Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-12
PUBLIC MIND is CONFUSED
Board of Charities and Relief As
sociation Different.
SCIENTIFIC AID FOR POOR
Purpose of Associated Charities to
Help Others to Help Themselves,
Averting Pauperism.

and indispensable work in the COM
munity. and should have the support
of every citizen, the commission which
recently investigated the work of the
association reported to the Commission
ers today. The Associated Charities
asked for a commission to be appoint
ed by the Commissioners, after public
criticism was made of some of the
methods in vogue by the social workers.
The Commissioners appointed Justice
Wendall P. Stafford. H. e. F. Macfar-
land. George NJ. Sternberg, William
Knowles Cooper Rev. William j. kerby.
Emile Berliner and Thomas Nelson
Page.
A public hearing in the District build
ing was called and the work OF the Or
ganization was discussed by those inter-
ested in the Associated Charities. and
those who have failed to understand the
methods of work asked questions. After
the hearing the members of the commits
and investigated. The report following
is the compilation of their ideas:
The report, after short preamble,
says:
Confusion in Public Mind.
I'm the first place, We find that a great
confusion exists in the public mind in
regard to the different bodies that stand
for the charitable work of the District.
This came out at the public hearing.
Some critics did not know the difference
between the Associated Charities and the
Board of Charities Still less did they
understand the difference between the
Associated Charities and the Citizens Re-
lief Association. Some criticisms. but
not all, are due to this confusion of
ideas. For the sake of making things
alA 70 hAry vx-ffh n vr-c mt
here just what each body is?
THE Board of Charities is not being
investigated. 1t was created by act Of
Congress, its members are appointed by
the President of the United States. 1t
has supervision of the public hospitals
and other public institutions of charity.
1t has no supervision Of the Associated
Charities. and has no connection with It.
Some of the criticisms which were sup
posed to have been aimed at the Associ-
ated Charities were really aimed at the
board of charities, without knowing the
difference. On the other hand, the AssO-
ciated Charities. the body under investi-
CATION. is organized under the. general
law. 1t is only private, voluntary as
sociatiOn. 1t is supported entirely by
gifts from private individuals, and has a
large corps of officers, all of whom give
their services freely. Whatever it pays in
salaries it pays to trained social workers
whom it employs.
1.-The third body, the Citizens Relief AS
sociatiOn. Is a committee of thirty men,
bers. appointed by the District Commits
siOners. They receive no compensation.
They solicit and receive funds for the
make use of the workers employed by
the Associated Charities to distribute the
funds where they are most needed.
Money given to the Associated Charities
workers among the poor. Money given
to the relief association goes directly
to feed, clothe and warm the poor.
Publish Joint Report.
1.-THE Associated Charities and the re-
lief association thus work together, and
they publish joint annual report. The
relief association does not maintain any
offices OF its own, and thus avoids almost
entirely any expense of administration.
OF course, it is a great saving. But
this close alliance between the bodies has
probably led to some confusion in the
minds of those who have not taken the
pains to read the reports of the two asso-
Citations; no one who had carefully read
these reports could possibly be misled.
The two bodies have a joint finance
committee. and for the sake of economy
they solicit contributions upon the same
blank. upon which an attempt is made
two associations. and the contributor is
asked to designate which one is to re-
ceive the contribution. II is distinctly
stated upon these blanks that money
given to the relief association is used
for the purpose of food. fuel. etc. 1t is not
explicitely stated that money contrib
uted to the Associated Charities will be
used only to pay the expenses of admin
istrGtion. We are inclined to think ii
would be we'll to do this or else that the
contributions should be solicited on sep
arate blanks. A certain amount of in
difference and inattention on the par,
of those who receive these blanks and
the reports of the association must be
looked for. and i'm our opinion the line
of separation cannot be too plainly
pointed out.
There were two principal criticisms
called to our attention: First. that toe
large a share of the funds contributed
went to pay the workers and keep uI
the business organization. and too little
went to supply food, fuel and clothing
for the poor; second, that the business
administration of the Associated Chari
ties was not conducted economically
as might be. We have given careful
attention to both of these points.
LAS already shown. all the money givel
to the Associated Charities goes to pa!
the expenses of administra alton; all tn,
money given to the Relief Associatio,
goes to material relief. If this fact Il
thoroughly understood by the contribute
he can have no ground Of complaint upOi
the first score. and no one else has
right TO complain.
Cost of Administration.
THE amount spent by the Associated
Charities for administration last year wa
little less than $4,000; the amount
distributed for the Relief Association wa
about $500. The amount it expended il
the work of summer outings was abou
/ a. COO, while it distributed in other fund
! received by IL for material relief some
| thing over $4,600. making in all al
amount aqual to the cost Of administra
| ton.
! THE two associations cannot we'll b
| treated separately in this discussion, be
| cause the relief association could not dis
/ tribute its fund without some efficient Sc
of workers, and il the public should ceas
| to support the Associated Charities
| would be necessary for the Relief Asso
| citation to spend a good part of the fun
| it receives in establishing an administra
ton bureau and hiring a set of worker
| of it's own.
$50 the real question is whether tn
Associated Charities is worth what !
costs. and this depends on the wor
it is doing. II IL were doing nothin
except to dole out provisions, etc, I
people who are in need. we should a
agree that it is costing altogether to
much. That could be done more cheap
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