The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-01-03
Oppose Giving Associated Chari.
ties All Relief Work.
PEEPING SYSTEM DENOUNCED
A large Petition Signed by 135
Merchants and Others Pres sented
to Commissioners kOsS-Tfe rea-
sons for Their Stand Are Stated
at Length.


dred ana thirty-fVe business men was
presented to Commissioners Ross today
against the proposed abandonment of
charity relief by the police department.
Commissioner Wight last month had
a consultation with the Central Relief
Committee, the Major OF Police. and
the Associated Charities officials, IL
will be remembered, for the purpose OF
discussing whether or not ii would be
practicable and expedient for the po-
lice to give up all participation in the
distribution of food, clothing, and fuel
to the needy of the city. The idea was
Commissioner Wight's, originally. His
argument was that the police are
overburdened with legitimate police
work in the detection of crime and
have no time to give to outside duties
of this kind. Major Moore made re-
port on the subject, stating that the
police charity work, in his opinion, had
been efficient and praiseworthy. His
petition to be relieevd from the work
came soon afterward.
The various charity people who came
to Commissioner Nights meeting all
agreed to the change if the police de-
partment desired it, Mr.. Herbert Lew
is, the superintendent OF District chari-
ties made an argument in favor of al
lowing the Associated Charities to do
all the work for the city in connection
with the Central Relief Committee. He
said that the Associated Charities en-
ploys trained workmen who understand
the poor and can give the central re-
lief committee accurate data of all the
poverty and distress in the city. He
also called attention TO the liability or
duplication of work where several
agencies are working in the same field.
1t was decided then that the police
department should go out of the busi-
ness OF looking after the poor entirely.
This petition, now presented, is in en-
tire opposition to the other plan II
states that a grave mistake will be
made if the police are taken away from
the work The petition was circulated
by Mr. A. w. Raymond and DIR. l.. ID.
Walter. after consultation with many
business men.
Among the signers are B. Il. Earn
shaw. Johns Rudden. Guy, Curran x
Co. House &Hermann. George Wilmer,
and other important merchants.
The petition states that during the
winter Of 1856 the police depart
ment distributed 81, 600. and that this
work did not cost a penny for inves-
tigation or distribution. 1t aserts that
the Associated Charities cost $4,000 in
salaries and other expenses and that
only S.. 500 was distributed through this
organization. The Associated Chari-
ties is called the ''peepinS system and
il is asserted that its agents are ham
pered everywhere in their investiga-
tions by being avoided as known char
ity workers. The petition says:
This is a system that is looked upon
everywhere as unchristian and humil-
iating mortifying. misunderstanding
and grossly inefficient. system SINH
lar to non-relief giving associations of
the cities which upon investigation
turned out to be schemes of shrewd
men making use of prominent citizens
as members to lend color to their char
liable pretensions. i'm working the poor
with one string as il were. and philan
thropists with another. We do not
mean to reflect any dishonesty upon
the Associated Charities. 1t is suiii
cient for us to know that these meth
ods are costly. inefficient and not up
to the spirit of the times in aiding that
class who within the past few years
have fallen to the sony level OF want.
The substitution of the lame services
that NAV be afforded the destitute by
Mr.. Wilson and half a dozen old wO-
men for the efficient methods of the
police department with telephone serv-
ice. mounted messengers and brass
buttoned agents upon every street, has
Justly aroused public Indignation
The petition accuses the Associated
Charities of absolutely failing to rem
der needed aid, and of decrying all
poyerty as fraud if possible.
Those signing the petition are as fol-
lows:
b. r.. Eamshaw, Blum Bros, I nos a.
Rover, John Rudden, Keenan, Bros, W. H.
Keyworth, Guy Curran & Co., p. Mann,
House & Herman, Moore * Cullinan, H.
FIiedlander, Frank L. Hopkins, Gustav
Hartig. NJ. Silverberg & Co, r. NJ. Har-
rover. s. Friedlanter & Co., W. NJ. Red
n.ond George wilmer, LarrimOr & Ridenour,
Holmes & Co., Isaac Levy, II. Kaufman
& Son. John W. SC haefer, z. Strasburger,
Doran Bros, J W. Rupert & Bro, Chas.
Fischer Bernard Bailey, L. X. Newman,
s. f.. Young. II. B. Finney, s. Haller,
c. s. Mackenzie, william Brackhsgen, Nor
ris Clark, 5. T. Bush Co.,
Jonas W. Hockmyer, c. Livingston,
S. Steiner, Jacob Kohner, John McHown,
Bernard j. Young. John W. Chesley, Ira
c. Kaufman. II. A. Givens, A. NJ. Gold
smith, Norval I. Tabler, E. M. Cadden,
n. Kohn, j. f. Coatsworth, j. A. Cries
bauer, Max Burger, A. NJ. Bauer. Tyree q
Fitch, B. ii. Smell, r. f. Dittoe, j. j.
Bischof, +. jain, ID. r. Hackstad, I. ID.
Stoddard, William C. Peake, j. T. Earn
shaw, A. z. Geier, NJ. ii. Price, L. Rod
rigues, Mrs. Glenn, NJ. B. Hyde, L. j. Nc
Donald, A. Markward, E. II. Gordon,
John T. Davis, A. Klublatt, Phelps & Co.,
William T. Happen, Otto Shoemaker &
| Co., jeremiah Wilt, w. f. CAN'T Charles F.
Mills. f. Rosenfeld, VI. A. Perry, J. ID. .OMera,
Mackall Brothers, william Hollander, /.
/ J. 0'Mera, J. b. RohTer, J. II. Carll II. W.
Wells, ID. c. Thomas & Co., Henry Wahl,
| ]. Austin, j. NJ. George, Harry E. Chap
| pell, A. Davis, J. william Weber, Charles
stein, A. l.. Traphagen, J. Frank Mul-
| cahy, c. C. McCauley, NJ. L. Smith. Fra nix
Lilly, vinson & Perry, Herman Kass, ]. T..
| Earnshaw, ID. 7. Dona ghue, H. Ratcliff
| Levy Rosenbaum, Guy w NeeIy, Edward
| Quigley, c. A. Eskridge, c. Lusby, n. E,
| Webb, NJ. Rosenberg p. B. Ryon, William
nt-. ~