The Savannah morning news., 1904-07-17
AND THE GREATEST OF
ALL IS SUMMER CHARITY
America Leads the World in Giving the Tired Mothers
and Children OF the Sums Freshening Gmpses of
the Sea and Reinvigorating Days in the Country
BY R. BENNETT PALGRAVE.

"The rich American cities lead the
world in philanthropy" declared
a~ominent member of the London
charity Organization Society, who
visited the United States recently. 81
came over here to see how charity
organizations were compared with our
efforts in England, and l was inn
messed by the fact that every possible
need of the poor seems to have been
foreseen and provided for.
There are societies for everything.
Nowhere else has specialization been
carried to such fine point. There
* even a society conducted for the
single purpose of supplying free legal
advice to Cinnamon who need It, and
another for writing CHEEKY letters to
chronic invalids,
But in no respect are the Ameri-
can cities farther ahead of the rest
of the world than in what are known
as fresh air charities for the women
and children of the tenements in sum-
mer time. London and other cities
have their fresh air charities, too; but
they are of comparatively recent
origin, and cannot compare in number,
extent and variety with those of
Americas great centers of popula-
ton"
The credit SO freely given by this
English visitor is as just as it is gen.
erous. OF all the multitude of chart
ties which appeal for funds to the
American public none are more lib
orally and cheerfully supported than
those which aim to give the poor a
taste of the pleasures enjoyed all sum-
mer by the rich at seashore and noun
tain resorts.
This is natural. The men and woln-
en- who fee al the first opportunity
from the sweltering, broiling city
would be hard-hearted indeed if they
did not spare thought and a check
for the women and children in the
tenements, to whom a breath of fresh,
cool air often means not merely COM
fort, but life itself.
In Greater New York alone there are
no fewer than eighty fresh-air chart
ties. working along various lines and
providing for the needs of different
sections of the people. In other cities
there are as many, and sometimes even
more in proportion to population.
In Baltimore the Children's Fresh
Air Society does an excellent work by
running semi-military camps for boys
in the summer time. This is a favo-
rite idea in English cities. especially
London. Similar camps are conducted
by the Young Mems Christian Associa-
ton in several parts of the United
States.
In Washington, which is nearer to
natures heart" than most big Amer
lean cities, and where fresh-air chart
ties are consequently less necessary
than they are elsewhere, they usually
take the form of free rides on trolley
cars out to the meadows and woods.
This is a cheap kind of fresh-air work
which might be copied more extensive
ly than it is.
Chicago, as BELTS it's size and inn
portance. goes in heartily for hot
weather philanthropy. Summer out
ings were given to nearly $4,000 poor
people in that city last year.
In Boston the special feature of
fresh-air charity is country week. for
poor children. Early in spring farm
ers and other people living in the coun-
try send in their names and addresses
TO the Fresh Air Bureau, saying that
they will take two, five, ten or twenty
children, as the case may be, for
country week" Frequently one gen
erous person will accommodate as
many as thirty or forty. Sometimes
no charge is made, sometimes a small
sum is asked for to cover the bare cost
of board or part of the cost. In re-
Spouse to each offer the bureau sends
an agent to see that the place is suited
to the accommodation of children. The
cost of the transportation of the young
sters is paid by the bureau.
There are some of the special fea-
lures of the work in different cities;
but, speaking generally. the various
societies which try to give the tenet
ment jewellers a breath of fresh air
pride themselves upon the wide scope
of their efforts. This is well illus
trated by one society, which asks each
of its supporters how his subscrip-
ton shall be spent.
Shall it be for
Some wan mother with four or
Ave children?
Some teething baby and its little
mother of ten?
Some anaemic shop girl earning
81 a week?
Some aged woman still fighting
bravely for self-support?
Some woman or girl recovering
from protracted illness or serious
operation?
Some child with tubercular bones