New-York tribune., 1901-06-22
UGIVE THE MAN HIS BEER. -
a CHARITY WORKER SAYS 1T Is BET,
TER FOR THE LABORER THAN
IMPURE, WARM WATER
N SIMMER
IN SUMNER

The members OF the Woman's Christian Tenn
Serance Union who are in the class Of the summer
echool IN philanthropic work were shocked almost
beyond power Of speech at yesterdays meeting in
she Charities Building. One speaker said that the
ealoonkeepers often We're valuable aids in their in
sestgations as they We're frequently honest and
well meaning generally keen, and always mine
OF information regarding the neighborhooc
whereupon a woman asked, with much acerbity OF
Rome and evident sarcasm, How many good
saloonkeepers are there IN New-York:' Mr.. Nc
Lean cheerfully answered, "Oh. whole crew OF
them"
The second shock came when the principal
Speaker on the topic of the day, Lawrence WELLER
secretary of the tenement house committee OF the
Sew-York Charities Organization. said that in his
opinion tobacco and beer were not necessarily 70
Se counted as "extravagances' for the poor. This
he illustrated by the Of man whom he saw
smoking cigarette while sweeping the street.
THE man was Of a number for whom he had
eecured the work. al 81 a day, in an extremely
hard winter years and he felt justified in
sn1uiring about the cigarette. He learned that II
was taking the place of food that man. who
could work with less If he smoked. and so could
save for his family. Hence. MI WELLER ar
Eued il was not fair 10 regard tobacco as an eX-
.ravagance when II serves a support and stimu-
tant where there is little food. He also said that
"a can OF cool beer in summer is much more de-
eirabe for the laborer than the warm. impure
water of defective water supply
KEEPING HOUSEHOLD ACCOUNTS
The topic was specifically The STANDARD of Lv-
ing and the Distribution Of the Family Income"
and this Mr WELLER said. he must treat entirely
from the negative side. II had been found i'm
possible 10 ascertain with any correctness the
proportion Of income expended for rent FOOD
clothing and other necessities. The workingmans 5
family is no better keeping household accounts,
remarked Mr. WELLER. than other people are Most
OF the accounting is of the character OF that done
by the rich who decided 10 be systematic
One dav she wrote down; Received so from
Frank The next day she wrote, Spent II all
Mrs Vladimir Simkhovitch. head worker at
Friendly AID House, spoke Of the influence Of ex-
ample in educating the foreign poor and deplored
the fact that they so much vulgarity In dress
and furniture among the called better class"
1T hurts me- she said, ito see my Italian
friends drop their pretty customs and mode Of
dress adopt that are much less artistic.
but It seems 10 be the road 10 development. They
90 not want TO seem artistic 10 us. but TO be
like us!'
Mrs simkhovltch told. in illustration. OF an
italian christening that she recently attended.
when we came back from the church were
net at the door Of The tenement b 3y IN me the ts
en- the mother who; notwithst andlng her fourteen
by the godfather 10 dance a tarantele, II was
froW5i1eiWs To him il represented the Italy that
made him different in some way the foreign
:Sna that was es eSua'Ty Ra8 4
Mrs Tenney OF the Brooklyn Bureau Of Chair
results OF lessons in cookery and showing how
different because one was lhflrly
end the other unskled in economy
INTERESTING EXPERIENCE.
A. the beginning Of the session some experiences
A. investigation were given by Miss Gilman. well
known worker in Boston Miss Gilman said that
should observe the smallest details IN the
home OF the applicant for relief. as any might
prove useful picture OF country LIE pinned on
the wall might be, II tactfully used, the cleW 10
the situation and she related several instances IN
point A particularly interesting case was one IN
which she visited family 70 arrange Tor Pis PIaSlhs
the children fn a home" She found a drunken
wife locked up in one room, and an exceedingly
angry and bitter husband with several niue chil-
dren, In the other The man was tireo OF tne
life" and was going keep his wife locked up
until he had disposed OF the children. and INTENDED
then 10 leave her entirely Miss Gilman asked him
what kind OF his wife was ~hen tney were
married and how long he had known @ ner pre- re
1iously He answered that he had known her
since she was FIVE years old. They had gone to
school together worked together in the Factory,
and always WI fond Of each other Ihe mem
DRY thus suddenly revived overcame him. ana ne
broke down completely ~ u,
1T ended" said Miss Gilman. IN our talking
the matter from another point OF view aio
making very different arrangements tor tne IN
fortunate woman. She is now reiorHeu' anu INC
Samily IS happy