New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-15
CHARITY ORGANIZATION.


streets Of Ncw-Yorl has an ugly look win all
our great charities searching for distress 10
rclieve it might seem as if some one of them
should have found her in her need. 1t Is uh-
nIoosnnt 70 face the fact that they do not ana
perhaps cannot reach such cases OF want. NOT
that they are 10 bc blamed. Hundreds OF peo-
pie would have been only too glad to help TINS
widow if they had known her need. she was
the victim Of her own ignorance to great eN-
tent She did not apply for ala TIL her spark
of life had nearly gone out. If she had De-
longed to church she would probably nave
been saved No one of the organizations when
would have been interested in her was brought
In contact with her She was isolated largely
bv her own acts. when many doors would have
been opened at her call
Her fate however. suggests the question II
the system Of orr organized charities might not
bc so improved as TO reach more readily that
most deserving class Of the poor who DO not
know how to seek aid or who are too proud 10
ask IT, There is no dcarth Of money spent mere
for charities. Undoubtedly much Of II is wasted
and spent in fadS Controller Coler recently
showed that large amounts were invested III
doing work which the city would otherwise
do and do better. Some disDcnsares, hospitals
and homes exist for the benefit of their man
ayers more than for the benefit Of their patients
If all the money spent I'm relieving the poor III
This city could be employed under direction
Al able and well organized as that OF a great
railroad or Of Tammany Hall. the chances OF
such n case of starvation as this womans would
be materially reduced. Look AT Iammany
organization for instance Somebody In It's
interest always knows what is going on in a
block. however poor and populous. new
family does not move in. an old family Is not
evlcted without somebody being aware OF IT,
This woman was not driven into the street
without exciting the gossip Of the neighhors
The soloonkeeper on the ground floor and the
grocer at the corner heard of H. If the nus
hand was n voter his death was announced to
the Tammany district captain. Why should
there not have been somebody in that block
with eyes as wide open in the interests Of
charity organizations as were the eyes of others
in the interests of politicians and tradesmen?
Such a programme Of charity is indeed n
large one. To the outsider the task OF knowing
what is going on in one block Of the East Side.
not 70 speak Of hundreds Of blocks. seems like
counting the hairs Of ones head. Yet those
blocks are known to those who make business
intelligent persons who under proper organiza-
ton could be made as useful reporters for
charity as the saloonkecper Is for politics. The
landlords know whom they eyct and II would
not be impossible to find out from them some
thing about the condition Of tho evicted. Most
Of them deserve no aid. but an adequate or
! ganization might take a look at them to see If
any did. such work requires observation equal
10 that % the police IN 4 Continental city. but
there are thousands Of people in every quarter of
this city who would furnish such information
II systematic effort was made 10 collect H.
Possibly the actual relief given might he slight
in comparison to the mass Of humanity
scrutinizcd but certainly the intimat" acquant
ance with all the people Of the city not as
masses. but as individuals would he of decided
| benefit.
Some Of our organizations strive 10 do work
in this direction. and We do not mean in the
least 10 deprcciate their devotion or their sue
cess We only suggest possible extension of
their scheme by tho employment of auxniaric>
such as are made use Of so effectively in politics
and business.