The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-11-15
CHARITY METHODS
System is Advocated in q
Sermon by Mr.. Brine.
Too Much OF lndiscriminate Giving
Should be One List-Cood Sama-
ritan-PoOr Tax.

Birnie would speak on the subject or
"Assocjated Charities" attracted to
Central Union besides the usual con-
gregation last evening number or
ladies and gentlemen interested IN
philanthropic work, but not regular
church attendants. The music was es-
pecially good and the discourse was in
teresting and thoughtful.
The parable of the Good Samaritan
was read Rev. Mr.. Brine said that
the concern of those who would give
relief was with the man who was down,
the man in trouble. Time should not
be wasted in inquiring how the distress
came about That might be subject
for later investigation and remedy. 1t
might be the emigration company, 1t
might be whisky, it might be labor
| conditions. It mattered not what the
reason if there was a call for charit-.
able action at once. Wounds received
| in drunken brawl were just as pain
| full and just as appealing as those sus-
| tanned in honorable combat upon the
| field of battle or in the performance
| of duty.
There should be method in the ex-
| tension of help in volunteer relief
work Really, all benevolent societies
are simply make-shifts. The central
idea of Christianity is do away with
poverty and thus abolish the necessi
ty for the present great relief work.
The problem of the hour is the poor
as they present themselves. Usually
the children make manifest the exist
ing distress. They cry out and there
must be heed to their cry.
The second consideration is the re-
lief agencies. There are in Honolulu
six principal ones, as follows: Ameri-
can, British, German, Portuguese, Ha-
waiian and the Strangers Friend So
ciety, the last being the Oldest. Be-
sides those are found the church charit-
able bureaus, the lodges and benevo-
lent secret societies and the Asiatic
organizations.
The third question and the vital one
upon which Rev. Mr.. Brine dwelt the
longest and strongest. was that of Co
operation. He did not propose ANAL
gamation. His idea was that each So
ciety should maintain it's individuality
as at present, with it's officers and
working forces and field agents. What
| he did advise and what he believes
will be undertaken at once was that all
|
list open only to inspection of repre-
sentatives of the various societies
This he said would be big step in the
direction of centralizing and attaching
system to the work. All of the socie-
ties are now doing nobly, but some OF
them are at times imposed upon, many
of them do lots of unnecessary work
and there is much indiscriminate Civ.
ing that should be stoned Relief
work cannot suffer delay, but there
should be investigation of each case
The pastor declared that there was
altogether too much of bestowal OF
charity by citizens whose favors were
not appreciated and who through ignor.
ance of the circumstances of a case
often encouraged those who were un.
worthy. 1t would take a very short
time to look up man woman or &
family and then no mistake could bt
made. The town is becoming too large
for the old careless system of goins
into the pocket instanter on request
The last suggestion and one that will
be followed was for poor tax. Rev
Mr.. Brine said no method from tn,
United States or elsewhere could bt
adopted here. Local system mus
grow out of local conditions The ide;
was not to draw upon the state, though
, the money might come directly from
the public Golfers The plan was t,
levy upon those who never assist char
ity wOrk-citizens of retiring natur
and absentees. At present the circl
of givers is limited. All who are abb
should contribute in proportion to thei
ability.