The evening times., 1899-02-18
Increase the Police Fund.

1t is the affirmation of the police that
there is still sore need of relief funds for
the people who have been deprived of their
source of living by the interruption of
business by the storms or by sickness,
growing out of the weather. Many per-
sons who are ill and had means enough
only TO carry them through a few days,
have nov reached the end of their resources
and must suffer from hunger and cold un-
less helped by the charitable. The police
have expended some four hundred dollars
more than the funds placed in their hands
for the purpose.
II is to be considered that when the
Emergency Fund was created because the
storm increased the number of dependent
families the police voluntarily assumed
the burden Of distributing the charity.
Their ordinary work is more eXacting than
that of the police of most cities, but they
took up this duty cheerfully, because they
are better able than anybody else in the
3 community TO discover the class that the
people are most eager to help-the self
sustaining families that are momentarily
crippled, having exhausted all their re-
serve when forced into idleness by the sus-
pension of business or by sickness follow
ing exposure. We may trust them 10 re-
port exactly the truth about the situation.
As rule, the established charity agencies
come into contact only with persons who
apply for assistance and when these are
disposed of. either as frauds or as deserv-
ing poor. the need of extraordinary con-
uibutons appears to them TO be ended.
In the instances that come to police
knowledge are many in which there is u
reluctance 10 accept charity and disposi-
jjon TO suffer in the hope of an early inn
provement of conditions. Whole families
belong to this class On investigation the
police find that there is actual privation;
that there are helpless women and chill
dren who must want If charity is withheld.
The statements of the police workers on
the one hand and of the Citizens Relief
Association and Associated Charities on
the other, are distinctly contradictory. The
latter announce that there is now no un-
usual demand for poor funds, while the po-
lice find still pressing call for relief.
We may assume that the latter know of
cases that have not come under the OBJ
! seryation of the established charities We
think there are few citizens who will not
trust absolutely to the judgment of the
police who have been carefully instructed
by Major Sylvester as to their duties in
this matter and who are not without ex-
perience in public charity work II should
be enough that they tell US many hun
dreds Of deserving people are still in want.
Il is reasonable, too, to believe that where
sickness prostrates the head OF family
the call for aid must continue until the
conditions change.
The people Of Washington have given
literally. There is no doubt OF their viii
lingness to give as long as anybody suf-
fers without the power Of self-help. Since
the police have been so generous as to add
this work to their duties, they should not
he restrained by a lack of means. Every
dollar sent to Major Sylvester will find
wholly worthy object-some poor woman
or child who is without food or warmth