The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-02
NEWS OF THE CITY
.CUTRIDGE OUTLINES
WORK OF CHARITY
Secretary of Associated Chari-
ties Tells of Work of
Society

The annual meeting, of the Asso-
ciated Charities was held last night at
the Central Park Methodist church. w.
A. Gutridge, secretary of the society,
| was the first speaker, and lectured at
length on the work being accomplished
by the society, the difficulties that
| were to be contended with and the
plans of the society for the coming
year. The secretary spoke IN part as
| follows:
The Associated Charities was first
organized by number of individual
charitable institutions for the purpose
of working together and thus securing
better results, each organization be-
ing represented by two members. The
society is not for the purpose of sup
plying material relief to the. poor, but
to look up cases of destitution, and after
finding out the real trouble will refer
1T for treatment to that charity to
which it particularly belongs. An in
formation bureau has been organized,
and we can give on short notice any
information regarding all the people of
the city who apply for charitable care.
Tells of the Work
All the charities composing the AS
sociated Charities contribute to it's
financial support, but the greater por-
tlon of our maintenance is derived
from voluntary contributions. Our sub
scription list is proportionately the
longest in the United States. containing
over 1000 subscribers, but the average
amount of each subscription is the
smallest in the country, and our great
est need in this regard is larger CON-
tributions.
One of the principal objects ofethis
society is to educate those who would
help the poor in the proper methods Of
fellef, which is not to materially aid
tnem, but to teach self-respect Pro-
vidlng a poor family with money or
provisions does not benefit them only
Tor the time being, and the more as
sistance of that kind they receive the
more they expect, and gradually cease
TO make any effort whatever and be-
come burden on the community.
ON the other hand, a person who
can go INTO poor mans house, bring
ing with him nothing but his own per-
sonafity, and can impart that person
atty to those around them thus awak-
ening In them the desire to- attain
something and be credit to them:
selves and to society, is the one who
really does some good.
From my own experience 1 know
tnat II family through some mis-
fortune become in straitened cir
cumstances and we have not heard of
them before their misfortune we will
not hear from them afterwards, and
why? Because they possess that
strength of character that enables
them to provide for themselves in the
face of adversely.
therefore it is not misfortune, but
rather defective character that is re-
FOR tl,<a
in all our large cities.
Object of Organization
This then is the one object of our
organization, to build up the character,
thus providing the way for self-re-
specl which is sure cure for pow
erty."
Mr.. Gutridge concluded by saying
that although the Associated Charities
were working in many of the large
cities of the country, nowhere had they
met with better success than in st.
Paul.
DR.. III. A. Tomlinson, superintendent
of hospital for the insane at ST. Peter
and actively engaged in Charitable
work. was the next speaker DIR.
Tomlinson said:
The poor are divided into two
| classes, the defective and the delin-
quent. The first class is composed of
people who, through an imperfectly
developed character, are unable to TAX =
care of themselves, while those of the
next class, while having the mental
and physical abilities to provide for
themselves, have not the moral cour-
age to make an attempt, or if they do,
/ 1T is only in a half-hearted way.
Physical surroundings have a great
influence on the character, especially in
the case of children. Take child
who is raised in an atmosphere of pow
erty and squalor and he will have no
desire to raise himself to better con-
| d1tlon, while, on the other hand; q child
who has been reared in congenial sur
roundings will not be satisfied with
anythingselse. One of the greatest aids
| In caring for the poor is observation,
and without it no one can be success
| full
by observing closely the character
of a man and lending him helping
hand it is not only possible but com
paratively easy to remedy the flaws
and strengthen the good points One
of the greatest weaknesses today in the
work of caring for the poor is that
| those wishing to aid them do not look
at the question from the same stand
point as those to be aided do. 1t is a
fact that in all large communities diff
ferent classes of society are formed,
1 and for this reason it is often the. case
! that poor family only entertains hard
/ feelings against those wishing to bene-
| fit them.
THE great objects, then, of the As
sociated Charities for the future are
close observation, the teaching of self
respect and self-support and employing
| only to teach these things those vino
understand their work."
|