The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-01-02

central office, by which persons TO whom
application is made for help nay refer
the case of the secretary for investiga-
ton.
The Branch Work.
An account of 1.-The Golden Book and
it's operations follows, and after this Ii
report of the annual meeting in five SEN
fences, and the reports of the chairman
of the managers, of the general secretary,
of the president for 1896, and OF the
treasurer, all in full. To the treasurer's
report is appended a list of all mai mes,
with amounts, OF persons who have con-
tributed TO the support of the organiza-
ton.
The pamphlet closes with reports OF the
coordinate work in giving actual relief
1t must be remembered that the society it
self no longer attempts to act directly in
supplying the needy. by Coordinate work
is meant the direct, actual assistance to the
poor by bodies in which the associated
charities central organization is specially
Interested. OF this kind first comes the
report of the Citizens Emergency Re
lief Fund committee, by Col. Archibald
Hopkins, chairman Of the executive commit
tee, and the report of the treasurer, John
Joy Edison, with Exhibit A - which fur
nishes the names OF contributors and the
amounts given. Then comes the report OF
the ''Diet Kitchen and THE Flower
Guild" by Sarah S. Fuller, agent and
secretary. This also has a list of the
names of contributors.
Especial interest in the report arises
from the fact that little more than a
year ago an entirely new system Of
operations was adopted by the associated
charities, and it has come in its operations
into sharp contrast with the office OF the
superintendent OF charities in the District
government. Apparently. if the work of
the associated charities under its new plan
is thoroughly done, there will be little need
for the charity superintendent. The report
covers eleven m onths of the new way Of do
ing. Specifically the change was from
a relief giving institution to non-relief-
giving. Chairman B. I. 9Janney, OF the
managers, says: Lula
Giving Almost O Crime.
1.-THE board became fully convinced that
there was something very wrong about the
methods used in aiding the poor here. Some
members were impressed with the fact that
Washington was spending entirely too much
money for the amount of benefit derived;
that the extent Of duplication of almsgiving
was quite appalling, and that the pfOnTsCTi-
Gus giving TO all who applied for assist
ance, which was so long INDUCED in by our
people, was little less than crime
After much correspondence, he continues,
the change of the society to a charities
clearing house. was determined upon, and
Secretary George S. Wilson was brought
here from Toledo, Ohio. The Associated
Charities, since he took charge, in Novem-
Der, 1895, has been busy exclusively to
find out whether applicants for charity are
deserving, and to direct the giving in the
way that is deemed most helpful to the re-
Cipient and consequently to the community.
While the officials do not give relief directly,
they are pledged ito see that relief is fur
nished promptly to every person reported
worthy" For this purpose the emergency
committee was formed.
Severe criticism resulted from the change,
and many refused to contribute unless their
money was to be used for direct relief
The superintendent of charities and sew
eral others interested in such work were
antagonized, and although Mr.. Janney says
every organization applied to for co-opera-
ton responded cordially, and the change
has been eminently beneficial, there re-
mains much opposition to it.
AS proof of the gain by the sOCietys work
in the new role, Mr.. Janney points out that
in 1S93-'94 the relief furnished by the
Central Relief Committee amounted to
about 0,000; in 1S94'95, $4,000; but
from November 1, 1895, to November,
1896, the grand total given by public agen-
cies for charity was S12,121. As; and
says Mr.. Janney, I'VE have heard no one
say the poor of Washington were not as
well cared for last winter as in previous
years.