New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-13
RELIEVING THE DESTITUTE.
WORK OF THE DISTRICT COMMITTEES OF THE
CHARITY ORGANIZATION SOCIETY.

WORK OF THE DISTRICT COMMITTEES OF THE
CHARITY ORGANIZATION SOCIETY.
The district committees OF the Charity Organza-
ton Society dealt with 1919 families In the month
OF February of whom 915 were new applicants and
7o4 were carried forward from previous months.
Relief was obtained from private sources for l4O
families and from cooperating societies and
churches for 257 families Transportation was Sc
cured for d. work which Is expected to he perma-
nent for s2 and in instances temporary work was
found chiefly in private families.
Besides these. 1.71 tickets each emitting the
bearer to one days work in the woodward. where
presented in the month. and 5o7 similar tickets
were used at the Work Rooms for Unskiled
Women At the laundry 1857 days work was given
TO 81 The women who are employed In
the laundry and the at the woodward who
have families in the city paid in cash. Home
less men work in return for meals and lodgings.
and women at the Workrooms for Unskilled
Women are paid In groceries and clothing
The workrooms, although less known TO the
public than the woodward. because OF the large
sale OF wood from the latter. are an equally I'm
portant part of the society's activity. They are In
Prospect Place near Forty -second-st. and First
ave- and their purpose is TO help unframed de-
pendent women. especially widows or deserted
women with children. to acquire such skill as shall
make them self-supportnc. and thus 10 remove
them from the necessity and temptation of begging
They have been In operation for three years. and
since their establishment they have been the model
for the organization OF number OF similar enter
prises, including two in this city.
The district work OF the society, which Is the
most difficult and the most necessary of ALL IL the
securing of the proper adjustment Of relief for
restitution The society believes it practicable TO
substitute self-dependence. thrift and decency for
shiftessness and alms-seekng. 1t cannot be done
wholesale. bu; ii be done in countless individ-
ual instances Success with ten families is worth
infinitely more than feed 10000 for fortnight,
In ,lo md hoy Th1
former requires work and greater expendi.
ture and is better investment
In the foregoing statistics no account Is taken OF
the hundreds who apply every month at the offices
of the society. but who appear on their own state
ment not TO be in need of the services of the
ciety not TO be "hepable by any of the agencies
at its disposal.
In the month Of February 1,037 in
vestgated as against 763 in the corresponding
month of 1896 but 10 case is investigated unless
there is reason to suppose from the applicants
statement that aid of some kind be given.
The recent statement in the German edition Of
the society cost $40 each is an cxaggeration by
sibe to Compute the actual cost Of an nvesiiea-
ton. but IL is considerably less than 81 as would
number of Investigations made annually with the
cost Of the investigation department. 1t has also
in 1896 only half AS great as in 1880 while the
expense remained the same. Since the latest
1896 and no statistics have been furnished even
compiled for the last six months Of the year. It Is
difficult understand where this interesting piece
Friends Of the society may rest assured that it's
increased importance TO the city AS slight indi-
it may be said that two appeas were made in the
month of February for special cases. each requiring
relief society Three hundred and nine dollars was
received from the first appeal b and s2s from the
within fory-eight hours all that was required. and
~, able TO in to tn nd the a nbGyd the Of
thus obviating the necessity OF third appeal.