Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-29

Il our age, and of all such institutions
Toynbee hall, in London, is the parent.
This light amid the darkness of White
chapel which has burned steadily for
three and twenty years has a special at-
traction for the people of Chicago De-
cause 1t may be regarded as the father OF
Hull House, says James O'Donnel Ben
nett in the Chicago Record-Herald. Toyn-
bee.hall was founded by men and its work
is in direct charge of men. Hull House is
a woman's achievement, and so the reia-
tionship of father and daughter between
the university settlement in Commercial
road and the great school in Halsteu
street Is not entirely rhetorical way Oh
defining the sentimental attachment
which binds the two institutions togetner
| in common purpose and common TASKS.
Granting SO much, we may think ol
Hull House as Toynbee's fairest dausn-
ter. and it was with peculiar pleasure,
| therefore, that one who reveres tne
| founder and loves the atmosphere of Hull
House passed out of the clatter and grime
| Of Commercial road INTO the quiet clois-
| ters of Toynbee hall. Many Americans
spend an hour there; some take up
studies that keep them there many weeA''
| From an hours tarrying something may
be gained some notion may be optalneu
of the spirit of Toynbee hall. the spirit OF
fortitude, patience. gentleness, high cui-
ture and perfect equality as between man
and man, that animate its work. The
teeming lifeA of Whitechapel hurries and
scampers all around the low, dull-reu
buildings, and in Whitechapel lie is SO
active so prolific lat humanity, as you
observe it from the top of the tram car
rumblng down Commercial road, taxes on
the aspect of vermin. You think tne less
of yourself for feeling that way. put the
impression is inevitable. What seems in
evitable either in fact or fancy-and tnere
are many facts that seem inevitapie III
the Whitechapel region-has never been
barrier between the workers in Toynpee
hall and the people around them TO Wnom
they would minister and Wnom tney
would not only teach, but by whom tney
would be taught 1.-The longer one lives
there" said T. E. Harvey, who knows me
place as well as he loves 1t, "and tne
better one knows it, the more one teels
it's exceptional advantages as meetins
ground for men of all sorts and condi-
tions. for all kinds of varying ideas and
ideals. And 1t is friendly meeting place
where one can gain help from the other'
and not a mere battle-ground where op-
ponents meet as foes. SittingNside py
side at the same class or meetlng, OF
sharing to some extent in common So
cial life men come to understand eacn
other better, and to respect what once
they only disliked or despised And even
in discussion old enemies become, in time,
old friends, and a sense of comradeship
comes to underlie the widest differences
of theory in politics or philosophy OF LIE.
Internationally the aim of Toynbee hall
is perhaps not so much to instruct as 10
cultivate. and socially it aims to help the
poor and the suffering not so mucn py
giving them something and letting tnat
end the matter as by getting to Know
them. That note is constantly sounded in
all the work of the institution. Toynbee
hall takes it for granted that there are
many who feel keenly the difference be-
tween their own lot and that of the ma
jority of their fellow countrymen, ana
who would be sorry to go through IRE
without some definite and effective at
tempt to share what they have received,
and "to make some of their friends
among the poor" Brownings "ali Sorts
and conditions together" is very real
enitome of the work and the method of
work at Toynbee hall, as glance at the
names of the men who have been or are
associated with it will show. In the list
of those who have desired to make some
of their friends among the poor" are the
late Lord Aberdare. the late Earl OF Dali
housie, Viscount Milne the Marquis or
Ripon the Right Hon. James Bryce. the
Right Hon. A. j. Balfour. Hon. Alfred
I,yttleton. the Right Hon. Sir John Gorst
and many prelates of the church of Ems
land These men in laying out the policy
of Toynbee hall builded so wisely that II
has never become playground 1or thc
dilettante philanthropist who, going
among the poor for new sensation,
seeks only to peep and peer about and 10
extend that lazy patronage than TO en-
dure which the poor would rather be lelt
to their poverty No, Toynbee hall means
work and it means friendship. In an an
nouncement of certain of it's activities Tor
which helpers are required there are
these paragraphs, and they indicate the
scope and spirit of the work as strilSingiy
as any brief extracts from its volu1n"
inous literature could:
BOYS CLUBs-Tc organize games. athletics
boxing. etc, and to help in the management.
WORKING MEMS CLUBS--To visit the ciups
regularly; to arrange for concerts OF good
music, and for lectures and visits to places
of interest.
WORKING BOYS HOMES-yTo visit working
boys homes in the neighborhood ana hahe
friends with the boys.
LODGING HOUSES FOR MEN-To visit ana
get to know the men, and to encourage them
to come to the entertainments and concerts
at the hall.
CHARITY oRGANIzATION-To visit those
who ask for help and to discover the causes
of their poverty with a view to their aoe-
quate relief.
CASUAL WARD-To visit with a view to res
cuing and finding work for young men VINO
have drifted into desttution.
INQUIRIES-To gather information. e. g..
about some local industry-the conditions am
hours of labor-the housing problem-trades
unions
READING cIRCLEs-To get the public libra
ries used by groups OF men reading ana
meeting to discuss given subject.
SCHOOLS-To act as managers of elementary
schools (day and evening" and to make friends
with parents children and teachers.
CHILDREN-To take parties of children TO
places OF interest and to visit the homes OF
those goirg to the country through the agen-
cyl of the children's country holiday fund
Here the note of friendship and of 'get
to know" is constantly iterated, and
Canon Barnett, long leader in the work
has recorded his belief that there are
greater possibilities in the system than
have perhaps been fully realized, If