The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-03
raised by such methods and become utterly
decadent, condemned, and useless in the
second year?
The New Board of Charities.


President Mckinley appointed the mem
bers of the Board of Charities for the Dis
trict as provided by act of Congress. Thi!
board, which takes the place of the on
man who formerly was supposed to super
intend this work is composed of five resi-
dents of the District, serving without
salary.
The work of supplying the needs of tn,
poor and destitute, in any community, i.
one which calls for considerable diplomac,
| as well as shrewdness and good judgment
| At une end of the scale are people who
are determined to defraud the public ant
get living without having to work fol
| it; at the other, the worthy poor who are
too sensitive to apply for the aid of which
| they are in dire need There have been
I numerous instances of men and women
starving or freezing to death because they
were too proud and sensitive to ask for
the neccssaries of life at charity bureau
The class of people who most need help
are those who most dislike being herded
in droves. with professional Migrants, and
semi-criminal paupers. at some souphouse
less and friendless, deliberately die of
want. rather than go to the poorhouse and
run the risk of dying insane. 1t is not an
eSaggeration to say that some people
would actually be driven insane if COM
PEELED to live in the atmosphere Of some
poorhouses. This makes it necessary to
give help in as tactful and kindly a man
ner as possible.
The problem Of caring for the poor in
any large city Is so great and so compli-
Gated that it involves many smaller diff
culties, and perhaps only centuries of ex-
pertinent will result in its successful solu
ton. At present it may be said, on gen.
the police. They are apt to dispose in
short order of the class of beggars who
defraud the public. because their exper-
fence OF human nature leads them to de-
tect the fraud and their knowledge OF the
slum population of the city makes them
familiar with most of its noted characters.
Moreover, the sensitive poor feel, for some
reason or other less conjunction in ap
plying for a dollars worth OF food or a
bushel of coal at the police station than
in going to a charity bureau. Perhaps it
is because in the latter case they are deal
ing with amateur philanthroi lists. who are
apt to regard every applicant as a thief
till he proves himself honest, and in the
former they feel that the police know them
to be in real need. 1t is not hard for a
policeman to ascertain the character and
circumstances of most of the families on
his beat. and he frequently does. He has
only that small section of the city TO
occupy his attention, and he can afford TO
learn 1t thoroughly.
At the same time there are many things
which Board OF Charities such as has been
established can proitably do. There is
room for all the hard work that can be
done in the line OF supplying the needy
with food, clothing, and shelter; and it
must be accomplished systematically and
with view to permanence. The police
can attend to temporary restitution, but
when it comes to the business OF erecting
shelters for various helpless and needy
persons, dealing with 4 large permanent
pauper class, and improving the CONDITION
of the poor generally. that is beyond their
province, and more than they can be ex-
pected TO do. Jacob A. Riis, who knows,
perhaps, more about the tenement popula-
ton of New York than any other writer,
says that the laws against overcrowding
and other tenement-house evils have i'm
proved the condition Of things quite per-
ceptibly in that city. OF course, there is
no way in which man can be provided
with a better house than he has money to
secure. by any charity board, but for the
sake of the health of the whole city the
poor should be provided with pure water
for drinking and bathing purposes, and'the
sanitary conditions OF their homes should
not be such to breed fever and other dis
eases.