The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-27
HOW TO HELP.
President Morrow of Associated
Charities Issues Statement.
Men and Women Needed to Serve
on Committees.
TASK is ALARGE ONE.
Forty Persons Are Needed to
Start the Machinery.
Plans Made to Prevent DupIica-
tion of Work.

The relief work which has been at
tended to by the flood relief committee
of the Commercial club is now admins
tered by the organization known as the
Associated Charities. The relief work
was turned over to the Associated
Charities last Wednesday.
Rev. o. S. Morrow, secretary of the
association. gave the following inter
view to a reporter for the State Journal:
Owing to the fact that our associa-
tion has accer ted the proposition from
the Commercial club to administer the
relief TO the flood sufferers from this
date until no further relief will be need
ed. it is proper that the public should
know something of this organization,
what it proposes to do and how it pro-
poses to do it.
The object of the association, as
stated in the second article of its con-
stitution is, to prevent pauperism and
crime in the city by the judicious re-
lief Of the destitute, by providing work
for the unemployed by the care and
education of dependent and delinquent
children and by endeavoring in every
way possible to teach people who need
help how to help themselves. This OBJ
ject is to be accomplished by a thor
ough organization covering the entire
city with a single headquarters into
which it is to be gathered and recorded
all the information obtainable relative
to applicants for aid or persons need
ing aid and from which all relief is to
be given out and thereby an adequate
check kept on those who heretofore
have drawn aid from as many as half
dozen sources at the same time. This
organization consists of a central relief
committee composed Of three persons
with the &c Deeral sec7etary in charge OF
the work, chairman Of TINS committee,
This committee is to ce Supplelnenleu
by a general relief 'conn1ittee composed
of one person from each ward OF the
city This committees should be presid-
ed over by one ofMTsgf 8nembers OF the
central relief committee
This general relief committee is to
be further aided in its work by a com
mittee of friendly visitors. composed OF
five persons, one committee in each
ward and each committee presided over
by the member of the general relief
committee residing within his respective
ward. Thus our city with its six wards
will have six of these friendly VISITING
committees with five persons on each
committee or thirty friendly visitors IN
all We viii also have d general relief
committee composed of six members,
besides its chairman who shall be
member of the central relief committee.
This adds seven more to the working
force of the committees. Add to these
the central relief committee composed
of three persons and we have thirty
nine persons in Topeka bound together
under a perfect system in their united
effort to discover and relieve need wher-
ever found as we'll as to prevent paup-
erism and crime by applying the appro-
pirate preventive at the proper time.
Prof w. H. Jones, who is now the
general secretary of the association and
who has charge of all of its field work
will perfect this organization along the
lines suggested above as soon and as
fast as possible.
Needed assistance can be rendered at
this time by suggesting to Prof. Jones
the names of persons who would be
suitable persons to serve on these re-
sDective committees. The friendly visit
ing committee should be largely com
posed of women, SO might the general
relief committee The other committee,
the central relief. should probably be
composed Of men. Here are forty per-
sons needed right away to start the
machinery Of the association. The com
mittees will be organized and set to
work Just as soon as the proper per-
sons are found. All the committees
serve without financial compensation
The task assumed by the charity as
sociation is certainly a very large one,
and will probably be tedious difficult
and expensive in reaching happy So
luton. But it can be done by all work
ing together and each one doing little
The Commercial club will assist in the
movement and will encourage every we'll
directed effort to solve the problem be-
fore Us. Now let US all together COM
plete the work already so we'll begun.
The method to be pursued by the
charity association in distributing re-
lief is that every case must be person
ally Investigated by one of our accredi-
ted officers. except where the parties
and the situation are already well known
to the associa ton, before relief of any
kind will be given, except in emergency
cases.
1T is very important that all persons
or committees or organizations of the
city distributing relief should report the
names and residence of parties assisted
as well as what was given and the date.
We make this request, not that we want
to control others in their helping but
that we may know who has been helped
and SO nreNsnt duplication. on our part. -