The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-13
IS MADE ID THE COMMISSION BY BOARD OF WELFARE Some Needless Duplication of Charitable Work Found
 After Investigation WORK SHOULD BE
 TAKEN OVER BY CITY Think Money Could Be Saved in Ad- ministration-Recommends Grant
 ing Board of Welfare Authority
 to Carry on the Work

Stating that i've feel we have discoy- cred some needless duplication of effort on the part of various charity organiza- tons Of the city, recommendation that the Associated Charities and similar or ganizations be taken over by and oper- ated under the supervision of the city were made yesterday to the board of city commissioners by the board of public welfare.
 Sometime ago the city authorities asked the board of public welfare for d special report as to the advisability of taking over the Associated Charities, commit. tee from the board of directors of thai organization having appeared before the city commission and made the request
 The board of public welfare. while hay. ing no authority, is composed of repre- sentatives of various interests of the city and county and acts in an advisory ca pacity The board states that, providing its views receive the approval of the com. mission, details of the plan will then be submitted.
 No Comment by Commission
 Members of the commission yesterday afternoon declined to comment on the report which in full is as follows.
 George B. Ward. President Board of
 Commissioners. Birmingham:
 Dear Sir: We have your communities tion of May 22 reefrring to the question of the city commissioners taking charge of the Associated Charities, and herewith submit you our report on same with rec concentrations and in doing so we have assumed to consider not only the Asso- ciated Charities, but all other organiza- tions receiving support from the city of Birmingham and the county of Jefferson.
 The board of welfare has made as <..1 ak,.Ixr ~F possible. considering the time they were able to devote to the subject in line of their duty to themselves and their own business. We have reached the conclusion that in a city the size of Birmingham the work of caring for the orphan and desti- tute children, for it's sick. aged and nfirm poor and for its unemployed and many others has become too great to be left for the volunteers of our generous and benev- olent people to care for and should be taken over by our city and county au- thorities
 "As you know. our board of public well fare as at present constituted has no legal standing and their power and intu- ence is purely advisory. In order 10 be- come effective they should be given definite power, either by an ordinance of the city commission and resolution of the board of revenue or by legislation of our state legislature. Permit us to say that the present board of welfare is not seek ing the office and such power for them- selves and will gladly surrender our po- sitions If our views are approved. Hav- ing thus divested ourselves of any desire on our part, we feel free to give you our views. In our investigation we feel that we have discovered that in the adminis- tration of our charities that there Is some needless duplication of effort on the part of their work and that if properly corre- lated less money would be required for administration and leave more for relief, relief being the object and aim of all this work.
 Boards Given Authority Elsewhere
 Tn our investigator of what other cities are doing we find that they have found it necessary to establish their board of public welfare upon basis oi having authority to carry out their work We do not feel it incumbent on us al present to go into definite details and outline fully just how this work should be done until we have some assurance that our views will receive your approval and also the county board of revenue We feel that this work should be under taken Jointly by the city of Birmingham and the county of Jefferson. To thiI
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