New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-04-30
THE DONOR.
Impressions of Former Charity
Investigator.
By Louis A. Freedman.
III.

She was simple. so artIess in her belief Of
what the institution must have been able to do
through her assistance. She assured me she had
been contributing for eight years $40. even $50
year, and had never asked for anything in
return. And now, when she had called the at
tentiOn of the society to a particularly poor
family that was in need of coal. she had met
with keen disappointment. For the society
had promised her to attend at once TO the mat
ter. but when she called on the family. three
days later, she found it had not yet received
coal-and she was obliged to order some her
self. If after having received more than 500
from her. and never having disbursed one cent
Of it for any one in her behalf the institution
not able or not willing to give few dol
lars worth Of coal to poor family that she
recommended it shamefully neglecting it's
duty. She was going to withdraw her patronage
now and to give her charity directly. I en-
couraged her to do so; she would relieve the
institution from a heavy burden of RESPONSE
tiIity.
1t was while riding in a streetcar OF a Christ
mastide that 1 read attractive advertise
ment. headed:
do you want to see dollar look biS?"
regretted the laws of propriety that forbade
my sending this card to the woman. 1t would
have looked so pertinent hung over the desk up
on which she wrote her annual $40 checks made
payable to charity! 1t would have reminded
her Of the wondrous properties Of the dollar
spent for the poor; of its magic indifference to
all vulgar standards of value. 1t would have
treasured her that the purchasing power Of
charity dollar is extraordinary and bOundless;
that the money which scarcely suffces an or
binary family for day does. should do.
yeoman service for a month in the home Of the
poor some of it remaining yet for further ener-
gencies Indeed. the marvels of economy the
charity applicant is expected TO perform are
such that he cannot fail of becoming immensely
wealthy if only through the negative process
OF not spending anything at all
AS for the charity institution. it must co even
more astonishing things. With IS year 1t
must feed and house an applicant. and with
what is left pay for medical supplies and for
sundries Occasionally an applicant dies from
starvation or commits suicide; the indignant
donor turns upon the ungrateful institution and
taxes 1t with negligence and ineaPactty.
The donor has a general interest in the welfare
OF all the poor to whose support he contributes
but takes a more particular interest In the
cases OF those who come to his notice. These
cases in his mind take precedence OF all
others. and must be treated with special care
and thoroughness. AS any dissatisfaction on his
part is liable to result in his stopping his con-
tribution. the organization. his foster child. Is
usually more anxious in its treatment OF ap-
plicants referred TO it by it's members than in It's
treatment OF the usual run OF those who apply
OF themselves The heavier the contributions
OF a member the more anxious the investigation
Of the cases he refers: and II IS a noteworthy
fact that applicants who have been unable TO
obtain relief In the ordinary routine have sone