The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-12-05
Mrs. Elizabeth Gambler, Super
intendent of the Work in the
City Says There Is Urgent
Need of Donations.
ONLY WORTHY POOR ARE
BEING CARED FOR.
Pathetic Scenes Are EnCoun-
tered Daily by Workers.
Children in Some Instances
Required to Leave School.

# is doubtful whether there exists
a more active place in Richmond t.Ils
cold winter weather, than is to be
fo,nd at the modest and unasSuming
headquarters of the Associated Charlt-
les, u South Fifth street. where ev-
cry day, acts of beneyOlence are done
through the organization in the name
of sweet charity"
The Associated Charities is under
the direct control of the Ministerial
association of the city, and it is stat
ed by Mrs. Gambler, superintendent,
that it is from the church people that
the chief source of maintenance
comes. The associated charities is
supposed to be the center OF all con-
certed efforts on the part OF the CITY
for CHART" bic work and because Of its
nOn-sectarianism its charitable efforts
are on a broader scale than any other
organization of like character in the
city It is claimed.
Despite the unprecedented prosper
ity the country has been employing
the Associated Charities is at present
called upon for benefits to a greater
degree than has been the case for fiji
teen years.
Just why there is such sudden
fluctuation in the demands for char
ity is a much mooted question. ac-
cording to Mrs. Chandler. the eXecu-
tive head She says that in her Opin-
ion the prosperity of the country has
been largely limited to the corpor-
ations and trusts. and that the labor
ing classes have benefited but little.
Mrs. Gambler says that she has found
it uniformly the case that the increase
in wages to laborers has not increas-
ed proportionatelv with the increased
cost of living, and for this reason the
laboring classes have been unable to
save from their earnings as a protec-
tiCn against a rainy day. Conse-
quently at this time, when manufac-
turing interests are growing cOnser-
vative and are entrenching themsei-
yes against possible troubles, the ma.
jOrity of the labOring classes are left
in a DrecariOus condition financially
1t is largely with the honest labor
ing people, that the associated charit-
les works, for this organization has
been very stringent about wedding
out the chronic cases Of pauperism
The public has long since grown
weary of practising charity with that
class who habitually depend on char
ity and are indolent and imposing
Thus all of the work done through the
associated charities is entirely meri-
toriOus. For illustration, Mrs. Cand
| Ter cited the case OF highly respect.
ed family, that under normal condi
! tions was fairly prosperous. but two
of the children were suddenly seized
with typhoid fever and had to be re
J moved to the hospital. The father
was soon strickened with the malady
and as a result. the mother and sew
eral other chi lren We're left desti
tute, for the little sum saved up was
soon depleted and vanished For the
first time the family was compelled tc
call for the support of charity 1t is
in such cases that the organization
seeks to be of all the assistance DOS
sible. Another case was cited where
a pretty little girl, who stood high in
her class at school and was uniformly
a favorite with both teacher and pu
, pills, went to her instructor a few days
ago after the school hours and with
/ tears in her eyes said Teacher,
| Continued on Page Two.)