The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-23
KEEPING TAB ON
LOCAL BEGCARS.
Associated Charities Adopts,
Novel Plan to Check
Fraud.
SEND ALL TO HEADQUARTERS
Merchants and Others Not Ex-
peoted to Aid Those Who
Cali for 1t.
SEND ALL TO HEADQUARTERS

The Associated Charities of Rich
House, No. 1900 East Franklin Street
Aas prepared unique and valuable
method of dealing with street beg
gars which will prove n boon to niatiy
business Offices, and will insure against
fraud and deception. The charity
workers of the city are positive in say
ing that at this season OF The year,
and with conditions as they are in
tRichmond at present, there Is abso-
lutcly no reason for any able-bodied
man failing to make n living IL he
will work for 1t. In fact there are
number OF firms advertising for un
skilled labor both male and female.
white and colored.
Any able-bodied man who bess on
the streets may therefore be consid-
cred a fakir, or else ignorant Of the
conditions prevailing here. For this
Hast class Superintendent Buchanan
has prepared little pad of blanks
which may be hung in any office.
Record is Kept.
Each pad is given a serial number,
and record kept in the office. The
printed slip reads: Please give such
facts warrant and report your action
to me-" Full Instructions are given
with the pad. directing the user, when
n beggar calls on him or approaches
him on the street, to give him one OF
the tickets and send him to the office
OF the association. The slip also d.
rects the subscriber that when a local
case OF distress or need is brought
ITO his attention to call up the office by
%o1o nd In vi 1Stn Mt "a
hook into the matter, relieving the
Immediate necessities first, and max
ang full report, with recommends
tions for permanent relief. They also
ask that all begging letters should be
turned over to the association for in
vestigation. as this is regarded as one
of the most deceptive as we'll as most
subtle forms of begging.
To all persons willing to work. the
Associated Charities will undertake to
lind employment. In fact, the demand
exceeds the supply.
! Tho advantage of the plan introduce
red by Superintendent Buchanan Is that
1.-THE dead beats" and fakes soon be-
come known to the officers of the as
lsociation, and men who pretend to BIZ
out Of work will soon learn to give
"a wide berth to an office where job
is provided while you wait.
Charity All the Time.
There is popular and in some mea-
sure correct idea that charity work
Is only done in the winter time. Ger
tainly when the ground is covered
with snow, when many lines OF work
are closed down, when fuel and warm
clothes are needed. the chances of
suffering are much greater than IN
summer. But in the summer there are
cases Of sickness, and there are al
ways the old and infirm. Then the
association officers know of widows
with small children. who need some
assistance from time to time with
their rent, or groceries, to keep the
family together. and to make both
ends meet.
times the breadwinner of the family
vito has long illness. and the pay is
stopped and the family gets behind.
Cases come up from time to time
where the charity officials have to
advance money for the rent or take up
distress warrants, to keep the sick
IMAM and his family from being put
into~sthe street and the home broken
up.
Few Idle Persons Here.
>. While Richmond is having most
prosperous period. and there is prac-
tically no @out of work" class here at
present. there is still an abundance of
nse,for,the money contributed to char
'itys for really needy cases. without
ewasting+it in keeping able bodied men
In idleness when the mills and indus
tries of the country need their help.
The crusade of the police in picking
np all able-bodied men who will not
work and sending them to the rock
pile Is meeting with the hearty ap
proval OF the heads of the various
charities, who consider it long step
On advance to have the cooperation
of the police department in the expos
ure Of fraud. The wedding out Of
{ fraud is considered the first step
toward building up habits OF industry.I