The record-union., 1897-10-31
THE UNITED CHARITIES.

New York City has, on most exten-
sIve scale, in the matter of a charities
clearing house, a thing possible in every
town and city of considerable size.
Such an institution of organized char
ities, is, indeed, a necessity wherever
there are five or six distinct organiza-
tions for aiding the poor, unfortunate
and oppressed.
While the New York society is the
most extensive in the United States its
plan Of action and its benefcence can
be adapted to any as large as that of
Sacramento, for instance.
The charity that pauperfzes is not
only waste, 1t is almost criminal in it's
misapplication- The charity that de-
stroys -helpfulness is absolute
injury to the objects of its concern. All
true and well directed charitable effort
therefore aims to help the recipient to
help himself. If case is one in which
direct giving Of work is necessary, it
should not be work that will tend to
satisfy the recipient with it, On the con-
trary, all human experience has dem
onstrated that it ought to be rather dis
tasteful and the wage so low besides as
to impel the recipient to get away from
and up out Of it.
Indiscriminate aims giving is so per-
nicious that it cannot be too severely
condemned. 1t is just as likely to be i'll
has any knowledge whether or not he is
overlapping the aims of others, aiding
imposture or maintaining those who
actually profit above need by the CIV
ing.
It has therefore become settled policy
here and in Europe that through organ
ization charity disposal attains its
greatest beneficence.
AS humane organizations in congested
populations of very necessity, as well
as by reason of creditable sel1shness
and the claims of creed, class and ma
tionality, become numerous, they must
work in some sort Of concert or they
VIII assured1y work at cross purposes.
There being no concert of organizations
In Sacramento, charitable work often
overlaps, is often misapplied, is fire.
ouently wasted effort, and misuse of
means and imposture are fostered.
It was so in New York until the
United Charities came to the front and
brought order and economy out of i'll
directed effort and misapplication. The
New York "MaiI and Express of the
sketch Of this charity clearing house or
ganization and the scheme Of which
ought TO be applied to the situation in
Sacramento, and all cities of its popula-
ton.
The United Charities has no fund for
aleemosynary purposes. 1t first inves-
tigates an appeal and then selects the
agency that should respond to it. 1T dis
cards the characteristics of the almoner
and assumes kind of guardianship of
the interests of those who place them
selves under its charge.
The qualifications of applicants for its
good offices are searchingly scrutinized
honest need has no fear of this. 1t
then determines what is best to be
done and through what agency it is to
be accomplished. After that it is clear
sailing.
As the Mail and Express well puts
Il: Charity organization is brains rein
forcing and correcting sentiment, and
comprehending the general problem of
pauperism, as well as the stress of indi-
vidual suffering"
It has in New York more than 500 So
cieties and institutions cooperating
under it's system. Prior to this union
a good part of charity work was worse
than wasted. Relief overlapped, inn
posters drew from many quarters with
out any relief-giving body having
knowledge of such swindling. Cheating
was, indeed, fostered: the modest and
proud-poor were overlooked or crowded
to the wall, while the bold and unscrup-
ulous fattened. Thousands of people
lived on the societies, doing no work and
scorning to ask for it, and thus a pau
per class was promoted.
These conditions gave birth to the