The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-12-14

| the dean OF the literary department
| of the Chicago university for the
past three years. lie In well known
MS -Chsutsuqus worker and AS
| social economist.
ter to about 5000 leading citizens,
/ telling them of our plan to feed the
poor and enlistlng their tinapcial cid
in the matter. Then about 10 days
before Christmas, we send out sec
ond letter. only, however, TO those
who have failed to reply TO our first
appeal w eregret 70 say that many
do not comply with our wishes; not
more than ten per cent OF the letters
sent out are responded TO. The
| total amount received at Christmas.
| 1909. from Detroit people to whom
the army appealed for funds, VAS
1899, while the sum OF $175.54 was
collected in the kettles located on
| the downtown streets.
To Cut Out Kettle Collections.
by the way, ! believe, if | am in
charge of the Detroit district next
Christmas, | shall discontinue the
kettle system OF getting money. The
! suffering which the women undergo
in watching over the kettles in the
cold weather is too great, for all
there is TO show for it. These NO.
men stand over the kettles from s
O'Clock in the morning until 6 p. m,
every day for three and four weeks
| before Christmas. with only an hour
on at noon. They are members Of
our corps, but We pay some of them
| for their suffering. Not one gets
| more than 81 a day. however, and
some, including my wife and daugh-
ter, who sometimes do service, get
nothing In addition to the returns
| being small. the women often have
10 bear some uncomplimentary re-
marks Last year as | have pointed
out. the kettle collections were only
| $775.54 This year the amount will
fall short OF last years by at least
one-third.
Thus far, this year, the daily col
| lections from the twelve kettles on
! the downtown streets have averaged
only $50.
Too Many Drains On Public.
But. mind you, ! am not complain
ing or blaming the public for the
poor showing | think the people OF
Detroit are doing very we'll by us,
The difficulty is there are too many
drains on the public pocketbook.
| Then, 90. people cannot very well be
expected to stop and toss coin into
| receptacle while they are struggling
along the streets with their arms
full of bundles Taken all in all, the
Kettle system is not satisfactory, and
we shall | feel certain. try to get
along without it after this year"
! Mrs Miles, wife of the colonel,
who has watched over a kettle in
| Detroit and other cities. says that a
little newsboy in Chicago showed her
the deepest sympathy she has ever
received from the public. AS she was
standing. shivering in the snow on Il
street corner the wee newsie brought
| her five newspapers and placed them
under her cold feet. This protection
from the snow and Recovered side
walk did much to relieve her suffer
| ing, she said.
Poverty Has Increased
Col Miles. when asked about the
conditions prevailing among the
poorer people of the city this winter,
said there was more poverty than a
year ago He was not here then but
the records Of the army show thai
more persons are now being helped
IMAM at TINS Jlme IN lJUJ.
In addition TO the Christmas plans
the Salvation army is now making,
1t is daily caring for many who are
sick and unemployed. Ii is main
tanning what is practically free
dispensary. in which 1855 patients
were treated during November and 80
thus far this month. Three physi-
clans, DR.. II. NJ. Torrey, DR.. Carl r.
Melroy and DR.. Evans, give their SER
vices free in the dispensary for one
hour on different days during the
week
The army also conducts labor
bureau, an adjunct which is proving
helpful to many seeking employment.
Our work in Detroit is moving
along most satisfactory" said Col
Miles. we now have corps of 167
members. with an excellent bard of
q pieces. The only trouble with us
is that we haven't enough room.
wish we had two more stories on our
citadel We ned more room, particu
larly for women roomers. Our rooms
are filled every night with women
who have no permanent homes and
we really have to disappoint appli-
cants for rooms, on account OF our
limited capacity"
Speaking of the finances Of the
army. Col Miles said some people
have a mistaken idea of what is done
with money collected in America
They were of the opinion that much
of the revenue was sent to England
This, the colonel said was not so
Only funds collected once year for
missionary purposes are sent abroad
the colonel emphasized