Kansas City daily journal., 1897-01-30
TO RELIEVE DESTITUTION.
VIGOROUS STEPS MUST BE TAKEN
AND IMMEDIATELY.
School Children Will BE Asked for
ContributiOns-Churc VIII Also
BE Requested to Make an
Effort to Aid Needy.

1t is probable that vigorous steps will be
| taken to relieve the sufferlngs OF the poor
i, of the city. While Kansas City has moth
| ing like the number of destitute in other
cities of like size, yet there is a great deal
| OF suffering going on and a greater number
than ever before of honest and willing peo-
pie are without employment and the means
OF providing for themselves and families.
II has been suggested that the school
Cniidren OF the city be invited, through
the board of education, to make a donation
on certain day. This has been done in
times past, and the results have been most
gratifying. No child will be asked to give
pennys worth, but there is hardly a child
III the public schools whose parents could
not easily afford donation of cents. The
=VVVO children in the public schools would
easily contribute $1,000 in money or its
equivalent at the minimum figure.
Many children would be willingly pro-
tbis tlLeu py their parents with many times
IiaE:,, fiiIs amount: But even $1,000 would re-
iIeVe great deal of suffering. CerfainIv
the generous people of the city owe If to
themselves and the city to take care of
~, 1Ie Door VINO are in such dire straits.
thls great prosperous city and a little
thoughtfulness will save Kansas CITY from
she reproach of being unwilling to care
Tor its needy. There is no uuesJion nc 70
the ability of the people. q" ~
1T, 1T mas also been suggested that the
Ghurches be asked to make special and
distressed. 1t is argued that the host noSs
sibte way of carrying out the purnoses of
the, the church I would be in the shape Of a con-
certed effort tomorrow in all the churches
Money is not needed Provisions, Clothing
ana ccal are the three things of which bun
dreds of families in this city have absolute
~ none. Money donated will. of course go
to buy these things. But if those who have
ast-of clothing of any and all sorts will
aonate them, great deal of suffering can
ne relieved. A gentleman, in discussing
this feature of the proposed relief mcasss
ures. said yesterday:
Those who sit in their cosy homes and
IN their cushioned pews can never know
the misery which exists IN many hundreds
OF homes in this city unless thev listened
70 70, the stories of suffering told by the ap-
pllcants who throng the various charitable
institutions of the city Those who sif
down to laden boards do not know what ii
Is to go without food for days. Those
wrapped in warm garments or who sit he
side blazing hearths do not know what II
Is ss,,S,, TO sniyer and starve in fireess novels.
surely some measure of responsibility rests
upon those who have and who refuse to
give of their bounty
The city council will he asked at its meet
ing Monday night TO appropriate an addi
tional sum of money to help out the chari-
" department, for which only 81 50) was
at the beginning of the vaar
:, There was slight falling off yesterday
IN the number of persons applying to the
mayor for assistance. though there were
sun sun great many needy ones and about
thirty orders were given out.
Each applicant who shows that he or she
Is worthy of assistance and not an i'm
poStor. is given an order for 81 worth of
groceries. The orders are made ont ON
Srocers all over the city. In cases of ex.
treme restitution and special need orders
for clothing. coal and other supplies are
given when there are any of the latter on
hand. 'et oH
There has been no marked increase in the
number OF persons who applied for treat |
cent cold snap: Rather more persons want |
ed treatment for cold than usual but 9th |
arWise there Is no appreciable difference in |
the character or the number of the ns |
nents who presented themselves.