Perth Amboy evening news., 1914-11-21
Trade Board Directors Give $40
Each to Aid Poor; Meeting
Yesterday With Mayor to
Make Plans.

IeJtH AIuDOy pOOir khC
OF whom is weekly increasing In
small numbers by reason of the fact
that many are out of employment.
will be provided for by citizens re-
lief committee during the coming
winter. according to steps taken by
Mayor Ferd. GarretsOn and a com
mittee of residents yesterday after
noon Three ladies and eight men met
with the executive at his residence
and thoroughly discussed the propo-
sltion of coping with the problem OF
giving the best aid to the needy and
worthy. The Perth Amboy Board OF
Trade directors also took up the sub
jeet at their meeting last night and
personal subscriptions to the amount
oYS150 we're collected for the worthy
cause.
Directors of the Perth Amboy
Board OF Trade made personal con-
tributions aggregating $3.50, follow
ing a discussion Of charity work last
night. They decided to offer the use
of the Board of Trade rooms as head
quarters for a central body of charity
workers. No particular plan for
handling the proposition of dealing
with the poor of the city was out
lined, that being left to the central
body assembled by Mayor Ferd. Gar
retson The directors displayed
great interest In the movement start
ed to aid the citv's poor and eagerly
showed their WILLINGNESS to help. In
dications are that the board will ap-
prove of wavs and means designed by
the central body and will lend its aid
In every particular.
Various means of giving aid to the
poor were taken up for discussion
at the relief committee meeting yes
terdav afternoon and it was decided
to form a temporary citizens relief
committee Mayor Garretson will
endeavor to interest as m'ny infiu-
eItial persons as possible in the
movement and will then call meet
Ing early next week to organize the
body. Following that step. active
work will be started for making col
lections and to tablish the best
means of distribution. II was held
that the problem of distribution was
most important, in view of the fact
that past cases had showed duplica-
tion to such an extent that unworthy
persons had often been supplied so
literally as to leave little or nothing
for other worthy and needy people.
Mrs Lyon advanced a suggestion
for a permanent charity organiza ton.
She pointed out that It would be
easier to collect funds when most
people were at work and business
was brisk than under present con-
ditions, and that with a permanent
II, d. tSn nn1l nd
In good times for use when neces-
sary. The plan was held to be good
one but it was decided to form a
temporary citizens committee imme-
diately to cope with the present situ-
alton and give aid through the COM
ing winter.
Those who appeared to meet with
Mayor Garretson were Mrs. Adrian
Lyon, Mrs. c.. G. Baldwin, Miss Alma
C. Widerstrom, George F. Reynolds,
Rev. James H. Northrup, J. Logan
Clevenger Arthur Stern, Alderman
John Kutcher, Albert Leon and Hugh
Lynch. These persons have taken a
deep interest In charity work In the
city. Several figure prominently in
organizations who do charity work.
Following the announcement that a
concerted effort would be made to
give aid to the city's poor, they came
forward, one after another, to con-
fer with the mayor and they formed
the nucleus for the work which is
now under way The executive of
the city will endeavor to assemble
a large body of workers by the early
part of next week.
Mayor Garretson opened the con-
ference at his home yesterday with
an explanation of the purpose for
the gathering. He told of the need
for charity work at this particular
time and emphasized that there ap-
peared need for a central body to
properly handle the proposition. The
work done heretofore by the city's
poor department and by many indi-
viduals and organizations was ap-
proved Of, but 1t was held that IL
would be better to organize a central
committee to cover all details and
do the work In a systematic and gen.
eral way, so as to prevent duplica-
ton and give aid where 1t was most
need. 1t was stated at the meeting
that private organizations were
limited to small amounts for charity
work. 1t is proposed to have the cit
izens' act generally throughout the
city, irrespective as to creed or ma
tionality of the the needy persons.
Miss Widerstrom. who has been
connected with the city's poor de-
partment and is at present acting as
overseer of the poor, may serve as an
Investigator for the committee.
A subscription list has been start
ed. DR.. w. w. Hodges was the first
to come forward with a donation and
fContinueo on page Al
We carry 4 complete line OF Ford