The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-17
WOMEN DO BEST
 CHARITY WORK.
Mrs. s. T. Davis Believes That Gentler Sex Should be Represented on Chari-
 ties Board

Eugene Kerner, special investigator for the Russell Sage Foundation, ads dressed the women of Bridgeport ves> terday by invitation of the Equal Franchise league. His subject was ''The Poor,'' In spite of the down. pour of rain a number of ladies show ed their interest in the subject by coming out Mr. Kerner's remarks were based upon his personal experi- ences in the states of Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Illinois and New Jersey. where he has been engaged in in- vestigations and work for several years. The Equal Franchise league lie administration belongs to large extent naturally to woman. That she is naturally better fitted for such work than man and that the commun- ity will be benefited by increasing her influence and activity there. At the sympathetic part of this persist ing demand upon the community.
 MT. Kerner represents the move ment which seeks to place charity upon business basis. At the out set he discarded the term charity and referred to the work. of caring for the poor and unfortunate as "so- cial work He said that the word charity" had a bad odor and would refer to all organizations for the bet torment of the peoples as social or ganizations." He objected to the methods which treat applications for assistance as merely leases" The conclusion reached through his long experience is that no case is hopeless if properly handled. The perfunctory investigation failed to reach the heart of the matter. The new way provides Fo,. int "a sufferers in order to discover the primary cause of the deplorable con- ditions; with the removal of this cause by intelligent and sympathetic treatment cure is usually. effected. Indiscriminate giving does not prove effective. Kindly instruction and su- pervision, with CT rcouragement when ever possible, usually brings out the good and checks the evil tendencies.
 The speaker believes that children brought up under such conditions make better citizens than those re- moved from their parents and reared in institutions. He told of his ex. peliences in Pennsylvania steel mill town during the panic of 1905-6. The men failed to return to work when the panic was over, having become enamoured of idleness. IDtell1gent methods resulted in a change which worked wonders and brought prosper ity and happiness to many homes. :.
 Mrs. s. T.. Davis, president of tho league, in an interesting address went into local conditions and stated that MT. Kerner was invited to speak In order that the women of this town might become informed on the 1m- proved methods of dealing with unfor- inmates. She believed that woman should have a. place in the dlstrlDu tion of funds and this carried the in ference that she should also be rep resented on the board of charities. The responsibility really rests upon the mayor. who has the deciding vote in case of tie and also the appoint ing of the commissioners. She bellev- ed that this a field in which women arc better qualified to act than men. She said that she had learned mucn from MT. Kerner's address.
 MT. Kerner added to his remarks by saving that he was heartily in favor of equal suffrage, statement Wn1cn surprised his hearers as his attltude on this question had not been an nounced. He had found in his eA- perience in five or six states that he had to fall back on the women TOT his real help. The men were willing to furnish the funds but would not be troubled with the actual management of affairs. He would not dare to think what state of affairs would now exist in Kentucky had not the women taken an active part ana re deemed the state. In one Pennsyi- vania town where $500 had been ols- tributed during the month Of January the women took hold and during the corresponding month of the next year only s4O was needed to supply every demand. and under the new dlspensa tion the conditions were much lm prOVed in every way.