The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-07-09
M'GRATH TELLS OF
 WORK IN CHARITIES
Second Month Shows a Fine
 Gain Over May
NEED FOR COOPERATION
Associated Charities Act ms Free Elm pIoyment Burcnu-Can Supply Workers to Do All Sorts
 of odd Jobs

cooperation on the part or the peo- pie of Birmingham with the Associated Charities was the plea of General Sec retary ". M McGrath in his report or that organization for the month of June, submitted yesterday. His re- port shows that the work of the as sociation has almost doubled during the second month of its existence. Here it Is in full:
 "In closing the work for the month of June the record shows that in
 handling the various applica ions made | to the society the greater need is | for further cooperation on the part of the citizens of Birmingham in ad- vising the Associated Charities whe eh | there is a situation open for one seek ing employment In other words. to assist in the establishment of an ac- tive employment bureau. such as it l Is desired to create. There were 1l3 applicants for various kinds of re- | lief made during the month and of these CT were new cases; IS carried over unsettled from the previous month. and reopened, the latter rep
 resenting applications made in pre- vious years. In this total of s4 d1f- ferent cases handled by the society, | there were represented 201 1ndivld-
 uals; of these 77 were under the age | of IA; 26 totally incapacitated; 21 par | tially so, and 54 able to take employ ment if it were obtained for them. The balance Is represented by those suf- l,V
 family cares from taking any employ ment.
 Tn these 54 are included only those whose services are not required in the home; in no instance Is the mother of
 a family considered as possible em- | ploye. Of those partially incapacitated
 the majority are willing to do such light work as they are able. plain se w. ing, quilting and mending. etc. Can Supply Workers
 of one wishing to have anything of this sort done will communicate te | with the Associated Charities 1t will materially assist in handling this prob lem. Of the 54 able bodied ones were placed in situations; the remainder, the majority of whom were between the ages of IA and 21, have done such tenn porary work as could be obtained for them To handle these latter most sat
 isfactorily 1t Is hoped that those de- siring the services of man, woman or child over 14 years of age for eith l CT permanent of temporary employ
 ment will at once communicate with the Associated Charities and have the
 applications placed on file or filled at once, as the case may be. There is
 a complete record maintained In the office of the names and address of
 each applicant and the kind of work
 each is able to perform. Every effort
 will be made to satisfactorily fill any demand, and this without expense to either prospective employer or em-
 ploye. will you not cooperate with us in this?
 "Of the total of 113 applications re- quests for transportation were made for 12 and in five instances these were
 granted. after investigation had dis closed the fact that the individual
 making same would obtain employ
 ment or be otherwise properly cared for at the proposed destination. Trans portation was refused when the above
 conditions were proven not to exist Tn 53 instances sickness of the wage earner was the chief factor in bringing the family to the point where
 1t was no longer self supporting. Thir- ty-seven applied for help through lack of employment and in the remaining A. Nf count of old age, widowhood, acci- | dent and assertion.
 Tn many instances the family needed only temporary relief until the time of promised work had arrived; others.
 after having obtained positions. need ed assistance until the monthly pay day.
 Tubercular Patients
 "The society now has under Its care six tubercular patients and these cases are particularly illustrative of the con- ditions So productive of such results.
 The prospects, of placing these patients in camp in the immediate future, where they will be surrounded with every aid to restoration to health, Is a most welcome one.
 "The majority of tubercuar cases are curable. One hundred and fifty thousand died last year from this disease alone and of this number it was estimated that fully 75 per cent were preventable cases "The toll death levies annually in pre- ventable diseases amounts in round num- bers to 600,000. Illness of various sorts plays It's part by incapacitating for a greater or less period of time 3,000 600 wage earners every year; representing an economic loss of q. BOO, 900 900. Typhoid fever, tuberculosis and infant disorders are chiefly responsible for the death rate in preventable diseases and the majority of erty and dirt. which 80 hand in hand. The relation between dirt, disease and poverty iB direct; dirt Is a disease breed- CT, sickness results in loss of employment and consequent poverty. Poverty means an appeal for assistance, either to the in- dividual or to some organized institution, and this is where the interest of the As sociated Charities of Birmingham comes into action in the fight against dirt and disease.
 "Of the 113 applications for assistance
 received in June. the cause of distress
 was produced by illness in 47 per cent of
 the cases; not including those suffering from tuberculosis From this evidence we
 easily perceive the necessity of inaugural
 ing a campaign against dirt. and to that
 end do the Friendly Visitors turn their
 endeavors These workers are volunteers
 and give no material rsiei 10 tn
 under their charge; going into the homes
 only as friends: encours n1 's
 of the family in the effort to regain .
 footing in lfe's struggle py gi.ing ..4.,.u-
 ly counsel; suggesting methods of im-
 proving home conditions, both in person
 and in the house. and bringing into pia,
 to roh hol ffrfs7