The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-25
THE HEBREW CHARITIES
Annual Meeting at the Eighth
Street Jewish Temple.
A Large Attendance of Members-Aid
Rendered Needy Persons During
the Past Yenr-Report of President
I. l.. BlOut - Some Timely Sug-
Eestions-Thc Financial Condition.

the assembly room of the Jewish Temple
on Eighth Street and was attended by a
large and attentive membership. Presi-
dent 1. L. Blout, assisted by Mrs. L. OPP
penheimer, the second vice president.
conducted the meeting.
After the reading and adoption OF the
minutes of the last annual meeting the
various reports of the officers for the past
year were read and freely discussed. The
financial condition of the Charities was
set forth as follows: To balance on hand
November %, 1884, s307.31; total amount
received from contributors up to October
Ii, 1900, 81 ,052.40: amount received from
charity ball, s900.90; total receipts,
s2.260.61. Paid out to October IL, 1900. as
per vouchers, S1,731.49; balance on hand,
s529.12.
The number of applicants assisted from
November g. 1899. to October !, 1900, and
the character of relief afforded was shown
by the report of the recording secretary,
Jacob Strasburger, to be as follows: As
sisted with cash, 95 cases; transportation,
so; rent. 16; coal. SO; license to peddle, 6;
provisions and meals, is: medical attend
ance, Is; wearing apparel, Go; merchan-
disc for store use, IL; total applications
granted. 374; refused, &c; grand total Of
applicants, $50. In the course OF his re-
port Mr. Strasburger said:- Organized
charities are no longer an experiment, but
rather a necessity to all well-thinking
communities. They have become philan-
thropic institutions of great worth and
merit, relieving the public of burden and
responsibility, preventing abuse of much
money, and practically ostracizing the
pauper and tramp element, so that indis-
cr iyni in TO al I'm has heep almost dome
away with, for patrons of charity associa-
lions have been instructed to send all ap
plicants seeking relief to obtain it through
the proper channels.
While the United Hebrew Charities is
sectarian In name, its policy has always
been never to refuse worthy applicants the
necessary aid, no matter of what creed
they might be. Unfortunately, its limited
| resources do not permit too much eXtenu-
| alton. That our co-religionists have at all
times been well cared for is beyond ques-
ton
Finances of the Organization.
Touching on the finances, Mr.. Stras-
burger said: 1.-The amount collected from
contributors during the past year was I'M
precedentedly small; so much so that had
the association been compelled to rely upon
this source alone its usefulness would have
long since ceased. Fortunately for the
| charities, the charity ball proved a great
boon to the cause.
In many cities the practice of giving
entertainments of various forms to raise
money for charitable or religious pur-
poses has been discountenanced and al
most abandoned. 1t is justly claimed that
all institutions of a philanthropc nature
should be supported by voluntary con-
tributicns, and the habit of importuning
persons to purchase tickets for every
seemingly meritorious affair is to say
the least, exceedingly annoying, and is
characterized as petty .beggary. There is
absolutely no reason why our charities
are not more literally supported Surely
our people are fully able to give to this
| object and If each would give an amount
proportionate to their means. there
would be little cause for complaint"
The report of the treasurer A. D.
Prince, which in every detail correspond
ed with that of the financial secretary,
A. G. Wolf, was read and adopted.
The president of the Charities, l. l..
Biout, then read his annual report, and,
after touching on the many causes of
poverty and the ways to relieve the poor
and needy. said:
THE want of proper schooling and
training of children of the poor must be
charged in most instances to the indif-
ference and neglect OF their parents and
guardians. The cOnveniences and great
value of our public schools they fail to
recognize and embrace. Their own edu-
cation. consisting, as rule, of limited
knowledge of reading and writing. and
often not even that, sparingly admins
tered in the dismal Ghettos of tyrannical
countries, they do not, cannot value the
importance of proper education. Hence,
we must find remedy for these deplora-
BILE conditions. These children must at
tend the public schools. A special COM
mittee should be formed under the imnle-
date supervision of the charity associa-
ton, whose duties shall consist of visit
ing the homes of the poor at least once
week, see that their children attend
school regularly. and that they are equip
ped with all necessaries, requisite for a
proper appearance, etc, likewise to look
to the sanitary and physical condition of
the families themselves together with
such other duties which the committee
may deem prudent, wise and practical.
Local md Transient Poor.
THE condition of our local poor gives
no cause for apprehension. Most of those
who in the past have been aided to the
extent of making them self-supporting.
continue to prosper. Others not quite as
fortunate, require an occasional lift,
helping hand, to enable them to continue
in their vocation, and while not listed in
the ranks of wealth and abundance they
are content and satisfied. Some few aged,
infirm, and disabled have been placed on
the roll of regular pensioners. They re-
ceive specific monthly allowance with
out which their lot would be deplorable
indeed.
THE transient poor and tramps still
bother as of old. To handicap this evil,
a trust, consisting of a number of promi-
nent charity associations throughout the
country, has been formed entitled the Con-
ference of Jewish Charities, whose aim
and intent is to prevent pauperism and
imposition in general Called into exist
ence in the city of Cincinnati two years
ago, it has promulgated rules and regula-
lions aiming at the prevention of the
pauper fraternity from travelling con-
stantly through the country at the ex-
pense and annoyance of the charities The
conference is destined to supply long
felt want, a right step in the right direc-
ton. II does not propose to NEEDLE with
the local poor of individual associations,
but directs its attention to professional
beggars and tramps. The United Hebrew
Charities of our city has affiliated with
the conference and was ably represented
at its first convention held in May last in
the city of Chicago by she financial sec
rotary. Mr.. a. G. Wolf, whose report shows
interest manifested during
the session.
Free Burial Society.
1.-THE burying of dead, the homeless,
abandoned, and forlorn, which for years
past has been sidetracked to the care of
the charities, should be transferred to the