New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-17
EXPERTS DIFFER ON
CITY'S RELIEF NEED
Kingsbury Tells Churches
to Open Doors Might
Cause Panic.
MISS KELLOR TREATS
ADVICE WITH SCORN
Declares Situation Desperate
and Urges Clergy to Find
Jobs for Unemployed.

Miss Frances A. Kellor. of the Com
mittee for Immigrants IN America
pried loose a mass of philosophy at the
Clerical Conference Of the New YORK
Federation Of Churches yesterday IN
the Metropolitan Life Building, and
gave those attending glimpse OF con-
ditions in New York as she sees them
The conference was called to con-
slider the duty Of the churches toward
the unemployed. Every clergyman IN
the five boroughs was invited. Less
than sixty attended
Views expressed by John A. Kings
bury, Commissioner Of Charities, and
J. W. Sullivan, of the National Civic
Federation, were far from meeting the
situation, Miss Kellor thought. Mr.
Sullivan and Commissioner Kingsbury
had talked upon general industrial
conditions and told the churchmen to
20 slow in their relief work.
If churches were thrown open ana
bread lines and soup kitchens estab-
lished, said Commissioner Kingsbury,
the improvident would be attracted TO
New York from all sides. A panic
might be created, and intelligent and
efficient relief methods rendered value
less.
His advice was that the churches
should form the second line Of defence
and not rush into relief work until the
duly constituted authorities called for
them. The throwing open OF churches
as shelters for the unemployed would
be especially dangerous, he said
Tf Commissioner Kingsbury is
right" said Miss Kellor, lin saying
there is no necessity for opening the
doors of the churches, there is only
one thing to do: ask the Mayor to close
the saloons, which after ! a. m. are
used as lodging houses; ask the Com
missioner Of Licenses 10 close the en-
ployment agencies, which are being
used as lodging houses, and ask the
Department of Health TO forbid the
unsanitary overcrowding of employ
ment agencies.
Before this body decides not TO
throw open the churches, ! would like
the ministers 10 visit the saloons and
sec conditions as they are. In my own
Investigations | have counted l.4OO
using the saloons as lodging houses.
You must be cOnversant with condi-
tions before deciding that emergency
methods arc not necessary.
at is not jobs, but relief, that will
solve the problem to-day. There are
no Jobs, and we can't make them.
came here to-day to make some sug-
gestions as TO emergency work that
could be done by the churches. 1t Is
harder to find the people who really
need funds than il is 10 find the funds
with which TO relieve them. They are
not the men who walk the street and
ask aims. They are the people who
find themselves out of employment
this year for the first time in their
lives.
1.-THE churches might have an Unem-
ployment Relief Sunday as not long
ago they had Peace Sunday, when the
congregations would be instructed as
TO the real conditions IN New York.
They might organize volunteer corps,
whose members would search out the
needy and connect them with the re-
lief machinery.
"What is needed is immediate and
energetic work Don't wait for the re-
port that somebody has frozen to death
or starved.
IAN odd job movement could be or
ganized by the members of the various
churches TO distribute work a day or
half day at a time. Such an institu-
ton would be especially useful in find
ing work for women. The work should
be correlated. Almost every day we
hear of a new committee springing up,
many of them TO do the work which Is
already being done by another.
81 have no desire to advertise unem-
ployment in New York, but ] believe
/ there is a great need of stimulating
/ the people Of this city TO a realization
| of conditions"
A branch municipal lodging house
was nuch needed in Brooklyn, Miss
/ Kellor said.