The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-05-09
COMMERCIAL VS..
MORAL WORTH
UPBUILOIMG OF MIND AND BODY
What Y. NJ. A. Organizations Are
Doing in the Way of Prac-
teal Assistance.

II is generally understood that the
reclamation service is to bring into
active use thousands of acres of what
is now called waste" or dry land,
by means of carrying water. just or
binary water, to these lands, and
making them productive and fertile.
In promoting this work, quite a
little money has been put up by the
people of this city and surrounding
country. Also. quite lot of money
is being put into the scheme by the
government, ali hoping for and con-
fidently expecting correspondingly
large returns in the future.
Of course, at the bottom of all the
work is the expectation of large finan-
cia returns which shall amply repay
time and money spent now, but it is
still considered a worthy thing to do,
for the man that helps it along is not
only helping himself, but his neigh
Dor also, as well as adding to the ben
eft of this section of the country in
its relation to the rest of the world
If so much Importance is attached
to. so much enthusiasm aroused over
and so much money put into the re-
claiming Of piece of dry land, all
because Of the benefits to be accrued
later, what is the proportionate value
between that and the retaining Of
man, for service and for usefulness
so long as life shall last with him?
Does it not seem strange that we
should make so much fuss over the
matter, possibly because it touches
our selfish interests, and yet care SO
little about our fellow-beings? "What
does it matter TO US, If they go to the
dogs or the devil? Let them co." we
say, in action, If not in thought.
They are nothing to us; let them
look out for themselves.
Is this attitude right? Is it best in
the long run? Will it not really
pay" better, if that is the basis upon
which most men will look at it, to
help a fellow do his best, and hinder
him from spelling himself or going
10 waste by putting in his way
such things in the way of institutions
as will help him to reclaim if lost, or
maintain if still possessed, his man
hood and his usefulness to the city,
state and nation?
With such an object lesson all
around us here in North Yakima, it is
no wonder that the keen business
men Of the city have already seen the
necessity of such work as the Young
Mems Christian Association. and are
trying to put through a proposition
nat Will uplift and benefit every
Young man and boy who will put him
self under its influence, acting either
as a conserving or retaining agency
While, at the same time, the cost is
relatively small.
That the Association does this sort
Of business, and does it we'll, is
shown by few extracts from "Asso-
citation Men" the official organ OF
The Y. NJ c. A. movement, copy OF
which was obtained from the Y. NJ
c. A. office here, and which are as
follows:
AT the Bowery branch of the Y
NJ c. A. in New York City total oi
three thousand men every year gel
a chance to take a new foothold on
life, and are given an opportunity tc
regain themselves and their stand
ing, by a fair show. At this place
every man needing help and willing
to help himself, is welcome A hun.
dred beds were supplied. a restaurant
served sc meals to those who could
pay, and free to those who couldn't;
presentable for a position, and an EN-.
ployment department organized
which found work for a thousand
men a year which they could do and
not do" the employer Every nigh
religious meetings were held which
were always full Of cheer. and gave
the men hope All sorts of men have
come to the desk there to be inter
viewed About one-third of the mer
who are strapped and stranded, ant
show up here, are college. and three
quarters are Americans. A speaker
at one of the evening services thef.
recently. came there years ago. {
poverty-stricken. but clever and We,