Evening star., 1896-10-08
HEBREW CHARITIES
An Account of thu Work Accom-
pished in a Year.
PRESIDENT BLOUr'S ANNUAL ADDRESS
Aid Extended Without Regard to
Race or Religion. ,.
FINANCIAL TION

y ID
FIN COND TION
The annual meeting of the United He
brew Charities of the District of Column
bia Was held last evening at the 9Th street
temple President 1. l.. Bloat occupied
the chair, and on either side of him were
Vice Presidents Strasburger and Louis
Mr.. ]. Strasburger. secretary of the board
was secretary of the meeting.
Among the representative citizens present
were Mr.. and Mrs. l. l.. Blout, Mr.. and
Mrs. Charles Goldsmith Rev. DR.. and Mrs
L. Stern, Mr. and Mrs A. Behrend, Mr.
and Mrs. Prince. Mrs. Charles Kaufm m,
Mr.. and Mrs. Fellheimcr. Mr.. and Mrs.
Kronheimer, Mr.. and Mrs. A. C. Stras-
burger. Mr.. and Mrs. Sol. Lewis, Mr.. and
Mrs. w. E. Young. Mr.. and Mrs. S. E.
Young. Mr. and Mrs. Strauss, Dr. Behrend.
Messrs. G. Lansburgh. William Hahn.
Henry King, jr., L. ADrahams, Mr.. Open
neimer. ]. Strasburger, NJ. Goldsmith Ed
ward Richard. Henry Frank, S. Bieber,
Herman Baumgarten. William Wolf, Henry
Sstrasbureer, l.. Lippman. A; Morris. A.
Nordlnger and others.
After the reading OF the minutes Of the
last meeting. Mr.. A. u. Prince, treasurer.
made his report, which stated that the re-
ceipts from October 5, 1885, to October l.
1885, amounted to s2,3S2.s1 and expendi-
lures to $2,227. 49, leaving balance in the
treasury at the latter date of $l553S. which
has, however, been reduced about one-half
by expenditures in the work since October
l. The report of the auditing committee
Messrs. Henry Stra asburger and Sol Lewis,
stated that they had examined the accounts
OF the treasurer and had found them well
Kept, and The amounts stat ID by
the treasurer to have been received and
expended by him to be true in every re-
spect. Both reports were adopted.
The President's Address,
At this point President Blout called Vice
president Strasburger to the chair and the
former read his annual report, which was
as follows:
Duty on my part. manifestation of in
terest and desire on your part. has caused
all of US to congregate for the purpose of
deliber2ting as to the condition of our as
sociation. ard to take into consideration the
| scope of its utility in the past and its pos
slpie wants and needs of the future. The
now OF charity since last We met has beer,
calm and smooth, its current directed IN, O
the barren and parched fields of desola ton
and want has stimulated the growth OF
prosperity AID contentment, The results
Il,
wlll he satisfying to you. The" record of
| fhe fiscal year has not many important
events to relate; the recommendations tend
| ing toward tie interest and welfare of the
| ASSOCIATION are limited and brief. The num-
| Der of applicants since the annual meeting
| or October, ls.5, has been smaller than OF
any year since the existence of the associa-
| ton, the requisite amount of expenditures
| In keeping with the demands.
| The number of applicants during the
| past twelve months was 654, i23 of whom
| were relieved follows: With incl 32
| with provisions 49, with wearing apparel
| ~, Wilh transportation, 50; with licenses.
| rent. merchandise, furniture, medical at
| tendance medicines, nourshment, funeral
| expenditures, etc, 159 requiring in all the
| disbursements, $1,S77.S. The amount OF
| receipts OF the same period was s2..222. =
leaving a balance Excluding Il reserve fund
| of $3.a) in the hands of the treasurer of
| S1o59s-facts and figures on WI hich the asso-
| ciation Is to be congratulated. What is
specially significant is that in the very
| face of the protiacted industrial and busi-
| less depression, conditions calculated to
| Increase po' erty and want, a decrease
| should be noted. Surely. there must be a
| plausible reason for such diminishing con-
ditiOns. not all of former dependents have
| become independent; not all the needy are
| improved to such an extent as to be self
| sustaining. In order to treat this problem
| comprehensively and intelIigently, we have
| classified the poor in general into three
| separate and distinct classes; first, the
| rowing tramp; second. the professional beg
| gar, and, third. our local poor.
| The rowing tramp-a species of those
usually. but enormously, called poor-con
| s:sts, as rule, of young, able-bodied mer
| who shun and will not work, though oppor-
tunities Of doing SO Should present them
| selves. They prefer to obtain living by
| begging for 1t. Devoid of shame and man.
| hood, they are a plague to the charities
ard not less dangerous to the communities
| which they may !nfest We seldom fins
| them rowing singly. but often in squads OF
| uncertain numbers. Arriving city
| they send an advance guard, in order, az
| they term it, to feel the pulse of the chari
| ties and. if successful, all the rest, either
| singly or seldom more than in files of two
| likewise present their tales of woe to the
| association. Should, however, the advance
| guard fail in his errand, his comrades will
chance the nearest city in the hope of bet
| ter success. We have been very determined
| and positive with this class. and, in nearly
| all instances, refused to aid them in theil
| accustomed vocation. Charity associations
| should aim to improve, not encourage pau
perism. The result had its desired effect
| for where, in former years, we were visited
| by from one to five daily, We scarce have
counted that many per week of late. These
facts give us sufficient evidence Of the di
minishing number of applicants.
| "Class No 2-The professional, better
| termed transient. begsars are in most case:
| those who, by reason OF age, sickness anC
| disabilities, wander at large, fortified will
the conviction that their inffrmities shoult
| recommend and entitle them to the chari
| ties. In this instance must differ some
what from their opinion, and. while We be
lieve them to be entitled to a certain degree
of consideration, We question their privilege
to burden charities other than those il
whose midst they reside, and who, nj
doubt, would see their wants supplied. Blu
rowing at large offers them larger field O
operation and opportunities superior ant
more abundant than they could expect o
their own, and while they adhere to th'
motto, charity begins at home they like
wise strongly believe 1T to be universal. VI
cannot, conscentiously, refuse aid to th
class, and though their stories and condi
tons are often puzzling, We credit then
with the benefit of the doubt, careful, how
ever, at all times to prevent them from be
coming burden to the community. or I
prolonged charge to the association. Thei
visits. if at all, canEonly. be repeated a
long intervals; hence an additional reasol
why the number of applicants is on th
| decline. II
THE third, and most important of all
our local poor. They have, unquestionably
| a nrjOr claim and are antitlpd to our great