Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-10-28


left Baltimore a few years ago TO be-
come director of the School for Social
Workers. maintained by Harvard Uni
vcrsity and Simmons College. He is
Il member of the Massachusetts State
Board OF Charities and Corrections, and
has had practical experience of the
hroadest nature in many lines of phil
anthroli, work DR. Bracket said in
part:
duties Of the Overseers of the Poor"
BY Dr.. Jeffrey r. Bracket.
In every community. some one
agency or person should be RESPONSE
particular applicant for relief are
ucalt with thoroughly. Through
treatment includes a painstaknS in
vestigation at the beginning AMI con-
tinued treatment through to the close.
until a plan for improvement is ac-
cOmplished or all reasonable efforts
for it have been made Thus each
needy person is to be some persons
CT agency's particular care. although
some of the work may be left to d CO.
operating agency. Such a conception
of tha absolute need of thoroug'lIcH.
is fundamental if our work is to bt
truly charitable and social service
Surely. public aid officials should try
to do the best possible cOnstruCtlV,
work with such. needy persons as they
undertake to deal with and tl.eir ain
should be to make the needy person
either Independent or. If that be no;
possible, to procure for him The car
which vii, keep him least harnfuI an,
most helpful to himself and thu com
munity.
I'VE should seek to make invcstiga
tion means to that large end-res.
toration to Independence or necessary
care and protection. The approach
to the needy must be right, must bt
such as to rouse within him and il
his kin helpful. response to our eff
forts. Response may not be in mate
rial things. but may often be il
knowledge. advice. effort. Every act
of charity should be educational. from
the giving of coal to the training OF
workers. Investigation is not to save
money for the charitable or the tag
rayer; 1t is to save and build up hui
man character. 1t is not only t.
bring out needs. hut to bring out re-
sources We should try to teach the
community it's real value and dignity
Thus will there be less of misunder-
standing, less of petty talk about red
tape.
Continuity or thOroughness o;
treatment follows as a corollary of in
vestigation. 1t is seeing the jol
through to the finish. if possible. II
means economy in effort and IN mon
ey The measure of it is not in time
but i'm the accomplishment of improve
mcnt or in the use of all possible Ell
fcrts for Improvement.
"A difficulty may be raised that the
persons with whom overseers OF the
poor have chiefly to deal are class
or type which cannot be dealt with in
these ways. For instance. the influx
of foreigners not knowing our Ian
guage and customs. with few ties,
rake difficult our dealings with their
needs But we should surely try to do
such paiEstaking work as to show
them what we expect the needy to
try to do for themselves. AS 20 there
heing helpless class or type of needy
that the overseCrS chiefly touch, Is
not experience teaching us more and
more that comparatively few persons
are hopeless or helpless? We are
learning to break un masses and
classes into small groups and individ-
uals, capable of one or another form
Of treatment. 4 good example. of this
il the way in which We are taking or
keeping the blind out of alms-houses,
and helping them to fill useful inches,
however small, without.
But. if there be needy persons, es
pecially touched by overseers of the
poor, who really seem hopeless and
helpless, then our plea is only the
stronger for more thorough treatment
of those very persons. based on better
of them, and the condi- |
tions about them. For instance, there |
are dissolute husbands, whose fam
lilies are being helped: and persons
weak in mind or will who are dan
gerous 70 he at large. Let us all work |
for provision of custodial care which |
shall protect ali ssch persons and pre-
vent the spread cf their poison. Over