Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-05-30
Working Charity for Joy Rides
ALICE wILLARD SOLENBERGER
Exclusive Service The Survey Press Bureau


1.-THE author Of this article whose life
Of service came 10 an untimely close at
her death last December, was for some
years agent OF the central district OF
the Chicago bureau OF charities. In her
office was mustered daily a ragged
regiment OF the homeless. She studied
intimately the lie history Of over L.
900 homeless men. It is such facts as
are set forth IN this article which have
Il led over. 400 organizations to enter a
voluntary agreement TO abide by the
RULES Governing the Issuance OF
Charity Transportation Of the national
conference Of charities and correc-
toni
The fact that Thousands Of boys, IN
employed workmen. tramps and vag-
| rants are stealing rides on the railroads
IL one with which all are familiar, but
that second army Of wanderers, al
most as large. IS travelling from Maine
to California, and back again. with its
transportation paid out Of charity
funds, Is a fact which IS probably not
so weli-known.
The most striking differences which
exict between the two armies are, first.
that the paid for group includes
hundreds OF women and children, while
among those who beat their way wom-
en- are rare and, second. that altho
among the men who are travelling on
charity tickets sone are capable OF self
support. the great majority are old.
crippled. defective, or for some other
| reason chronically dependent, while in
the other group the majority are young
and able-bodied, and when dependent
are as often so from choice as from
I'LL -Ses~ ~ ~
not yet protected themselves by legisla-
ton have been heavy sufferers from
| the unregulated migration Of depen-
dents from one section OF the country
| to another.
Chicago, on account OF the nor-resi-
dent dependents thrust upon her for
care, has been afflicted with an enor-
| nous expense. Unless there Is a state
law which empowers 1t to return de-
pendents at the expense Of the railroad
| which brought them into the state, a
! city can not rid itself OF this burden. It
may return dependents to their homes
II they are willing to go, but II unwill-
| ing. 1t can not compel them to leave.
| In 1902 a large family Of paupers
came from Pennsylvania 10 Chicago.
! The man was blind. the woman Grip
| pied, and there were seven children.
the oldest of whom was feeble-mindsd.
The next child was only 10, 80 that it
would be four years before he would
| be legally able to work. We ascer-
tanned that these people had never
been self-supporting. They had receiy-
| ed aid for fifteen years and they had
been aided to reach Chicago by the
poor relief agents of their own county
and of a chain Of counties extending
across three states. In spite OF our
definite knowledge OF these facts, we
| were unable to return this family to
Pennsylvania They refused to go.
This one family he's cost the public
and private charities Of Chicago, not
less than $4,000 or 10000 since their
arrival, and the amount is probably
much larger. for they are professional
! beggers and have undoubtedly secured
more than the actual cost Of their sup
| port.
| There are great many cases where
the granting of charitable transporta-
ton to an applicant who requests 1t
not only does no wrong to the commun-
| ity to which he is sent. but IL by tar
the best method for caring for the man
himself. Runaway lads; men who have
met with Gripping accidents away from
their homes and wish to be returned
to them: men who have definite prom :
Uses Of employment in other cities and
are dependent where they are-all these
and many others are manffaatlv Gfe4s-
Iy assisted by being sent to the places
to which they wish to go, and II they
are sent clear thru to their destinA-
tons, after the facts in regard to their
means OF support upon arrival have
been ascertained, no possible wrong
will have been done to any one.
The "if'' clause In the last sentencs
IL, however. very important. and uDon
the failure Of private citizens and pub
lie authorities to abide by its simple
provisions hangs much OF the Wron3
conn ected with the system OF sending
dependents about the country ~ It 10
at present generally practiced. JUST
what the system referred to II. and now
and why It causes suffering e. well as
an enormous waste Of cbaxitasa,s 4uta6s-