The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-11-26
CARE FOR THE POOR.
Prosperity Does Not
Lessen Amount
of Work.
ASSOCIATED CHARITIES.
It's Labors Are Carried on
in Secret and Many
Are Helped.

Prosperity in commercial circles does
not lessen the amount of work which
will fall upon the shoulders of the
prime movers of the work of the AS
ISOLATED Charities. This winter. bust
ness conditions give promise of being
productive of better wages and an in
crease in the number of workingmen
and women. A business boom, con-
trary to general belief, causes more suf-
fering-because of poverty, than widely
heralded stagnation in business. be-
cause the men out of work. and those
working for low wages, usually flock to
the city from whence come reports of
prosperity
prominent worker in the interests
of the Associated Charities talked with
The Spy man recently concerning the
methods of affording relief to suffer
ing humanity" as the patent medicine
ads say. Less than one-fourth of
the needy persons apply to the Asso-
clateds Charities for financial aid In
families where food is absolutely a ne
cessity for the preservation of life. there
exists mortal dread of having the
state of affairs made public, or even
made known to the circle of helpers at
the head of the Associated Charities. 1t
was said that the work of the benefac-
tors of the poorer classes is made hard
er because of the persistent efforts of
poverty stricken people to conceal their
financial condition.
In western cities the work of the As
soclated Charities in cities and townN
where liquor licenses are granted, is
being criticised by the better class of
the poor people who apply for assist
ance. The head of many a family by
habits of intoXication, drains the week.
ly treasury of the household. In Wor-
cester such a state of affairs is next to
impossible, because of the rigid exam
nation which follows application for
assistance. Often. the deserving poor
keep silent, but when hunted out by
agents of the Associated Charities
there is always an examination of the
case. and the habits of the family or
person to be benefited
During the past year the work of the
Associated Charities has been conduct
ed on broader lines in this city than
ever before. For sweet charitys sake
55S families were assisted by payment
of rent, doctors bills, or food The
work of the Associated Charities is not
of the sort that brings advertising, and
indeed but few of the families who are
There is one phase of work which is
not credited to the Associated Charities
for performance yet it comes within
the Scope of the local societies, pre-
vention of overcrowding in the resi-
Dental sections of the city. Ill health.
which binds many a hand that would
be at work, and so makes aid neces-
sary, is primarily caused, in many in
stances, by poorly ventilated tenements
and mixed population in cramped
quarters.
The work of the investigating com
mittee this year will be of an unusual
painstaking nature. Every effort will
be made to discover the factors which
are fundamental in causing poverty,
and every effort will be expended in
bringing about change in conditions
which will make continued poverty an
impossibility. Ill-health is often at the
root of all financial difficulty. Poor
parents sometimes have small children
and poorly ventilated living rooms and
unnecessarily cramped quarters, even
when the additional cost of a larger
tenement is considered, often causing a
child to be puny and in ill-health the
greater part of the time. The wife and
mother cares for her infant, the hus-
band tolls, is as economical as he
knows how to be, but doctors bills eat
up the little money which the family
breadWinners have boarded. The hus-
band is laid off, and there is no money
coming into the family treasury. 1t
is then that the poor man and strug-
Cling wife need assistance. Pride crops
out in every phase of their daily battle
with poverty Such suffering does not
long exist, for there is an institution.
the Associated Charities, which puts
the family again on a basis of prosper
ity.
This year the Associated Charities
will have the cooperation of every
member of the local clergy in its eff
forts. Nils Winkler, agent for the
Powell Planer Co, and Blaisdell Ma
chine Co, in Sweden and Norway re-
Gently talked with The Spy man at the
Bay State house concerning the con-
ditions of the poorer classes in Ameri-
ca and Sweden. Mr.. Winkler said: 1T
is seldom that need of help is shown
by family in Sweden. Such efforts as
have seen put forth in New York city
for the relief of poor families would be
wasted in Sweden. Poverty never
causes starvation in my native land,
but OF course there are only about
100000 people in the country against
IL or IA times that number here.
My idea of American religion is that
it does not extend far enough outside
the church doors to materially benefit
the moral condition of the poorer class
es. Moral help is more necessary than
financial help, if an entire change in
the conditions governing poverty is
sought. Churches that open their doors
and have attractions for the poorer
classes are seldom called upon to assist
families IN the vicinity. By church at
tendance the poor family becomes
known TO the welcoming members of
the church societies. BY association
With church-going people, poor people
Get acquainted with Weather people.
and in friendly calls, which always fol-
low, the condition of family in need
is easily seen, a charitable object ac-
complished. and the poor family begins
under brighter conditions without hav-
ing its needs made public. My idea of
relief work is that it should begin in
the churches.
The Christmas observance by the AS
ISOLATED Charities will De conducted on
broader lines than heretofore A thor
ough canvass will be made, and poor
children without the Frightening dona-
tions of agents of the Associated Char
tiles viii be only those who cannot be
located in weeks of diligent search.
There is need of realization by the
public of the magnitude of the Asso-
ciated Charities work. Efforts to assist
the poor, now in many instances indi-
vidually exerted, by being made a part
of the Associated Charities, would re-
suit in professional poverty" becom-
ing a thing unknown in local charitable
aims.