Evening star., 1897-02-08
Relief Work.

This mornings downfall OF snow brought
to the offices of the Associated Charities
large numbers Of applicants for relief. all
eager for supplies of food, warm clothing
or foot GOV erinS and fuel. a motley group
they made these applicants, men and wo-
men. most of them oolored. with baskets
Of varying sizes on their arms. huddled to-
gether discussing the hardships of the sea-
son and their own misfortunes, and pa
tiently waiting their turn to be heard by
the officers of the association. The scene
at the main offices of the Associated Char
tiles G street was characteristic of
those around the six division bEa nch Offices
OF the organization in scattered portions
of the city.
Demai ds for relief from those worthy of
assis tance were unusually heavy last week.
The resources of the charity organiza tions
have been severely taxed and contributions
of money, provisions fuel, clothing or any
thing else of which the poor are in need
will be cheerfully received.
A meeting of the central relief committee
has been called by Judge Cole for Wednes-
day afternoon at 4:15 O'Clock in the rooms
of the beard of trade. Judge Cole has
Gently received a letter from Surgeon Gen
SterBberg referring to the housing of the
poor This letter will be considered at
Wednesday afternoons meeting.
In l is letter, Gen. Sternberg proposes that
a meeting be called under the joint auspices
of the central relief committee and the
Civic Center. to bring before the public the
question of sanitary dwellings for the poor
and especially the proposition for the Or
ganization of a sanitary Improvement COM
pany. upon the basis recommended by the
subcon mittee having charge of the mat
ter. These recommendations were recently
published in The Star.
1t is suggested that DIR. Gould. the author
of the volume published by the commits
sioner Of labor on THE Housing of the
Working People be invited to address the
meeting. giving a general account of what
has been done in various parts of the world
and OF the financial success of companies
organized for this special purpose. Fol-
lowing DR.. Gould, it is suggested that
Bishop Satterlee be invited TO speak es-
pecially of the conditions existing in the
city, and of the necessity for action on the
part of the citizens of Washington. 1t will
be remembered that Bishop Sa.terlee. who
is member of the subcommittee of the
central relief committee whach has been
investigating this subject, together with
Gen. Sternberg, chairman Of the subcom-
mittee, recently made a personal inye stiga-
ticn into the alley situation. in the course
of which they visited several of the most
populous and notorious alleys in the city.
The proposition is made that at the pub
lie meeting suggested Gen. Sternberg pre-
sent the plan for the organization of a
sanitary Improvement company. and call
Tor subscriptions to the stock of the cem-
pany. A number of subscriptions to this
company have already been obtained from
prominent persons.
While nothing definite has been cone in
the way OF acting upon these suggcs tions
1t is generally believed that at the meeting
Wednesday the proposition will be adopted
and that the two organizations referred TO-
the Civic Center and the central relief com
mittee will act in concert m the effort to
secure a well-attended mass meeting of
citizens. at which addresses will be made
on the subject.
society of Friends.
The first of q series Of meetings under
the auspices of the local Society of Friends
for the discussion of charitable and phi.an-
thropic work was held last night In the
Friends meeting house on / street. Mr..
Thomas w. Sidwell presided. Secretary
George 8. Wilson of the Associated Chari-
ties made an address on the duties of the
citizen In relation to philanthropy. He ex-
pressed himself as opposed to prouiscuous
giving to applicants on the streets, but up
held the work of organizations a. OF last
ing benefit. for. he said. they not only re-
lieved present suffering. but provided for
future comfort
Mr. b. T. Janney said that about 100 peo-
pie gave all that was raised for the poor
people during the last cold spell He conf
mented upon the fact that out of popula-
tion Of 300. 0.0O0 about 800 people were the
Only subscribers to the needy and suffering.
He deplored the fact that the Associated
Charities could not be supported in It's ef-
fort to keep its agents at work during the
summer months. in order to prevent the
poor people from allowing Themselves to
get into condition to need help in the
winter.
The association was able to keep only two
ladies at work last summer. net being aole
to raise the funds to pay any more. but
the good results obtained through their
work have shown the association. he says,
that the public would not be called upon IN
the winter to witness half so much suffer-
ing or to subscribe so much for relief IL
SIX more agents could be kept at work
all the summer showing the poor how TO
live and to help themselves In the winter
Other speakers were Perry B. Pierce
Harriet Neil Of the Hearst kindergarten,
who spoke on kindergarten work; John J.
Cornell Of Baltimore and Mrs. Hannah
Hendrickson. -..aa-.