New-York tribune., 1905-04-09
THE WORRIES OF A CHARITIES INVESTIGATOR
PATCHWORK SYSTEM FREQUENTLY PREVAILS
aspsst COMES An ADVOCATE OF THE PAUPER.

gator who devotes his hours to bookkeeping Of
this sort has only enough time left TO gather
material for more such records But these records
have undeniably one eminent advantage: they
are a means OF keeping tabs not alone on
the applicant. but on the Investigator; OF fol-
lowing the latter IN all tho steps he takes and
Of showing whether he is doing anything at all.
and what he accompIishes.
So the harassed investigator. stransled IN the
meshes Of a system" with his daily allotment
Of unfinished and to be finished cases looming
UP before him. aver under the necessity Of gtv-
ing and Of keeping accounts OF all he says or
does. or means to say or do. soon gets into the
habit Of treating all the cases plecemeal. rest
ing satisfied with the disposition. matter how
temporary, OF each situation as It arises. =
remember in particular the case of a
man OF about forty-fve years. who was suffer-
ing from a complicated hernia that made HIM
UNIT for any real work. He was. however,
perfectly able to attend TO q small candy stand.
secured from a firm on the cornar oe q leading.
business street the written permission 60 put
one up there. brought this to the charity in%a
stitution. which had till then been pensioninsl
him with his wife and baby. and asked FOR $50
with which to make his start IN the business.
He argued that he would now make living
and would need no further assistance Follow
ing the usual routine, the case was referred to-
the business agent for investigation. The aP-
pIicant however, received the kindly advice to
60 in the mean time, TO the firm that had IA
vcred him in this fashion and TO request 1t now
TO contribute $40 toward the setting Up OF MS
stand. This was, to express it mildly. az IeasG
hardy. but the institutional reasoning ran thus;
The applicant has succeeded IN already arousnG
so much interest IN his welfare among the meme
hers OF the firm; let him make one more power
full appeal. and he will perhaps persuade them
even 10 give him money The man made the
arpeal as directed. and came near 70 losing thS
permission granted. By this time the business
agent had announced that the plan was feasible.
and recommended $50. The executive OF the
institution thereupOn declared that the man
might have $40. providing he raised the otneP
$40. The presumption was. perhaps thas h9
would raise the money by saving from his pen
sion. which. apparently. was TO be continued
Eventually. in the course Of a year. the sp-
pIicant, by starving himself sufficiently ana
by not begging elsewhere, might save the re-
quired sum from his allowance And the lnsti-
tuition would have economical SO
In thus temporarily botching at a case. re-
spending to the applicants need the inVesu-
gator has almost invariably 20 play the role OF
the advocatus dIaboH. or. rather. the adVocatus
pauperis, and must be minded to present the
request OF the applicant and the state OF his
affairs in strong terms and with an effective
choice OF adiectives il he would be sure that tha
recommendation made is granted For the IN
vestigator, unfortunately, has not much giving
70 do. he has simply TO ferret out the facts and
N make his suggestions 10 the executive; ne
takes naturally a pardonable interest in his
recommendations for they represent his DIS
rosfrion OF the case and he would have them
meet with the approval OF the executive Now
the executive "far from the madding croWo'
without any first hand knowledge OF the case
and with over a hundred reports daily 20 wise.
sees each report in larger perspective than
the investigator. and judges needs and eorre-
snordfne recommendations much more cOOlly.
A report must be well wOrded 10 receive par
ticular attention and an investigator has too
often 10 realize how much the fate Of appIi-
cant rests with his manner Of presenting the
case Many a good and truthful investigator
becomes casuistical. Il is 70 be feared under
the stress OF circumstances. and too zealously
uphoIds the cause OF those for whom indifference
were far better
II is. indeed. a sore temptation on the part Of
the investigator 20 dispose lavishly of funds
which he has not contributed and which he has
not earned. Giving generously Of other peoples
money is u weakness easy to acquire, and where
the money is 10 be given 10 those VINO so papa
bly, need il this weakness becomes an almost
irresistible tendency. To plunge the hands deep
into the treasure and 10 scatter IL bfoadcese
among the needy is u dream that many an m
VestigatOr may have cherished But tl1 @AI7
eyed executive, who must watch over the an 700
limited fund and take care that It does not ol-
minish before the allotted time must cheek such
prOdigal impulses and prime on all chaFity eA
crescences. II is q sad realization 70 when tLls
investigator ultimately comes. that Ine manu-
may not be as free as the heart IS good. and
arrived there. he may look back rom II over
long arrears or broken promises 70 applicants
and shattered convictions as to what ts good
and EeeGfuL