Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-12

| Information of those interested who have
right to know. The record is a confiden-
at the origination of the Associated Chari-
ties. made so to enable a self-respecting.
unfortunate man or woman to obtain re-
lief without exeosJre to the public Soon
after this association was organized, in
1882, your SECRETARY made a careful esti-
mate of the probable number of families
that were depending upon charity during
he could estimate. That there were about
1000 The District 1f Columbia was divid-
ed into divisions, and either organized or
appointed agenaies to devote their atten-
ton to the investigations and visitation
from house to house\to obtain q knowledge
of every poor family within the division.
AS the work progressed from year to year
the influence Of the visitors and of the
known registration, the number was grad
ually being reduced and the real destitute
and the intense sufferer could be better
cared for. So that. in 1892. by another
families that were depending upon assist
ance from the charities during q portion
Of the year was reduced to about 600.
"Since that time depression in business
measures has increased the number vastly,
SO that during the last year the Associated
Charities alone was called upon to render
relief to over 5000 families. and it will now
require steady hand guiding a systematic
method and considerable time TO reduce
the number of dependent poor to a reason
able normal condition. There is always
larger number that take advantage of the
conditions and agitat:ons to obtain from
charitable organizations and charitable cit
liens what they can secure, without refer
ence to their real necessities The accum-
ulated information recorded in ouch a man
rer as to be accessible and consulted so
readily is good guarantee against imposi-
ton at the Office of the Associated Chari-
ties. and is of great assistance when there
is any doubt arising about an applicant for
assistance. The citizens generally, espe-
cially the professional and business men
that are bes.eged oftentimes by applicants.
are awaiting themselves of the information
contained in the records of this association.
and are frequently prevented from being
imposed upon by a silver-tongued appli-
cant or tale of woe from a crippled in
valid man or woman. upon whom a large
family depends for their support. I mean
people who manufacture the tales of VICE.
knowing that their attempted victim has
not the time or opportunity to know or in
vestigate, and will generally yield to their
pathetic appeal to relieve their conscience
rather than let them go without The help
they ask.
DiscOurnginE Imposture.
1--WE invite and have continuously invited
our citizens to refer such to the Associated
Charities. If they prove to be really in need
and are not attempting imposture they have
been treated with the kindliest consdera-
ton, and 1t is those only who are undeserv-
ing of assistance and are attempting i'm
posture and fraud. that are unkind in their
criticism of their treatment at the Asso-
ciated Charities. and it is not an unusual oc-
currenCe that the worst kind of an impostor
will be equipped with strong letters of COM
mendaticn, either from citizens here or from
PEE pie of other cities. We are not now
troubled with the professional tramps: they
give US wide berth. Occasionally a
stranger appears from some distant CITY,
stranded. but the Geographic method of
communicating with the parties to whom
they refer when there is doubt while they
are waiting. generally settles their matter
and, in a majority of cases. against their
identity The method pursued during the
last winter with reference to the general
work was TO have stations in the various
rarts of the city. equipped with an agent
with force of visitors to take charge of all
cases arising within that division. That
method enables AS to act promptly and in
telligentiy. and prevents a large concentra-
ton of applicants at one point, and in that
way we were enabled to cover the entire
District during the Indictment season."