Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-05

| a proportion OF the money contributed
is distributed as relief to the needy He
sums up his deductions from the report.
| in part. as follows:
1.-The report of the Associated Chart
| ing September 80. 1908. of over $4,000,
| less than 5000 of which is shown to have
| reached the poor. Indeed. it does not
| clearly appear that over 800 reached
the needy. The report of the Citizens
Relief Association for the same year
shows receipts amounting to over $10.-
600. and expenditures which would APP
pear to be strictly charitable payments
of over $4,000"
careful reading of the statement is
sued in answer to this criticism, and
which was published in The Sunday Star.
will repay those persons who are interest
ed in the work of the Associated Charities
and in charitable work in general.
In the first place it should be noted that
the disbursements for 1908 of $21 .2S9 26
include a cash balance as we'll as gross
expenditures. The net expenses for the
year were less than $4,000. The Asso-
ciated Charities. 1t is explained. is not
relief agency in the common acceptance
of that term. but is an association for
the organization of charity, "a clearing
house and central registration bureau for
the use of all the local charities. relief
agencies and churches" When pecuniary
relief is given It is not given as rule
from the general treasury. but from spe-
cial funds or from the funds of allied re-
lief agencies. This is also the operative
principle of the Charity Organization So
ciety OF New York the Bureau Of Chari-
ties of Chicago. the Society for Organic
ing Charity of Philadelphia. the Asso-
ciated Charities of Boston and the Char
ity Organization Society of Baltimore.
The Washington Associated Charities,
according to the statement prepared by
its chairman and general secretary, has
for many years drawn upon the funds of
the Citizens Relief Association for food.
fuel. clothing and other forms of material
assistance as these have been FOUND
necessary to meet the emergent wants OF
applicants. Where it is a question OF
rent, clothing children for school. or max
ing loans special funds are raised by the
Associated Charities. These are known
as the golden book funds. the school fund.
the neighbour loan fund. etc.. The
amounts so disbursed do not appear in
the report of the general treasury. but In
another part of the annual report of
bursements from the various funds are
shown to have been over $1,000.
The good works of the Associated Char
tiles are numerous. The organization
maintains central bureau of registration
for the use of the citizens of Washing
ton interested in needy families. This
bureau registered 1852 new cases last
year in addition to 2O,247 cases previously
"a
this bureau prevents duplication of char
ity by the various charity agencies. Pre-
vention of waste in charity is benefit
to the needy.
The Associated Charities maintains
eight division offices in this city. each be-
ing a general application bureau for its
section. Each office has its trained and
experienced worker and each of these
workers is reinforced by a group of phil
anthropic men and women who hold
weekly or fortnightly conference on plans
for the families in that section needing
help. The result of these conferences is
that churches, employers and the more
thrifty relatives of the needy ones are en-
listed in the work of restoring the family,
to a position of self-support
Another of the activities of the Asso-
ciated Charities is the investigation of
applications for free dispensary treat
ment in order to advise these medical in
situations as to the ability of their poorer
clients to pay for medical services
ceiyed"
Attention is also called to this, that
many of the social movements which
have now become independent philan-
thropies have been organized by the As
ISOLATED Charities, notably the Play
ground Association and the Association
for the Prevention of Tuberculosis"
One of the statements made by Messrs.
Rudolph and Ufford, which should make
an impress on the charitably inclined
reader is this:
The joint finance committee appeals
for three distinct charitable agencies-the
Associated Charities, the Citizens Relief
Association and the Association for the
Prevention of Tuberculosis. 1t thus af
fords the people of Washington a wide
range of choice in the bestowal of their
| charitable contributions as between these
three agencies.
| Coming at the same time as the Ru-
dolph- UfYord statement and published in
| the same edition of The Star is a bulle-
tin presented by DR.. S. E. Forman of
the Department of Commerce and Labor
on the subject of charity relief given
! through the Associated Charities in
| Washington in 1905. The facts and fig
ures given by DR.. Forman are dis
organization.
| of the Associated Charities in this COM
munity is valuable and deserving OF lib
erai support