The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-28
FOR THE MISSION
Directors May Ask City
Council For Money.

The directors and friends of the Wei
come Mission met last night to form
ulate plans for the more successful
work of the mission, and to determine
if possible upon some method Of per-
manent support.
DR.. Almon Gunnison presided, and
opened the meeting by stating its OBJ
iect, and suggested that the city be
asked to appropriate $4,000 towards the
support of the mission, the mission un-
dertaking to supply the rest Of the
money needed, and to look after all the
tramps of the city.
A. A Mclaughlin, treasurer of the
mission, then made his report showing
a debt of $1,000 contracted during the
past eight months for wood and food.
The convertible assets amount to about
500, which includes the teams for haul
ing the wood, as we'll as the wood and
cash on hand. The building and fix
lures are free from membranes, how
ever, though this money cannot be used
to defray expenses.
From January l to December H. 1S,-
O61 meals were worked for, and 1875
paid for, making a total of 1890 meals
| time. 1889 men were furnished with
beds. OF this latter amount, 11,54S were
| worked out, and 1911 paid for.
When Mr. Mclaughlin had finished
W. e. Oakley, manager of the mission
told of the method of purchasing wood
and showed that in the sale of thi!
wood, after it had been cut by the men
| scarcely enough was realized to pay eX
| A)enses.
NJ " r.orrod +bo,, e,,olya o,ad GOV,
| his views about trying TO obtain sup
port, or part support, from the city
! He said that it was necessary to awak
en- interest of the city to the need o
supplying homeless men with lodgings
where they would be free from tempta
| ton, and where they might be give
he opportunity of working for thei
support, and thereby safe their self
respect. He thought that immediat
action should be taken upon the sug
gestion of DR.. Gunnison, and move
to that effect.
John A. Dodge was then called upol
to speak. He had been instrumental il
soliciting subscriptions for the carry
ing on of the work and told OF some o
the difficulties he mad encountered. Fl
heartily seconded DR.. Conrad's motion
Stephen salisbury, who is one Of tn
directors of the mission told of IN
| Wayfarers' lodge in Boston, which re
ceives support from the city, and is ru
on almost the same lines as the Wei
| come Mission except that it has no re
ligious feature attached.
1t was then suggested by DR.. Con
rad and Mr.. Dodge that committe
be appointed to look into the working
of this institution and a similar one /
Springfield, to obtain statistics on tn
matter, and to draw up petition to b
presented to the municipal government
as soon as possible.
A. A Mclaughlin and w. Il. Oakle
were appointed on the committee
visit Boston and Springfield, and are
report to a committee consisting c
Rev. Almon Gunnison, L. A. Ely an
w. H. Cook, which will draw up the pc
tition to be presented to the city.
Lawyer H. w. Cobb spoke agains
the idea of asking help from the cit!
as he thought if such help were give
it would mean the destruction of tn
religious part of the mission.
The meeting was then adjourned ii
Jan. 16, at which time the annu;
meeting will be held IN the Y. M. C. I
hall.
Mr.. Oakley told of his method of OK
tanning odd jobs for transient ledger
and stared that from Jan. l UP to II
present time 692 Jobs mad been foun'
> for which $662.30 was received Tn
means no profit for the MISSION e2
cept that the men getting this pay al
able to pay for their beds and usual
select those upstairs, at Is cents eacl
1t was suggested that If larger qua
tiers could be obtained so that room
could be furnished in an attractiN
manner, ii would undoubtedly ol
tain large number Of regular ledger
, which would make the mission in
way almost self-supporting.