Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-24

The Problem of Charitable Relief.
The announced plans of the reorgaEizel
Associated Charities admirable as far
B- they 60. When they are carried into ef-
foct an essential feature of the ideal system
of charitable relief will be provided. The
Establishment of a charitable clearing
house. so u speak. which should prevent
applications of relief and the waste Of
money upon impoSteTs was urged as
proper function of the Central Relief Com
lnittee when that body was first created.
The Central Committee could not OF thought
it could not fully meet this requirement 1t
Tv no legal authority over the various re
lie distributing agencies. and it did not feel
that even the fact that it was supplying
money to them enabled it to speak authoTi-
tatively as to devices which ought to be
pursued in all cases to avoid Implications
and imposItions. The Associated Charities
not distributing money. to the expenditure
of which conditions may be attached, will
lack even this means. possessed by the
Central Committee. but not fully utilized of
securing a certain cooperation among the
distributing agencies. All of the latter will
undoubtedly be glad to avail themselves,
from time to time, of the detective labors
of the Associated Charities, but will not,
for investigation to follow the reports
of the associated Charities agents when
made The Associated Charities work of
exposing imposters and of putting we'll to-do
families in direct personal communication
with the needy covers essential features of
charitable relief work; but something re-
mains to be done both in the direction of
collecting from the rich and Of distributing
to the poor.
That form of charity may be the most
beneficial both to the giver and the re-
Cipient which is personal and direct after
Intelligent investigation, but it would be
unWise TO refuse to tolerate any other kind
of charitable relief If you tell men that
they must not give personally and indis-
Intimately to street heggars. because it
encourages imposition and pauperzes and
desrades the recipients; and must not give
aims impersonally to be applied in accord
ance with the judgment of trusted agents
because the necessary element of personal
relief is lacking; but must give directly and
personally exclusively to individuals indi-
Gated by agents who separate the worthy
from the unworthy. you limit unnecessarily
the sources of relief. Ii the investigation
may he by proxy. SO may the actual fur
Eishing Of necessary relief Many persons
are willing TO contribute money in true
charitable spirit, who feel that they have
rot the time either to investigate or TO per-
suual!y relieve, and are willing to leave
both tasks 10 trusted agents Nearly all OF
the charities of the rich nowadays are eX-
pended not directly hut by proxy. Men
give to domestic and foreign missions with
out knowing what individuals will profit by
their gifts. In pursuance OF the scriptural
injunction to give aims they put money in
the plate or entrust ii TO their ministers
with little thought Of the particulars of the
application of their donations in full con-
iIi"nce that the money will be wisely util-
lied. 1t VIII not do to say that because
this IS not the best kind of giving you Will
have none of II. The suffering are not to
freeze or starye pending a campaign of
education which is to revolutionize meth
DDS of giving.
Ihen others will need relief than those
whose wants can be supplied through the
direct and personal assistance of assigned
families. All the modern and approved
methods Of relief through work must be
systematIzed and practically applied by
somebody, to the end that every applicant
for assistance who can labor will have
the opportunity to do So Then there
must be provision without regard 10 an
immediate return in work for the very
young. and the very Old for women not in
physical condition to labor. and for men or
women whose urgent restitution calls for
immediate relief in advance OF labor which
may I've hereafter rendered The ideal
system will utilize all charitable impulses
IN citizens, among those who can give Only
money or time. as well among those
who can give both. 1t will discourage
the pauperzing relief of street beggars, it
Will provide an effective system Of investi-
Inn
cations Of relief, it Will give work 20 every
needy person who can work. and it will
relieve restitution among the poor who
cannot work All of these things VIII
be most systematic ally. economically. thor
o"Sh!y and effectively done when placed in
the hands of a single organization. Re
lgiOus work IS the primary purpose Of The
Central Union Mission; public protection is
the function Of scanty police force
Charitable relief is outside of the dis
t.hctive spheres Of both. They have done
Goor work the absolute necessities of the
case called upon them and did not call in
vain. But II is TO be hoped that when the
Associated Charities has perfected the
necessary detective system, ard organized
Its project of family and individual relief
II will take upon itself the other labors
suggested. There should be a single or
Eanzation in whose members the public
has confidence, to whom the money for
general relief, outside OF the relief fur
nlshed by churches to the needy of their
respective CreedS and other assistance to
specific individuals for any reason. may
be turned over. with the certainty that
only the deserving will be helped and that
this assistance will be rendered in the
manner TO best promote their permanent
welfare. Those who make the personal
Investigation of reported cases are the
best able to determine exactly what is
needed, and to furnish Intelligent y-graded
relief
1t seems desirable to assure several bvs