown
persons and 1,54S children. OF the Cos fam
| lilies Mr.. Hewitt reported that 502 received
aid from the city through him to such an
| extent as was possible. The number OF fam
| lilies rendered dependent because OF men be-
ing out of work was found to De 36e.
OF this number 1877 are on Mr.. Hewlt's
books and received donation from the city.
In this class there were TAO adults and 753
children.
Mr.. Hewitt reported that 176 good widows,
that is, widows who have large families,
| ranging from four to nine children, who are
| willing to work, had been assisted
DIR. Gordon here interrupted MI. Hewitt to
tell of an interview he had with one of these
| women in which she declared that she was
compelled to ask aid because her customers
were more economical in regard TO the use OF
wearing apparel. The widow cited one
| family in which a gentleman who usually
wore I'VE shlfUS a week WAS Initiating WV
suffice.
The 176 widows had 1853 children and 176
| adults to care for. 1t was found that III
! families were rendered dependent because OF
| sickness, making it impossible for the hus-
bands and fathers to work. In TINS class
| there were 81 adults and 10S children. Others
| who received assistance were:-Nine old men
| who were unable to work; A old couples,
| who were unable to work and who had to be
/ provided with food and shelter; ST grass
| widows, dependent because their husband
| had either run away, one insane or were In
| jail; II shiftless families, who will not work
and who will not try to be independent, and
A old women who are always dependent
upon charitably disposed persons.
THE MoNEY USED.
All of these persons and many more who
are on the Scityn books were kept from hum
ger and cold with S2,5S5.1 II, subscribed to
the Relief Committee $500, given to MI.
Hewitt by the Board of Trade, and about
81. 642, received by Mr.. Hewit from other
sources.
The greater part of the money distributed
passed through Mr.. Hewit's hands, INT none
but deserving ones received q penny, al
though Mr.. Hewitt frankly Acknowledged
that he thought twelveha beaten him out
of small sums.
DIR. Gordon gave some applicants shoes;
men money with which to get out of town;
furnished people with coal gave rent money,
but not until the applicants had been evicted,
and then paid a months rent IN advance for
some Of them in some other locality.
Applicants to the committee have ceased,
and upon this fact alone the member con-
cluded the work assigned them had been
well and thoroughly done.
Major Pangborn was of the opinion that
one reason why there had not been greater
demands for assistance was that the city's
industries had not to all appearances suffer
ed by the depression, as had the cities OF
Newark, Camden. Paterson and Trenton.
Dr.. Gordon crested some surprise by de-
claring that it occasioned him some incon-
y~enience at times to get people who deserved
and needed assistance to accept it.
Pastor Stoddard was greatly pleased with
the work that had been done. BE was par
ticularly delighted to find that poor people
of his parish, whom he had assisted, had not
applied for aid either to Mr.. Hewitt or the
Relief Committee. It assured him, he de-
clared, that they were not Fepeaters. Pastor
Stoddard spent about $500 amongst the poor
in his parish.
Rev. DR.. Brett also distributed a large
SUM.
The list of applications shows hat the
down town poor were in the majority, this
being explained by the extensive tenement
districts.
Mr.. Hewitt reported to the committee that
during the past few months he had carried
on the city's list Of deserving poor 952 fam
lies. OF these 24S were dependent, being
out Of work; 1911 widows, III shiftless, Al one
old time beggars, IS old men, SO old women,
10 old men living alone, 3S sick, 81 grass
widows, 10 scamps and rs families by reason
of hasty unions Of young boys and girls.
APPLICATIONS DUE TO DULL TIMES.
Mr.. Hewitt informed the committee that
952 was an unusually large number for him
to be caring for, bat he maintains that in the
whole city only 24S families we're compelled
to seek q little aid because of the dull times.
He pointed with considerable pride to the
fact that Jersey City in 1870, with her 80,0Oe
population, appropriated $4,000 for the
pccr, the poor Numbering only 500 at that
time. Now, with a population of 1S0, 900.
s6,600 is appropriated, with 952 families,
comprising 3,03l persons. There has been
an increase during the past year over the
yesr before OF about LOO per cent. of poor
people, and Mr.. Hewitt met the increase
with a increase of so per cent in funds.
Mr.. Hewitt proudly asserts that Jersey
City has FEWER poor and dependent people
than amy city ia the United States Of the
Same population.
The Relief Committee adjourned sine die,
after turning over to Mr.. Hewitt about $372,
the asaount nnexpended
ROYAL ARUANDM CONCERT.
Jersey CITY Council No. SO, Royal Ar