The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-27

most dolorous in it's effect. 1t encour-
ages idleness. insults self-respect, in
duces pauperism and is more than like
| TO reach the unworthy.
| Relief, coupled with intelligent COM
prehension of the situation, means but
full Interpretation of all the word inn
plies; the removal in whole or in part,
| of any pain, oppression or burden. AL
| deviation, succor, comfort. That which
| removes grief. want or other evil. "Wher-
ever sorrow is relief would be- Not.
| as unfortunately is too often the case,
according to the old Interpretation, rem
nants left over; relics, basket of frag
ments
Lavish Giving Not kindest Treatment
The most difficult part of our work
is not in restoring people to a self-sup-
porting and self-respectng basis, but in
! convincing certain generous and impu-
sive individuals that to give freely and
| laVlshly to all who ask is not the kindest
| treatment to mete out to those needing
aid. 1t is a curious thing, and illustrates
| one OF the anomalies of the human mind,
| that procedure in charity affairs will
be applauded, which is adopted in busi-
ness matters. would bring down the
| severest condemnation on tke devoted
| head of the one SO operating. Merely in
passing. we wonder how large a sum
would be necessary when Ii became gen
| orally known that there was a place
where all who asked would receive.
True, the administrative expense,
called, could thus be reduced to a mimi
mum and the relief, raised to the nth
power; as for the amount of paupersm
this would produce, mathematics fail us
| a medium of expression.
"Analyze our slogan, Help others to
! help themselves, and consider If the best
way to do this is handing out, from time
| to time. gifts of money food, etc, or
1 ha in, 4
tion where they may hold up their heads.
as those who owe no man anything
Cost of the Work
| "At the risk of being somewhat prosy
we will continue this argument a bit fur
| ther: Let it be our Thanksgiving ser
| mon, it were. During the II months
| Just passed our office employed several
| visitors; four for five months and three
! for the balance of the year This at a
cost of s1735. These visitorsa not only
| made the above mentioned 10,72S calls
and office interviews, but raised $1203 95
for the benefit of those who received their
minstrations. This money was expended
| directly on the cases concerned: in some
| few instances for food, coal, etc, but in
the majority of cases it was in the ma
ture of special relief. such as glasses
for defective eyesight. funeral expense
special Diet transportation, business
school training, etc.
Another most important phase of our
work which emphasizes personal service,
! is our nursing department. A trained
| nurse gives such portion of her time as
may be necessary for this work and we
are thus enabled to preserve that close
relation so essential to successful hand
| ling of our cases.
| The cost of this department during the
last year was remarkably small, especi-
ally when the amount of work done is
| considered For the nurse we paid $500,
| for medicine 1888. 80, and for car fare $50. Co.
a total of s71S.9s. During this year the
/ nurse cared for 241 different cases, Oh
| whom she made 1894 visits, an average of
| 40 visits per case, at a nursing vost of
20 lilo cents per visit. The cost per case
for nursing. nurses care and medicine,
was only 81 9S, over ope-half of which was
for medicine.
1--WE have endeavored to bring out in
this report that the salient features of our
work are not the amount of food, coal,
| etc, given by the society. although al
| ways furnished We're needed but that sue
cessful results can be obtained only where
the personal element is the leading con-
| sfderation.
Friendship the Basis
| Friendship is the ba sis of all Associated
| Charities work. to let the Unfortunate
know that what the one to whom appeal
| IS made stands, as a true friend ready
and willing to help in the hour of need
whether that help be the providing of
| the necessities of life, advice in the time
| OF emergency, the effort to restore to
right living the wayward child the en-
| couragement of the derelict husband and
| the discouraged wife and motheri of re-
newed family interest, providing special
medical attention, such as glasses for
school children, diet for invalids nursing
service in the home, the filling of pre-
rlRtf.. 4
| the deceased.
| In closing we wish again to ex-
press our appreciation of the cooper
alton that in the past has made our
work possible. Without this co-opera-
| tion no achievement is possible, for
| 1t is the basis on which to build
strong and effective rehabilitation of
the family or the individual Toward
| this end the Associated Charities is
| constantly striving and in every in
| stance where the possibility exists
some church, charity, society, lodge
former employer or individual is
brought in direct contact with the one
who needs the strong hand of fel-
| lowship in the confronting crisis.
Yours sincerely, j. X. Brockman, Muir
ray Brown, Donald Conner. George G.
| Crawford. w. w, Crawford Culpepper
Exurn, c. T. E'airbairn. A. II. Ford F.
p. Glass, Clement Gazzam, w. p. g.
Harding, A. f. Hiileke, Henry Hiden,
Thomas Hopkins, Robert Jemison, Sr.,
| Robert Jemison, Jr., r.. f. Johnston M
/ V. Joseph. John l.. Kaul, John C. Lusk
Otto Marx Richard ". Massey, j. w.
Minor, j. Fl. McCary J. w. Mcqueen,
| j. D. Moore Webb Offutt, DR. j. il.
| Phillips, Erskine Ramsay, William
Ryan. Paschal Green Shook, j. j..
Smith, c. w Stewart George B. Tar
rant. Oscar C. Turner, Maj. e. NJ. Tut
wiler, S. d. Weakley, the directors
TOCAJ ATvTADN