The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-22
The Associated Charities Cannot
Continue Its Work Unless the
People Of the City Respond to
the Appeals
FACTS DEVELOPED AT
THE ANNUAL MEETING
Reports From Organizations Az
fiIiated with the Association
Col. Russell Holds Up the Cath
oIiC Church as a Model to
Others

The 18th annual meeting Of the Asso-
ciated Charities was held last night In
Memorial Hall, Y. w. c. A. building, at
8 o'clock. Henry l.. Parker presided.
In the absence Of Dr. Charles L.
Nichols, the report of the nominating
committee was read by the secretary,
Prof. George F. Haynes.
The officers elected are: Secretary,
Prof George F. Haynes; treasurer Hal
leck Bartlett; assistant treasurer,
Henry L. Bancroft; directors for three
Mrs. S. B. Dewey, Henry A. Marsh, c.
G. Washburn, Mrs. C. c. Houghton, Dr.
Charles L. Nichols, M. j. Whittall,
Charles f. Rugg, Mrs. j. H. Goes; di-
rector for one year in place of D. G..
Leonard deceased, Frank E. Murray;
director for two years in place of Mrs.
H. A. Knowles, resigned Mrs. B. t.
Rice The board of directors will elect
the president at meeting which will
take place within a week or 10 days.
The report of the treasurer, Halleek
Bartlett, showed that the Associated
Charities is about 5000 behind on their
expenses. The report follows Mem
bership fees, $377; subscriptions,
s1S46.O5; st. Marks Church, $10.13; St.
Marks Sunday School, Sl5.41; Central
Church, 6.15; entertainments, $1O2.15;
balance for 1900, $3.11; total, $780,;
credits, $2329O5; balance, $30.95
Bills Of previous year paid: Salaries,
$1OS17; rent, $129; coal 1878; groceries,
S52.51, total, $293.46. Bills for 1900-19Ol:
Salaries, s13S6.64; rent, $780, office,
$6S.O6; telephone. $42; gas, 8; secretary,
S.; treasurer,' N.10; printing, $9S- lO;coal,
$t9S.67; groceries, $234.S8; special. 800;
sundries, $31; total, $282905. Bills due
Oct. 1: Rent, 1920; coal, $229.44; grocer
les, $439.17; total $S8S.6l.
After reading his report Mr.. Bartlett
said that in previous years he had
nothing to say at the close of the re-
port but this year he felt that he must
speak. He then went on to say that
the society is in dire distress and 1t is
a question whether it shall live or die,
sink or swim. The public must an
swer the question with contributions
The $3.50 in the treasury is held to pay
the salaries of the officers whose true
value" said Mr.. Bartlett, every one
knows" Mr.. Bartlett said that since
Oct. l, $575 has been received.
Prof. Haynes read the report Of the
general secretary, Miss M. f. Wither-
spoon, who was unable to be present.
owing to a severe cold. The report was
in part as follows:
During the past year, the Associat-
ed Charities have dealt with 500 fami-
lies, including 2052 people. OF this
number 20S families, including 500 in
dividuals, came to us for the first time.
statistics are not, as a usual thing,
especially interesting; but / wish that
when the report is published you
would give them a little study, as indi-
eating some of the problems that are
confronting the people of Worcester
and must be settled by them.
Take, for instance, the table of ma
tivity. You will find Is different ma
tionalties represented among our new
people this year. In only one instance
has it been necessary to send for an
The misapprehension I'M
der which many of these people come
to America, often to become sick and
destitute among strangers, is very pa
thetic. I'm my country, said a Syr-
ian woman to me. we think that mon
ey can be shoveled up in the streets in
America asked her why she did not
write to her people and tell them not
to come. with an expressive shrug.
she answered, They would pot believe
il. they must try it themselves
THE table of ages is also worthy Of
and gives some interest
ing suggestions. Three hundred and
twenty-three of our new people, almost
one-half the whole number. were I'M
der IA years of age. In case Of misfor-
tune. such as sickness, or the death of
the father, 1t is in the fam
lilies where there are several
little children that the bur-
den is heaviest. The children between
the ages of IA and 20, are usually able
to contribute something toward the
support Of the family, so that not 50
many families where there are sons
and daughters Of this age are apph-
cants for aid In many cases that
col1ld be cited where aid has been Civ
en- for one or two years. as soon as
the older children become wage earn
ers. the problem Is solved. and II ouI
efforts to preserve the self-respeet OF
the family have been successful, and
the help has been really helpful, the
family becomes self-suppOrting.
Again between the ages Of rs and
40 we find the number large, because
In mfhy cases these applicants are the
parents of the little children, and when
trouble comes the family is heavy
expense and no help.
I'm making up the statistics Of the
wears work the hardest questions to
answer are in regard to the causes Of
destitutiOn. because it is 50 rare that
one cause alone win account for the
condition. And yet II we are to deal
in any large and really successful way
with these problems we must study
causes. For instance, one woman is
left a widow with a family OF little
children and she manages to bring
them up with little or no aid. Another
widow with equally good moral char
acter and equally earnest desire to do
all she can for her children falls in
either the physical or mental force
and must have help continually. What
is the cause. the death Of the man OF
the inefiiciency Of the woman?