Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-27
New Plan in Successful Operation
in New York.
KEEPS THEM CUT OF THE POOR HOUSE
Would Seem to Be a Solution
OF a Serious Problem.
81 NJ ES FOR CHILDREN
Written for The Evening Star.

written for The Evening Star
In round figures about So 600 is spent
| on charity in the state of New York yearly
including the care of the sick poor in hos
I pltals This is more than three times the
total amount expended on the ordinary
functions of the state government 1t is al
most enough to pay the interest on the ma
llonai DEBT 1t is per capita tax of about
u Tor every man, woman and child in the
empire state Great public improvements
| that are as yet unattainable might be car
RED out at once If this vast sum were not
needed for the care of the incompetent and
those unwilling to work. Like expenditures
are made in other states every year
A very large portion of the money ex
pended everywhere in charity goes to SUD
port children who have been sent to ins.j
buttons because their parents cannot or will
not support them at home. It Is generally
ADMITTED that the moral effect of institu-
tlonal life upon children is bad, since it
tends TO foster sense of dependence upon
the community, to encourage pauperfsm to
undermine society in general as well as the
individual character For this as well as
o.hef reasons state and municipal authori-
tIes ana the leaders in charitable work
everywhere have devoted special attention
1or years to the task of lesSening the mum.
Der CT children in homes, asyums and the
! like. The following paragraphs contain the
oothHC anu IeSullS VI l0e latest plan adODt-
ed for this purpose in the city of New York
| II went into effect rather more than n year
and a half ago.
Homes, Not Installations
The new Undertaking has been spoken of
as system of relief for destitute mothers
and dependent children" 1t is being car
ried on without cost to the municipality
through the initiative of Edward T Devine,
general secretary of the Charity Organiza-
ton Society, and Homer Folks. but it was
the outcome of a crude effort made to deal
with the subject by legislation. This le.is-
iative effort was known as the destitute
mothers act. 1t provided for the distr:bu-
ton of public moneys through the city de-
partment of public charities. to mothers
unable TO support their children without
help.
AT first the measure was very generally
vel thought of as a possible solution of
vexing problem, but later Investigations
showed serious weaknesses, chief of which
were the chances it afforded for the use
of political pull" At least that was me
view taken by the Charity Organ:za-
ton Society, which opposed and killed he
bill. But the scheme suggested the plan
now in operation. by which children are
kept cut of institutions and supported at
their own homes through private contribu-
tiGnS.
Investigation under the present plan was
begun by tn Charity organiZa ton Society
on June ], 1898. at the office Of the super
ment of public charities. All children cared
for in New York city Institutions public
charges are known at that office; many OF
them admitted in the first place after
Investigations made by visitors acting I'M
der the department direction. Others are
surrendered directly to the institutions by
| their parents. Still others are committed
by magistrates. The society asked and was
granted permission to examine into all
cases In which commitment was sought.
The idea was to learn whether help given
| to the parents would not make commitment
unnecessary and to give such help when
the situation was encouraging.
In Successful Operation.
The outcome has more than justified the
adoption of the plan, since in the eighteen
months between the date thereof and jan
uary l of the present year 1,O15 children
who otherwise would have certainly been
sent to various asylums and homes have
been saved from institutional life and are
now living with their parents. OF this
number 3J3 had been actually committed
when the society's agents took their cases
In hand, while proceedings for commit
ment had only passed the preliminary
stages with the other &C.,.
1t should not be understood from this
that none of the children whose cases were
investigated were sent TO institutions, since
in fact many We're. But the number. that
would nave been SO disposed of under the
old regime was reduced least one-third,
remarkable showing when it is remem-
bered that the plan had never been tried
before In the circumstance the society
feels encouraged to hope that the future
showing will be still more satisfactory, and
it is significant that the department of
charities has come to recognize the value OF
the plan and is now giving the society every
possible assistance in this work. With few
exceptions the families whose children Were
slated for the institutions have gladly ac-
cepted the proffered aid.
More Than 100000 Year Saved.
So satisfactory has the plan proved as
a whole that nearly quite all the organ
lied agencies for charity in New York
have adopted it and are now carrying it
on in harmony with the Charity Organiza-
ton Society. This is true both of the ST.
Vincent de Paul Society. which looks after
destitute Roman Catholics, and the United
Hebrew Charities, organized to care for
needy Jews, and the figures given above in
clude the children saved from institutions
by these organizations. Every one agrees
that the rescued children who are now liE-
ing at their own homes with their parents
and their brothers and sisters, going to
school regularly and enjoying all the rights
and privileges of their neighbors, are much
happier and far more Likely to become use
full members of society than II they We're
cooped up in institutions, living by rule,
with personal identity almost lost and with
the brand of the poor house stamped upon
their childish natures.
But the results are far from lacking sig
nificance from Il money point of view.
Under the old system the support of these
LOIS children would cost the community
5000 week, since by law the city allows
institutions 50 a week Tor the board OF
each child. The grand total saved yearly
to the municipality, even now, while the
system is yet in its infancy, amounts 10
Si0o,5G0. by no means trivial sum. even
for great city like New York. 1t is tru-
that not quite all this amount is actually
saved, however The moneys contributed
by private charity to help support the chill
dren at home would have to be deducted in
order to determine the net economy. Ac
cording to Mr.. Devine. this would be impos-
sible, but he adds that the cost of the plan