New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-24
GIVING DOyWN-AN Md CUTTERS A CHANCE TO COME BAG
Food and Shelter Give,
Are Only Incidental
i'm Superintendent
Writings Policy.

at the lodging house IS nifty night bu,
strangely. there are fewer on the coldes, nish.,
in winter than during the warmer months 4,
Anril and May The superintendent aecou,.
for this by saying that women stick 10 ,h.;,
Jobs through the cold months, whereas men a,
similar typ. either lose their places or cuj,
OF their own accord.
Occasionally bit Of humor creeps into III.
big institution, where one expects 70 find onlv
sadness and scenes Of poverty. One nigh,
last week a husband. wife and child applied
for lodging" said Mr.. Whiting They wer.
we'll dressed, and the man asked to speak "a
me.
81 should like to have room for my VII.
child and myself he said, much in the sam.
tone in which a guest would address the ORC.
prietor Of hotel
I'VE can't give you room, bu, we will
provide you all with beds told him.
"Wcl we must have room together, or
we will not stay he replied, and forthwith al
took their departure"
The superintendent received large nunb.,
of letters at Christmas time from persons vho
have made good" in the places they secured
through the social service department On
Of these was from young married niap vi,
several months before had been sent to The
lodging house from Bellevue Hospital, where
he had been taken following an attempt 70
commit suicide. His story appealed to The
hospital authorities, and instead Of having hin
arrested he was turned over TO Superintendent
Whiting.
When he came up for examination 4 de-
veloped that he had lost his job soon after
being married" said the superintendent and
that his mother-in-law, with whom he and hi.
wife lived, had ordered him 10 leave. Thai
made him respondent and he tried to end /,
all. AS soon as we heard his story we sen,
for his wife. and she promised TO stick by hin
il h. would brace up. We gave both Of then
work in the house and talked courage into the
man until he had the ambition TO go out and
look for work. Finally we got him place
an elevator operator at $40 week and per.
.nitted him and his wife to stay at the house
until he drew his first weeks pay They went
cut as happy as two school children. At hrr
they lived in furnished room, but now they
have little two-room apartment, and IN bis
Christmas letter he thanked me for giving him
the opportunity TO make a man OF himself
A runaway boy who applied tor lodging
proved TO be the son OF railroad othcial at
Elkhart. Ind and the father sent an older son
to New York to take back the youngster On
his return home the youth wrote the following
letter 10 Assistant Superintendent Sinons;
Dear Mr.. Simons: Well, arrived home o. h
and am feeling quite contented. l ceraing "sa.
10 thank YOU for your kind advice, which you
gave me when left. Il helped whole lot There
is nothing like home.
The weather is Just grand here aithoush W
have had considerable snow. The trip nome was
rather tiresome. We were the train for t~en.
ty-four hours Not quite as exciting as riding ou'
in the open.
Father assured me that il wanted to take any
more trips he would willingly secure passes
Thanking you again for the kindness eitehoso
"'e' 'e'''''''' WALTER D.
Superintendent Whiting believes one OF the
citys greatest needs is compulsory wo'A
farm, where men can be committed through
the courts on the basis OF having refused wo's
test in the industrial department, but VINO 90
not necessarily come under the vagrant law
He insists that when men fatty refuse to 'olf
they should be forced to get the work naO'
rather than be classed as misdemeanann anu
incarcerated.