The herald., 1898-01-15
FRIDAY MORNING CLUB
Some Valuable Papers on Charity
Organization Read Yesterday

Charity Organization" was the sub
ject before the Friday Morning club
yesterday. The large audience present
manifested earnest interest in the pa
pers, and the discussion that followed
was especially active. The program was
in charge of the committee on social
topics, Mrs. Pierre c. Severance, chair
man.
Mrs. Severance read the first paper
on Charity Organization" in which
she presented thoughtful, compre-
hensive view of charity in the abstract,
of which "the underlying principle must
be the effort to elevate the moral nature,
to strengthen the character and to i'm
prove the condition of those toward
whom it is exercised-and yet must also
not injure the character or condition of
Others"
The different kinds of charity We're
touched upon-those which are absolute
ly harmful to the giver as we'll as the
recipient-and then the speaker turned
to the benefits for all concerned in or
ganiZation. A brief resume of the his
tory of organized charity was outlined
the reasons given why cooperation was
both just and helpful. benef1cent we'll
doing instead of a benevolent we'll wish
ing.
Associated charities and the principles
on which they are conducted were next
reviewed, with their system of registra-
ton and investigation; and, in closing,
Mrs. Severance urged upon the ladies
of the club to give to the Associated
Charities in Los Angeles the support
and encourage cement of their active in
terest, not because it is a panacea for
all ills, but because it is a long step in
the right direction.
w. c. Patterson followed with brief
address. in which he supplemented
some of the points Mrs. Severance had
made with specific cases in illustration
of the ills of indiscriminate and inju-
dicious charity. Mr.. Patterson then out
lined a suggestion to the effect that
barracks might be established in one of
the largest parks where tramps might
be accommodated and compelled to be
self-supporting, and where worthy per-
sons who might apply for food and shell
ter could secure a Sutficiency of work
to pay for the same and preserve their
self-respect.
Miss Carrie Waddilove read the last
paper of the morning, in which she
ga ~ short digest of the Valuab BILE work
done by the local Associated Charities,
giving figures and statistics showing
what has been accomplished in less than
four years, and stating the fundament-
al object as being 'to secure the concur
rent and harmonious action of the diff
ferent charitable agencies of the town
to raise the needy above the need of re-
lief, prevent begging and imposition,
and diminish pauperism; to encourage
thrift, self-dependence and industry;
to provide for a thorough investigation
of the case of every applicant for relief;
to prevent overlapping of relief, and to
enable all charitable agencies to act in
all recurrent cases with full understand
ing of all facts"
W. =. ID. Bliss, who was in the audi
ence, was called upon to take part in
the discussion, and he gave some valu-
able information concerning the social
question in general, and stated that,
whereas it is only the worthy that the
charitable seek to aid, the unworthy
must not be entirely forgotten, since
they, too, must live, and suggested the
necessity Of forcing upon the govern
ment the realization of that fact.
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