The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-04-21

"Red Tape has been the making of Dennis fRafferty. Six years ago the lack of it was almost his ruin.
 Toward the close of the panic of I19o7 to 1908 niisfortunes swooped down upon the Rafferty family from all directions Dennis lost his job and shortly thereafter his health. The dampness and sunlessness of the house into which his lack of money forced the family to move did not benefit the health of the oldest son who was suffering with adenoids. Mrs. Raf- ferty felt that she ought to do day's work but there were Johnnie and Edith under school age who needed her care.
 Then the landlord threatened evic- ton The Rafertys sought charity and this is wha happened to them and this is what happened to them
 Conflicting Advice and Help.
 Mrs. .Rafferty's church paid one months rent and promised two more. The church, the Sunday school of which the children attended. said the house wasn't fit, to live in and plead ed with the Raffertys to move inme- diately A relief society got Raffer- ty a job on the very day that a dis pensary which he was attending told him that if he started work he would surely develop consumption fThe day nursery insisted that Mrs. Ranerty leave her children with it while she undertook days work, The relief society urged her to stay at home and take care Of her children. Tf1e dispensary removed the adenoids from the oldest boy, Dennis, Jr. s throat and the truant officer was sent to find him because he had been ah- sent from school following the oper- atioq.
 All of the various well meaning charitable agencies that knew the Raffertys continued to work at cross purposes giving conflicting advice to the Raffertys until at length the fam fly was 50 distraught and bewfIdered that it finally gave up and refused to follow anybody's advice. Ranerty took the job that had been offered him and the family got along some how or other, always, however. go- ing further on the way toward disas- ter.
 A little less than ayear ago Raffer- sy had become a consumptive. Dem his Jr. was 9 job1ess young corner I1oafer Johnnie and Esrith showed every symptom. of their fathers dis ease The Rafferty's present home was even more unhealthy than their former one. Furthermore church and charity had lost faith in the family. N help more than evr before and Mrs. Rafferty again appealed to her church
 Strengthening Out the TangIe
 Here is where ssRed Tape came in the ssRed Tape'' Of organized chari- ty which so many people seem to nis- 1 understand It got rid of the bungling cross purposes Of the well meaning agencies. It substituted effective CO operation.
 This is what happened. The family was moved to better quarters by char itable agencies and the church paid the rent of the new home. The dis pensary sent MT. Rafferty to a, sana- toriurn Dennis Jr. received a job from a. free employment agency. Through a settlement he was able to learn an electrical trade at night The two chil dren were sent to a, tuberculosis pre- yentorfurn by a children,s dispenary. Through a neighbor' Mrs. Rafferty se- cured two days work a week and on these days a day nursery took care of her little son, born since the farni- lyss first misfortune.
 Now the Rafferty's are on their way to health, work and happiness. MT. Rafferty is almost well and there is a position waiting for him His son will soon be able because of the training he has received in electrical work to get a much better job. The Rafferty's home is pleasant, whole some little house and all things prom ise well.
 What is t411s 'sRed Tape which save the Raffertys and has done a. sinailiar service for thousands of dis traught families in every large city of the country? Filing cards, a few stenographers and clercks, and an of i flee system directed by trained char ity executive, do the work.
 This particular kind of 'eRed Tape'' is to be found throughout the United 1 States in more than 300 cities were there are charity organization socie- ties or associated charities. It is var l iously known as the Social Service Exchange, registration bureau, conff- l dential exch ange. The idea started in Boston with the Associated Charities.
 ssRed Tapes' At Work
 When something happens to Raffer l ty or John Jones or Jacob Smith and he applies to his church or to a re- lief society or to disp for help
 the church, relief society or dispen- lsary telephones to the confidential ex-
 change and says We are trying to help Rafferty. Is anybody else tryin g to do the same thing ?''
 l The exchange turns to its card file
 and learns that a settlement tubercu-
 losis clinic and 8 free employment bureau are all interested in the family. The church that made the inquiry is so informed and each of the other agencies is told that an inquiry about the Raffer-tys has been received from the church. In the meantime the ex- 7-S- >