The morning times., 1896-04-23

The board of directors OF the Associated
Charities met last evening in the Sunday
school room OF the Fourth Presbyterian
Church. Nintn street. corner OF GranG Pace,
TO generally discuss and devise plans for
carrying on the canvass for subscriptions Oh
Donation Day"
IL WAS III first Intended that only one day,
May 1, would be appointed for this special
subscription, hut when IL was seen that this
date would fa!i on Friday, and that ii is the
desire of many of the pupils OF the public
schools TO Ia ke an active pare in the canvass
the time was extended 10 iwo days, Friday,
MAY /, ana the day following
A s an inducement TO the school children to
redoube lileir efforts Mr.. f. l.. Moore preSi-
dent of the board OF directors, suggested
plan by which these earnest energetic work
ers for Charity would in some little way be
remunerated for their highly appreciated
services. His suggestion is thatdonations of.
bicycles he asked from the several bicycle
agencies in the city, and that the boy and
gIfI returning the greatest amount or SUD
5criptions would each receive a bicycle.
This idea was heartily indorsed by the meet
ing, and atIer some discussion as to the best
way of determining the winner IL was
adopted.
DIVIDED INTO DISTRICTS.
For the purpose OF conducting the canvass
tue city Will be divided into SIX sections.
as follows: No. L, Georgetown; No. 2,
from Georgetown cast 10 Fifteenth street,
No. 3, from Fifteenth street east TO North
Capitol, boundary on the north and the
Smithsonian reservation on the south; No.
i, South Capitol on east, Potomac River
on south and the Smithsonian grounds on
north; Nos. and Will include the whole
OF the eastern part Of the city, East
Capitol street being the dividing line.
The meeting was well attended and
President Moore was I'D the chair. In
referring to the purpose of the meeting.
Mr. Moore called special attention 10 the
necessity Of concc rted acton, without
which, hc said success would be in doubt.
He then explained the manner IN wnicn
he Thought the canvass should be carried
on. For this purpose circulars explaining
to the public WHY and for what purpose
donations were asked, and cards winch
could be filled out by the donor and
returned to Secretary wilson would be
left at every home in the city.
Tne- attention OF the head, or Surerin-
tcndeut OF each division was particularly
called 10 the fact hat not u cent should he
collected by the canVasseTS and an appeal
made that only the most competent aud
intelligent be appointed to canvass. 1t
was also suggested that the subscriptions
JDI Int year NOuii not Dt ttIletttu III one
sum, as ii was much better that they be
paid monthly or quarterly. for in this way
the whole purpose of the work, charity,
would be Constantly kept before The peo-
pie OF the District.
Mr.. Moore also read some very interest
ing statistics on pacpers, pauperism, and
relief giving in the United States. The
total number OF white paupers, according
TO these statistics, is 66,o1S. A fact not
generally known in connection with this
is that while the common impression is that
the most OF them are foreign born, the
reverse is true, there being 6,656 native
born Americans.
CONGRESS MADE A MISTAKE.
He next referred 10 the methods which
had been so successfully used in former
years for the relief of the poor of the
city, and ia conclusion said that the worst
thing that had happened 20 the District
III this line was the e,oGU appropriated
last year, Congress, The result was
an influx OF tramps from all parts OF
the country, who came for the sole pur-
pose or living at the expense OF the govern
- ment. ~-7-~~-'' 1890
Judge Peel, formerly of Indianapolis,
gave au interesting account of how chart-
ties, both public and private, were dis
peused in tnat City. one of the greatest
requisites OF a manager of charities was,
he said, the courage 10 say no. 1t was
often sthe means OF helping man who
before would not help himself. The
great danger, he thought, was in giving
too much and too often, rather than in
not giving at all. There is hardly a
man or Woman in the county, he said,
if put TO it. who could not make a living
i'll some way, but the great charity sys-
TENS of The United States had the effect
OF making and maintaining paupers.
In Indianapolis there was the closest kind
OF concerted action bet ween all the charity
organizations. W eekly NEE ings were
held and weekly reports made to keep
each other posted. One requisite of all
applicants was that they must have been
a resident OF the city for at least a year
before they We're entitled to assistance.
In reference to this particular point Mr..
Moore stated that he was now preparing
a bill TO be introduced in Congress covering
this very point The bill will be presented
today or tomorrow.
Mr. t. S. Woodland stated that the So 900
asked for was only to tide the asSocia-
tion over the summer and there was no
doubt whatever that the people OF tie Dis
trict would respond to the call. He also
suggested that 1t would be still a greater
charity il employment could be given to
the 1000 unemployed now III the city.
EAST WASHINGTON CHALLENGED.
Mr.. b. T. JaBney moved that a committee
or five Dc appointed to attend the next
meeting of the East Washington Citizens
Association to reply TO the charges made
at their last meeting gainstt the Associated
Charities. 1t was suggested that this
course might be unnecessary, as MIR. LoriDg
Chapel, OF the F.. W. C. A, was present
and as he was chairman of the investigating
committee appointed by the E. W. C. A. he
might explain.
Mr. Chapel said ne attended the meeting
of the E. W. &. A. referred to. He was
there merely ''to try tnsteady things, for. as
You all know, there are those who seem
only too willing to advertise our District
as a good place to move away from. At
the meeting did say that if the reports we
heard were true that the ASsoca ted Chari-
ties had changed somewhat lately, but
don't know yet what I am 10 investigate.
/ declined to serve on the committee of
investigation, but afterwards, in the inter-
ests OF all, accepted" He then asked if
Secretary Wilson would make him a state
ment that he might report at the next
meeting
Mr.. Woodward said the secretary would
make no statement; he would give him the
facts, and he could make his statement
from them. AFR. Woodward said he also
challenged a denial of the statement that if
an applicant to the association was worthy
of assistance that he was not aided.
Mrs. s. L. Fuller, Of Georgetown, also
gave an interesting account OF the charity
work in her district.