New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-28
FEDERATION OF CHURCHES
VALUABLE CANVASS OF THE xxIsT AS
sEMBLY DISTRICT.

has Just been completed by the publication OF re-
mort on the XXIst Assembly District by the Fed
Grafton Of Churches and Christian Workers
The federation's previous work has had perma-
nent results In the XVIII Assembly District a
public park. two settlements. two churches. IL
brar,es and improved tenement movements result
ed from It's first report; and the pastors OF that
district and the XvIIth have for over two years
met In monthly meeting and considered their COM
munity. not from the denominat onal point Of view.
but on grounds OF common Christian and social
service.
The xXIst Assembly District. just canvassed is
of a rather different order. II runs from Eighty
frst-st TO One-hundred- twentieth west Of
Central Park. and has within Il a large residence
population and some of the wealthiest churches OF
the city.
The goal OF the federation is to assist. through
the cooperation of churches organized into local
sub-federations. the assignment of every block in
New-York TO some church Christian society as
a special parish for cooperative work. The report
Just issued makes a recommendation Of the divis-
ion OF the XXIst Assembly District for such CO.
operative work. In the federations office lists
were made of 1869 families. according 10 denomi-
national attachment and every phase OF religious
belief in the section has received from the federa
tion Office the lists of such families The signif-
cant fact is stated in the report that 81 per cent
Of the families supplied information to the CO.
operative visitors. and that single church IN the
district added 40 families 10 Its rolls as the result
OF the discovery OF out-of church families OF whose
wherea bouts IL previously had no knowledge. An
other church which would have gone out OF exist
ence but for the revealing discovery of an adapted
field has since october last become self-support-
ing and hopeful
II Is however In the cooperative conservation
of the churches Of the district to help one another
to help others that the largest significance oil the
movement is to be found. The federation, again.
assists the churches in this attempt 1t has listed
the number of families above given not only oy
denomination but by locality. IT Is the business
OF a church assuming charge of a cooperative
parish Ito visit least once. every house ana
apartment In It's parish during the year In case
the residents noted on the cards as attendants
Of another church. all that the visitor should 90 is
to ascertain whether such family still lives there
and whether the church relation reported on the
cards is correct In the persons marked no long
er live there or their church connections are not as
indicated 1T is the duty Of the visitor 10 OBTAIN
the necessary corrections. including the cnurch re-
lationshp Of newly arrived families.
The canvass found 4.216 Protestant families 10
lack church home
The work done for the olstric'' uieieio'' ~
embraced:
First-The canvass Of l467s families
second-Listing 1853 families by denomination
and reporting them denominations concerned
Third-Listing l4,s7s families by blocks, and sup
plying the churches taking charge Oh oio0nS WIN
this confidential directory
Fourth-Listing 1853 families by nationar'y. anu
nlacing this nationality directory In an euHlhary
Office for reference.
The report has these interesting points:
Testimony 10 the workabeness or the system anu
ue immediate results: AT first thought could
never do anything with it, but the canvass proved
10 be remarkably accurate. ana In spite Vi 'ne
great rapidty with which 1t was done the NUM-
her of families overlooked less than In the
case Of a much more expensive canvass with Wnich
7 had ~ do and the number Of blunders very much
less Out of 5sS 1 found and gathered TIA faInihes
who were unconnected with any parish ana pre-
sumo that If the churches throughout that ostrlc,
follow I'D the matter there will be many like that
Proof that church and Sunday school In the
xXIst Assembly District are not educating the
same proportion OF the population as the puoiic
school: From eight to fifteen years OF age the
school in each age-cass-eight 10 eleven years
twelve 10 thirteen years and fourteen to fifteen
years-is educating larger percentage OF the chill
dren than either Sunday school or church Ihls Is
true In the case of both in every nationality
except Irish, Italians and Cubans.
Proof that New Yorks religious problems are not
confined TO the tenement-houses; THE study (or
the population by social strata, with the result
corroborated by the detail Of the natonalties max
ing up each stratum. shows that the Church mas
wSFE @ 40 IN ne Of Religion as
seeraton has smaller hold on 5ne ps IN than
In the tenement-houses This Is shown Dy the COM
q fashion has a stronger hold the private house
than on the tenement-houset as shown by the com
modify Comfort Of life worth lis pricenis less
esteemed in the private family than IN the ,ehe
Proof that the families of foreign-born mothers
formative agencies-in several INSTANCES more r so
by District prove that the r1 re IN
born outside of New ork-are by no means as
dangerons as popular clamor has represented them
een3age results Of the attendance Of children at
school and Sunday-schoo and the relationship OF
ibat Se 70 In are quite
earnestly sVe TO the and spiritual
Proof that cooperative parish system covering
Work
lies: The minimum average residence in the dis
ments above one year in tenement houses ea4 per
f9ySEs ses e Pa'ss
i saes sac r bathtubs Gage co. Ae' u INC
erpTSsd ' and Careless @
The report says Ultimately the housing cond
sGns Of Of s chfe
records Of hospitals and other institutions would
undoubtedly disclose and the community mus, pay
removable. are at least remediable Christian civ
tenderness which rescues the bruised at the foot Of
the precipce but by the wisdom which surrounds
i faS d y sssTs@as by the
Su have the the Of s
BY printing a handbook OF the services, coop
eratively edited. including the Invitation OF every
house of worship In the region. The handbook.
like the calendar of Auxiliary A, contains also
public school information. and the announcements
OF libraries etc"
~ the churches In the district marks era in
America in the recognition OF obligation the part
~ churches 10 the entire community about them:
"The auxiliary is made up OF all churches in the
XXIst Assembly District and a few others on its
borders and it's design is to deepen the influence
on every family of the schools. churches. libraries
and ali other aids TO dignity and happiness Of fam
~. ftfo he oh "A
name OF the Father. In Whom the whole family In
heaven and earth is named In case you attend no