The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-01-17
POVERTY IN NEW YoRkclTY
Misery in the Metropolis Greater
Than Ever Before.
PhilanthrODist writes Commissioner-uen-
eraI Sargent, Of the National Bureau Of
Charities, About Conditions.

New York City. Surprising state
ments concerning increasing proverty.
in New York City were made in let
ter from a New York City philanthro-
pist of national fame to Commissioner
General Sargent. Of the Bureau Of
Immigration at Washington, p. Q.
This letter, the name of whose auth
or is withheld by Mr.. Sargent, declares
that 100000 men are without work in
Greater New York City. that the hos
pitfalls are overcrowded, and that 30, 600
school children, because of the empty
purses of their parents have to trudge
to school without breakfast every
morning
@Fifty thousand children go to school
breakfastless. which means idle faith
ers,n writes the philanthr0pist So
overwhelmed is the Department of
Charities with tens of thousands Of
applications from men out of work
that it finds itself unable to cope with
the situation. In short, the metropolis
this winter is facing 4 problem with
regard to the unemployed such as
never has been known in past years.
s'The cause OF this state of affairs is
of less moment now than the immedi
ate problem of how to deal with the
multitudes Of the unemployed. MOI
has the question here to do with the
ultimate relief. such as Congress can
provide by restricting immigration and
scattering immigrants.
"The immediate question, then, Isl
What can be done with the great army
of the unemployed at once? This
question eliminates the unwilling and
the unable, whom we always have
with Ne, giving only the able and will
ing-the honest idle mostly unskilled
labor, Of course. How are We to give
relief to these?"
Mr.. Sargent announced that this let
ter has strengthened his belief that
immigration not only should be scat
tered. but restricted. New York City,
he believes. suffers more from imni
grafton, proportionately, than any five
cities in the country.
MY principal suggestion in my re
ply to this letter." said Mr.. Sargent
sis that applications coming to this bu
reau daily for work be published il
New York City in some manner. and
the influx relieved in that congested
and evidently pr0verty- stricken city
There is a great deal Of work to he
had in the South if we can draw the
labor here from New York City and
other embarrassed cities"
J. Mckee Borden, secretary of Pub
lie Charities. said:
"Since / have held this position ]
can safely say that have never seen
such widespread restitution calling for
immediate relief 1t has been made
more pathetic by the fact that new ele
ments have entered into it-men will
ing. able, anxious to work and support
their families are unable to get work,
perhaps because of industrial CON
diti0ns.
when the snow storm visited US
we managed to engage the interest not
only of the city. but Of the traction
companies and thousands of men were
put to work shovellng snow. do not
think there ever were SO many deserv
ing applicants. l believe that 10000
school children are under-fed Many
who should be filling their minds with
knowledge, too, are helping to fill the
family larderD