The Portland daily press., 1899-04-18
CHURCH FEDERATION.
Interesting Address OF Rev. Mr..
Hall of Cambridge.
The Cambridge Idea and what IL Has
Done for That City-Explanstion of
the Church Federation.

Rev. 4. q. Hall Of Cambridge, Mass. I,
was invited to Portland to speak to the
Associated Charities on the Federation
of the Church in Charity Work. by Kew.
DIR. Blanchard. He accepted the invita-
tion and yesterday afternoon delivered
most interesting address before large
number of ciergymen Of the city ana
many ladies and gentlemen who are IN
terested in the work of the Associated
| Charities.
Mn the beginning MIR. Hall spoke OF the
need.of some assistance from the churche
in the charity work and told Of how this
assistance had been given in Buffalo. In
that city . federation OF churches was
formed and the city was devided up into
districts. Each church took charge OF q
district and was responsible for 1t. keep
ing it clean, FREQ Of plague spots and
looking carefully after its people. He told
how successfully this work had been car
ried on In Buffalo. but said that 1t was
not perfect system there, inasmuch 1t
did not take counsel with or labor under
the direction Of the Associated Charities.
He then told of the attempt which had
been made to bring about a system OF
this kind in the city Of New York and
| read from o circular which had been Is
| sued in that city calling the attention of
the Christians to the fact that the Protes-
tant church In New York was too aris-
tocratic and was not doing anything to
aid the miserable or the distressed. He
then turned to his own city OF Cambridge,
and told about the success OF the Fedora
ton Of Churches there.
| First he told Of the Cambridge idea"
on which the city prides itself. The
Cambridge idea is on the principle that II
one member of the entire body suffers, the
body suffers, and II one member OF the
body is exalted, the entire body is ex-
allied" The carrying out of this idea in
| Cambridge has brought about reform
in politics. driven the saloons from the
city SO that there hasn't been saloon in
Cambridge in dozen years. made good
schools and given to the poor such insti-
tutions as the Prospect Union. where 1t
10 understood, that all who wish may
come and learn without cost to them
selves.
Cambridge prides itself on these good
| works. They are the personal care OF
every citizen and by this unity Cam
bridge, according to MIR. Hall, is almost
an ideal city. Finally this sderation OF
Churches to assist in the charity work
was brought to the attention of the peo-
pie of Cambridge. They at once decided
that it was the one thing which was lack
| ing to make the Cambridge idea COM
plete and after due consideration, adopt
cd it, The plan was something as fol-
lows:
In the first place the city WAS divided
up into districts. Each church was asked
| to assume charge of one OF these dis
| tricts, and many of them readily consent
ed to do so. All denominations of the
Christian church entered this plan and
worked in harmony for the good of man
kind. Once having a district under Its
charge the church was responsible for the
welfare of all who lived In 1t. If family
were suffering and belonged to some 9th
er church than that under whose charge
| the district was, they would be passed
ovar to their own church for aid. Ii their
own church did not attend to their case
then the church In whose district the
| family lived would confer with the As
ISOLATED Charities and aid them. The
| first thing a church did after accepting
| charge of district WAS 10 become tho
roughly acquainted with that district.
Then they commenced to seek out those
families which needed help and saw to 1t
that they obtained 1t. The Cambridge
churches act in conjunction with the AS
| ISOLATED Charities altogether and this or
ganization is sort of clearing house
which passes upon all cases brought to
its attention in order that no two
churches would be assisting the same
family.
Mr.. Hall said that the things required
| in district under the charge of q church
vera cleanliness, comliness, making the
district interesting and making it Chris
tian.
The church first made the district clean
by seeing to it that its stree is were kept
in good condition. In the poorer districts
the streets are often neglected and ara
not kept as clean as they are in the bet.
tor districts. What is every ones business
is no ones business. The poorer people
have not the influence oftentimes which
Is necessary to bring about the proper at
tention to tho streets. :. 1t should be the
business of the church to see that the poor
streets are kept in as good condition by
the authorities as the streets In the bet
ter part of the city. Then the ''plague
spots" in the district should be removed.
This is easily done If the church inter-
ests itself in these matters and by the dis
trict system the condition of the whole
city is easily improved.
The church should also sea to it that
| its district is made as attractive as posi-
BILE. Where there are shade trees they
should be looked after and kept in good
condition and not cut down if it is posi-.
hio 60 Drevent this being done. Flower