New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-05-01
WAYS OF SOCIAL SERVICE
MR.. DEVINE TALKS OF CHARITABLE
WORK TO TEACHERS COL
LEGE STUDENTS.
LEGE STUDENTS.

Edward T Devine secretary of the Charity Or
ganzation Society addressed the students of Teach
ers College yesterday afternoon Some Oppor-
tunites for Social Service" He prefaced his re-
marks by saying that perhaps the best practical
Illustration of his title would have been to bring
with him application blanks for positions in the
| Charity Organization Society the society was
about to lose the services five of its officers one
accept a similar position in Canadian city:
had been appointed probation officer in OF
the courts, had been Informed of their eligi-
biIity Civil Service list tenement house
inspectors and TO be married. 1t vas neCes
sary he said. for the society to supply the places
OF fifteen twenty people each year. and there
this time four charity organizations I'm a.
many different American cities looking for general
secretaries Under these circumstance he con-
tnued. 1t becomes practical question with college
people who looking forward perhaps to teaching
, as profession
But by social work may be meant a larger thing
than the agency for a charity organization There
from three four hundred such agents in this
country but there also positions FOR those who
for certain classes Of dependents and there IS
plenty OF opportunity for social service by those
who devote their attention to remedial or preventive
work rather chat which is dstinctively ele-
mosynary. Tho rr". I'm OF poverty is many sided
II includes 'u. relief OF those IN distress
but the consiaer. the forces in our social
fabric which maxi for poverty in the future. that
poverty which is going to demand public RELIEF
SICKNESS THE DRAWBACK
spread as that Of sickness Whatever may have
been the peculiar conditions or qualities OF the
family which make it public charge II is sickness
more often than anything else which finally pushes
them over the verge. Whenever there are In the
community any conditions which are going TO sap
the strength of its weaker members. those condl-
lions should be attacked systematically and per
sistently until entirely remedied Society as a
whole owes It to its Individual members that con
ditons shall be such promote health and
strength. Living in cities. in highly artificial
form Of life, individuals cannot combat evil cond-
tons alone. The problems OF sanitation. municipal
cleanliness, overcroWding all OF the great
problem of poverty
we have knowledge than we put 10 any
practical use. one of the most widespread OF dis
eases. Of those which most often saps the
strength Of the worker. Is malaria. Within few
| years past there has been "A great increase OF
knowledge on the subject of malaria and causes
which produce it. And yet this knowledge is not
/ being utilized 10 promote the health Of communi-
ties
Even more widespread as a cause for distress
ana poverty is tuberculosis. From the latest
illusions of medical science know that this Is a
preventable disease. Sun do nothing to reduce
the death rate arising from IT. We do not segre-
gate the sufferers, do control the dspo-
sition Of the sputum do not provide sanatoria
for ncipicnt In fact a prominent ply
stefan OF Buffalo said TO me- the sole effect of the
agitation on the subject has been work a fur
ther hardship 10 the poor by creating a prejudice
and fear Of the disease which often prevents the
possessor Of IT, or even members OF his family from
securing employment
TO STUDY TUBERCULOSIS
AT the present time / asking our board Of
managers create a committee on tuberculosis
whose duty it shall be spread a knowledge Of
the means OF preventing tuberculosis, and whose
Investigations shall lead to action the part of
! the Board Of Health. only the subject OF
overcrowded housing, but of overcrowded business
Offices. Physicians tell me that they have as many
cases Of tuberculosis contracted from oVercrowded
and unventiated business offices from any other
This is particularly in the brokers'
Offices in Wall Street
illustrations might easily be multiplied along
this line Defective eyesight frequently prevents
from securing employment. and yet that defect
may be traced directly defective lighting in the
schoolhouse, the State thus injuring the child
whom 1t professed 10 help. And while the respon-
sbility for schoolhouse construction does rest
upon teachers II is certainly the duty of the
teachers be well informed upon this and
kindred subjects that they definite facts
o boards OF education having charge of buildings
in which they teach.
Poor teeth usually thought OF a
cause Of poverty. from that arises indi-
gestion, than which nothing surely saps the
energy and vitality of the worker. l have "A
particle Of doubt that upon the books of every
charity organization in the country there are to-
day men set down incurably .azy whose lack of
energy and initiative comes from this cause. I'm
proved care of teeth in childhood IL important
matter
I'm addition all this class OF work educa-
tional. remedial. preventive every city has to-day
the problem of actual relief. And this problem is
continuously growing greater. less. This is
perfectly natural under present conditions We
living IN period OF excessively rapid changes
TO be expected that with each change there viii be
not sufficiently alert, not sufficiently well
although they might have done so under a more
primitive FORM Of civilization and a simpler mode