Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-04-04

u OjtlEuPQ IIOlI IdSt OuSJ
past three months III" office Of the
charities has been assaulted by the
army of HOnOlulu's unemployed. AS
distance has been giTen wherever pos
sible and. due TO the ignorance Of
many of the applicants, the manager
and his assistants ha"e experienced
numerous bitter disappoIntments.
IS a result Of the meeting, string
cut financial retrenChment policy has
been adopted in spite Of the fact that
food orders issued to needy appli-
cants until further investigation may
b" made-ha been reduced TO a
minimum. This step is considered
highly necessary at this time from
the fact that. as Manager Bowen
puts it, another month Of eXpendi-
ture, such as was experienced during
March. forced upon the Associated
Charities without a prOpOrtionate in
crease in income, will see the corpora
ton in bankruptcy"
The report presented to the meet
ing by Miss Emily Farley and relat-
ing to the work which the charities
has done for the unemployed, lays
bare the actual facts concerning the
situation. The report is, in part, as
follows:
The labor situation has been more
difficult to face this month than last
and the number of unemployed who
have applied for work and relief has
greatly increased. During March So
Russians, 10 Portuguese, &c Porto Ri
cans. 26 Spanish, three Filipinos, five
Hawaiians, eight Americans. one Ko-
rean and one Chinese applied for
employment and reliel:-making to-
tai of 147. They and their families
made total of $50 whom this institu-
ton is supporting.
"Forty-tive other men have applied
fer employment only, and q women.
Thirty-four calls have come in for
women, mostly to work in homes as
maids, laundresses. or scrub women.
Seventy opportunities have been CIV
en- the association to place men tenn
porarily. The Kalihi Fertilizer Com
pany has offered employment to 35
men; only seven have stayed. The
reasons for leaving, given by the
Spaniards, were that the work nause-
ated them. The Russians did not want
to work under such conditions for
$1.35 a day. This Office has held the
position in regard to giving relief to
the unemployed that, as soon as E9Ssi-
Bile, after an opportunity for work was
given, relief should cease; that if
man was given an opportunity even
at 81 a day and refused it, all assist
ance should cease. OF course, no
hard and fast rule can be made, but
that has been the working basis.
Manager Smith of the Lunalilo
Home offered IS men work at 81 a
day to clear lantana. Three or four
Russians refused to work for that
amount; no further relief was given,
although in an instance or two, work
was supplied again where the families
depending upon them were large.
The immigration bureau of the
Planters Association has worked
hand in hano with the Associated
Charities. The Planters Association
can offer no more work to anybody
but Filipinos. But sometimes it sup
plies transportation tickets for re-
lief purposes.
The increase in number of appli-
cants has made it impossible for this
office to do all the necessary visiting
In many cases even the first investi-
cation in the home has had to De dis
pensed with Seven women, through
the efforts of Mrs. F. E. Steere. have
offered themselves as friendly visitors
and taken the responsibility of follow
up work of the Office. Except in as far
as records must be kept Of work done
and advice given when asked for.
Many more visitors are needed and
anyone who. is interested in doing
good may find ample opportunity at
the Office of the Associated Charities.
The amount Of routine Office WORK
If kept up to date, fills more than one
persons time. With this rush it is
impossible to do it, even starting at
6: 80 o'clock in the morning, and work
ing often into the evening and using
time on Sundays. That this work
must be done is evident, for the i'm
migration bureau often refers to our
record; the Planters Association has
used them and many times We are
asked what has been done for such
and such a person, and what we
know of them. More office force is
necessary. or else some other solution
must be found for the present prob
lem"