The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-06-09
Thirty Years Ago the Township Trus-
tee Used ss0.OOo n Year for
POor Relief i'm This City.
ONLY $4,000 EXPENDED NOW
SPLENDID EFFORTS OF THE CHAR
ITY ORGANIZATION SOCIETY.
The system Carefully Explained by
the Secretary-Results OF Va
cant Lot Civilizations

one of the most fascinating subjects fer
study in this city is the system Of distribut-
ing charity. An investigator Of the subject
Was surprised TO learn that thirty years
ago, when Indianapolis was less than one
half its present size. the township trustee
was i'm the habit of expending $4,000 or $780,
600 every year in poor relief. while now the
amount rarely exceeds $4,000 In any one
year When the Secretary Of the Charity
Organization Society was asked for his idea
of how this wonderful change, amounting
almost TO a revolution. was brought about.
he replied: 1--WE have simply learned the
right way to administer charity, that Is
the secret"
Thirty years ago charity meant nothing
more or better than giving, and usually
giving quickly in order TO rid ones self OF
a troublesome importunate. 1t was
Titanic task" said the secretary, TO up
root from the popular mind the idea OF
centuries growth that no appeal of dis
tress should be refused. The old system
made no discrimination between worthy
| and fraudulent appeals. When the Charity
Organization Society was formed, those
| who were connected with il had TO demon
| strate TO charitably inclined people that the
new plan was best, and they had TO make
this demonstration in Just the way that
| every business proposition is demonstrated.
| When a stranger comes TO a banker seek
| ing commercial accommodation, the handler
| of money does not accept his clients word
without question. on the contrary, be in
| stitutes a rigid investigation, consults COM
mercial agencies organized for the purpose
| of finding out the financial standing Of
business men. ano exhausts every means at
| his command in the effort discover
| wether or not 1t is safe to extend the ac-
| commodation asked. The charity organ
ization society has, as one of its duties, the
investigation of the standing of all who
| seek charity. When citizen is approached
by such an one, if he will direct the appli-
| cant to the society. he will in a short time
be forwarded a complete report on the
case. showing whether it is deserving or
not and what has been done by way of re-
lief. BY doing this work thoroughly and
conscientiously. the society inspires and
retains the confidence of the individual.
INDIVIDUAL GIVING.
1.-The individual gives at random and
| never knows the result of his giving. The
| charity organization society gives with
| knowledge and discrimination and carefully
| watches results. There are many sides TO
the work of the society. but those that
stand out with the greatest prominence are
| the repressive and constructive. The re-
| pressive side Of the work seeks TO keep
down or repress unworthy recipients OF
charity. An incident will illustrate this
better than anything else / could offer.
This society once had an application for
| charity from a man who was perfectly able
| to work He had the incentive of five chill
| dren TO provide for. The society set several
| OF it's agencies or allied organizations to
work on this case. They directed their best
efforts, seemingly in vain. towards the one
object of inducing this man TO work. lie
simply refused to work. preferring 10 SUBJ
sist on charity. Finally, the board OF chill
dfens guardians made formal application
10 the Circuit Court for the custody Of the
mans children. This was the straw that
broke the cameTs back. Realizing that IL
he remained in Indianapolis he must go TO
work the man took his family and removed
to another city. Here he found the old sys-
tenn of distributing charity for the asking.
and now he makes application for his ra-
tons with the regularity OF clockwork.
a family moved here from Logansport
and applied to the society for charity. We
put them 10 work. but they We're not used
to II. Then they succeeded in interesting a
church organization in their affairs and for
some time enjoyed the luxury OF existing
without effort The society, however, got
after them and the family moved away
from the city.
THE GENERAL SITUATION.
''The general situation is simply this. that
the careful. individual work OF the Charity
Organization Society. it's dealing with IN
dlvidual families and solving the various
problems in the best way have tended &c
weed out unworthy cases. In the case OF
the man with five children. To which have
referred, it took two or three years for
the society to get close enough 20 him 10
make him understand that he had TO work.
The ordinary citizen can scarcely under
stand what that means TO the community.
1t means that the Charity Organization So
ciety is trying 20 get that class OF people
TO take care OF themselves and their chill
dren II that man had had a weak society
to deal with. society whose principal aim
had been 10 help people when they said
they needed aid. he would have been en-
couraged in his vicious determination 10
live without work.
THE repressive side OF charity work q
an important and a difficult side. To or
ganize the charities OF a great city and 10
thorough work means uphill business
? for a long time to come. Here is one OF
the difficulties with which such an or
ganization has TO contend. You cannot find
poor person In a city no matter what his
condition may be. who has not few
friends. II he is shrewd he viii cultivate
these friends. Thus the society has nat
only the poor man with whom-tt contend.
but IL has TO meet the open or uninten-
tional opposition OF the friends that are IN
better circumstances. Here H. where the
labor test Is applied. You will nna very
, few people who will not admit that II a
man absolutely will not work he does nos
deserve assistance. Well. then. as so,sn as
you demonstrate 10 this poor mans friends
that he will not work they withdraw their
support from him.
"A few days ago a citizen OF 1ndianapo-
: lis sent an old soldier 10 the office OF The
{ society. The citizen stated that the veteran
had told him he wished 20 secure trans
I portation 10 Logansport. As soon as I ap-
preached the veteran he said nc wanted
, something 10 eat and a place TO sleep. I
! sent him 10 the Friendly Inn. and after he
started called up the superintendent OF the