Evening star., 1895-04-27

Of sure and steady relief to the most
needy. Nearly one-half of that money col
lected during the winter was wasted.
have every confidence in the men in charge
OF It. and know they did their best, but
the fact remains, and always will re-
main as long as there is this lack of sys-
tenn that great deal will be wasted"
He went on to argue against the lack Of
care IN the selection of the objects of
charitable efforts heretofore exhibited in
local dealings with this great subject. and
being asked some questions as to the
workings of the two plans, gave his an
swers to demonstrate the effectiveness Of
the two methods. He said that he thought
there would be no opposition from the
regular tradesmen, on account of, the low
prices at which goods were sold in the
market. II the regular dealers should
want that class Of trade they were quite
welcome to 1t. It represented. the.speopre
who would not pay at all If they were
charged high prices for what they got.
The only thing done by the market was to
give to these people the bare necessi-
les OF life tnat they could not buy sat.jthe
stores. yet If the storekeepers preferred
to let them have the goods on a fimsy
credit they would probably induce the Gus
toners to remain with them by fattering
offers of continued credit In reply to an
other object, that this plan would attract
worthless people to the market, Mr.. Moore
showed how careful the managers were to
make every man show a good record, and
not to issue a card until they were satisfied
that he was well intentioned in regards to
future payments.
DR.. L. w. Ritchie suggested that the final
disposition Of the question be left until
there might be fuller attendance, but Mr..
Moore argued that the chances were that
at no meeting until the fall could even SO
large number of members be brought to-
gether. DR.. Ritchte urged that the plan
would tend to draw the laborers away from
the country, where they are badly needed
Mr.. Moore again called attention the
requirement that the benefciaries of these
plans must be residents of the District for
certain period, .--.-
The board then adopted a resolution de-
claring that in its opinion it was expedient
that the Indianapolis plan Of charity
market should be adopted in this city dur
ing the coming winter, and subscriptions
will be later solicited for the purpose of
raising the necessary fund for the estab-
ishment of the enterprise.
The Potomac Flats.
Then taking up the potato patch plan, Mr.
Moore said that it had been suggested to
him that the vacant lands forming the re-
ably be used for such a purpose. He had
called on Major Davis. the engineer in
charge, who told him that he was sure the
scheme was quite feasible, but that it
would be impossible to put it into operation
on the fats this summer, as he is only
waiting for the settlement of the litigation
over the title of this property before put
ting 2,OOO.0OO cubic feet of material over
the surface of the reclaimed land. But Mr..
Moore pointed out the fact that there Is a
vast quantity Of vacant ground in almost
every section of the city that can doubtless
be obtained for the raising Of garden truck
by the poor people. The main problem was
as to the matter of selling the land. The
use Of 1t by one of these people must not
be allowed to stand in the way for a mo-
ment of a transfer at any time. 1t would
be used for about six months or so. A
friend had offered to put his name down on
the list of subscribers for the purchase of
seeds and tools for 800. and he had no
doubt that a sufficient sum could be raised.
Mr.. r. Ross Perry asked how it was pro-
posed that the crops should be protected,
and Mr.. Moore replied that it was ex-
pected that the small farmer himself would
see to that. Mr.. Macfarland said that in
Detroit it had been found that very little
was taken by pilferers or DESTROYED by
mischievous persons, and that a policeman
had been detailed a special inspector of
Tese little farms.
Mr.. Moore then offered a second resolu-
tion. instructing the committee on char
citizens might desire to have used for this
purpose from May l to November l, and
appropriating the sum of 800 from the
treasury of the board to start the SUBJ
scription for seeds, tools, &c.
Proposed Charity ReorganfxntioA
This WAS adopted without dissent, and
the board then passed to the last item on
the list of the ev.ning's topics, namely.
the report from the committee on char
tiles respecting the reorganization of the
system. This report, which was read by
Mr.. H. B. F. Macfarland, member of
the committee. follows:
THE obvious need of the public char
tiles in the District of Columbia is q better
organization: The institutions receiving
public aid should be co-ordinated so as to
secure greater efficiency and greater econ
Omy, and a general compliance with the
principles esta aDlished by experience as the
best for the different classes of work un-
dertaken. In the absence of central au-
thority to supervise and direct their opera
ticns. private institutions have multiplied
ard have proceeded independently of each
other, and of any general plan of opera
tion' each getting what 1t could by politi-
cal or social influence through Congress
out of the fund contributed by all the tax
payers and then spending 1t according to
its own ideas, and without real account
ability to any official representative of the
tax payers or Of the government. The
work has thus been made more expensive
and less effective than it would he if 1t
we're all done cn a genera! plan, with the
cooperation of all institutions receiving
public aid. and according to the most i'm
proved modern methods of dealing with the
problems involved.
"A board of charities, composed of the
IQOSt eminent ClllZeHS O1 tHe DlStI!Cl pOS-
sessing the full confidence of the commun-
ity and of Congress, and taking broad
Views of the work and the agencies, would
be able at once to secure necessary apprO-
priations from the revenues of taxation,
and to see that they We're expended in the
most profitable manner. 1t would undoubt-
edly be a delicate, if not difficult, task to
insure the cooperation of the different in
stitutions now receiving pdblic aid, each of
which naturally thinks first of it's own in
terest, rather than of that of the COM
munity, but it Is not impracticable, if COM
mitted to persons of such character as
should constitute the hoard of charities of
this District.
"Such a board would also find a large
field of usefulness in dealing with the prob
lem Of the outdoor relief Of the destitute.
This work is now carried on by several off
ferent permanent. agencies, none Of which
obviously covers the ground, since from
time to time an emergency committee of
citizens is created to take charge suddenly,
and, therefore, at a great disadvantage, of
the general work. The creating from time
to time of such a committee indicates the
general recognition of the fact that some
such central organization, permanent in
character, is required. A board of chari-
ties such as has been described would it
Is believed. meet this recognized need. Be
ing made up of just such citizens as should
compose central relief committee, So
called, it would, it is believed, receive, if
desired, besides the appropriations from