The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-12-01

At the Chamber OF Commerce tomorrow
afternoon at . o'clock there win be meet
ing to start the Buffalo plan OK charity
organization The pastors OF all the
churches are urgently requested 70 ce
present. as well as representatives rom
the church membership.
It Is also hoped that the Jewish orSant-
xation. the Bnai Birth. and the Catholic
churches win have representatives pres
eat 1t Is the intention TO district the city
according 10 the Buffalo plan, and to form
the council for that purpose
The Post-Inteliigencer has bean asked
what a church pledges itself to by accept
ing district from the council OF the or
ganization- II means that you viii take
a special responsibility for the moral ele-
walton OF that district by means Of up
lifting agencies. and for the removal OF
plague spots. That either with or with
ont the assistance OF the county commits
sicners and the charitable institutions of
the city you viii become responsible Tor
the material relief of those IN your district
who are destitute and neglected II there
ara people in the district who have spirit
ual relations with another church. the re-
sponsibility OF their relief still rests upon
You. II that church. after due notice from
you. continues 10 neglect them.
What the plan proposed does not involve
is almost equally important. No church
Is asked to interrupt any spiritual rela-
lions which 1t now holds with families
In any part OF the city. II II chooses II
can give relief 70 its own poor wherever
they nve but IL is nevertheless desired
that each church should confine its re-
i!ef work as far as possible 10 Its own
district.
BY accepting district q church does not
come In any way under the direction OF
the charity organization society. and does
not agree to follow its methods. Registra-
tion with the society OF relief given Is
desirable. however. TO prevent overlap
ping. When charity is not registered one
family sometimes receives aid from sew
eral different societies, no one or which
knows what the others are giving.
A word or two In regard to the economy
and advantage OF the plan may not be
amiss Difficulties will always exist with
this plan or any other. but 1t is asked OF
each church whether exactly the same
amount OF work now being done by IL
would not yield larger and more encour-
aging results If concentrated In the main
in a limited area. Desultory visiting OF
families scattered over all points OF the
compass is wasteful in every way. liz
wastes knowledge. for the knowledge
gained OF the environment and conditions
of one family may be useless in regard TO
the next. II wastes time. for 1t may take
quarters of the city than TO visit ten In
the same block. and IN the block the
knowledge gained of each family helps IN
regard 20 all the rest. Moreover, visitors
IN the same church would find themselves
all going in the same direction. They
could go together and they would keep
each other up 70 the work. and the knowl-
edge OF one would assist the rest.
Probably only a few churches could at
ford to engage special agent 70 direct
their work but all could support COM
rnittee working under the pastors guild
ance, and this committee would probably
find that It's work did not call for the ex-
psnditure OF money SO much as OF time
and thought
The very fact that In politics IT is neees-
sary for effective action TO divide the city
into different districts indicates that In
charitable work the same division Is need
ed IL is the old story that faggots which
in bunch cannot be broken can be
broken one by one. To practical men the
plan must appeal, for Il gives each church
a definite responsibility. which II can STE
clearly. and a special limited field. not
SO large but that the results of work done
can be seen. IL is wen TO have definite
responsibility, which can be seen. instead
OF a general responsibility everywhere. 4
strong church, or even a few strong wrok-
ers in a church. can often see wonderful
results II the work Is confined 70 a fixed
area Moreover. II there Is plague spo.
In the district which taints the neighhor-
hood morally and physically. Il helps 30
have a definite body of people feel a
special responsibility In that special dis
trlct. 1t Ia not everybody's business, and
so nobcdy's.
IL has been suggested that some denon-
nations or churches would fail TO co-op-
crate IN this plan, with the result that the
burden OF caring for their poor would he
lifted largely from them and would de-
volve unduly upon those participating in
the movement Az for this objection. II
the church with which a destitute family
has spiritual relations. when formally re-
duestef. falls To provide for IL. II would
seem 10 be an honor and privilege for any
church 20 minister 10 those who are de-
serted by their friends. 60 whom they
would naturally turn for help.
I. n already settled that this plan will
he tried on a large scale IN Buffalo. and
many churches have definitely accepted
districts. But this plan does nor depend
for sts success upon the cooperation OF
all the churches, but every church row
doing any active work would End its work
less desuitory, more telling. more visible
80 10 speak. II X were confined 20 a special
district.
United an army: divided, a mob" - q
-