Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-06-22
UNION OF LOCAL
CHARITIES WAS
METHOD URGED
COMMISSION ON INVESTIGATION or
LOCAL POOR CONDITIONS RE-
FORTS TO COUNCIL.
CITY. HOWEVER. PLACES MATTER
FOR COLLECTIVE ACTION BY
THE CITIZENS.

included IN the report al the Charruo,
committee submitted u the city council
Monday afternoon. They are:
First: That there ~ established an
association of United Charities.
Second: That there be- established an
empluymrre-surcau 10 bring together
persons who want work done and per
sons who want "a work.
Third: That steps be- taken To- relieve
crowding and congestion IN the slum dis
trict>.
Fourth: That an effort IT, made ~
establish pablic works To give employ
ment To the ioblcSS.
Fifth: That every moral and legal
power ~ invoked ~ suppress vice.
The Charities committee consists ~
two ministers. Reverend ". 4. RoS-.
IF the Mexican Presbyterian church.
and Rev. j. =. Euwlc>. ~ the First Meth
udi>i church AMI Miss Nora Kelly. a
header ia philanthropic work of the
church Of the Sacred Heart. and = pat
rone>> and personal worker az the
brownsville Charity Home and lluSpit
al. The report read ~ the council
by Rev. w. u. Ross. SAYS ia effect the
following:
Investigation shows that there are people
IN the city who should bc cared FIR by y
United Charities fund. The committee hu~
not had sufficient time 10 find out how many
ere are. and ask the council ~ approve
their continuing thc investigation.
The report -uid that scattered through
districts visited hy the investigators
were several hundred able bodied men.
unemployed. who ~ay they can not go
work. This the export says ~ the chief
source of the restitution found. The
stories of these men. pitifully alike, the
Investigators believe 10 be- true IN claim
inc that there " 49, work a. * had
Therefore They ~trc,. the recommended
.tion for an employment bureau and such
public work ~ the extension # the Wa
ter supply district. 1T the sewer lines.
The cleanliness III the streets the tearing
down Old houses in the Slum districts
and the building of new onc>-throueh
some equitable arrangement with the
owners of this tenement property All ut
which viii create work.
Canva~sing. the poor districts was not
as complete a. was first intended. Mem
her, OF the committee were forced 90 i'm
vcStigatc personally and could not cN
anime into conditions of every family
who might hc ui need. Conditions were
investigated in several sections of the
city. After two days Of work nothing
new was uncarthrd. and the detailed
ID morandum III the investigators began
to show the same stories recurring
appeals for work hv men and women dr>
.titutr because there j. no work % hc
had. With the representative data cot
III ted the committee thinks a true 80
innate of conditions n a whole can bc
made.
We were convinced before We had
gone far that the greatest need ~ work
for the unemployed. We found families
with four To five able bodied men who
said they could not find work" SAYS 2
IU.t. rated statement ia the report. "lf
thr people could Ut work Nv hrliry,
there would ~ little for the United
Charities to do"
We commend The work being done u,
the health department M the city. ccun
IN and state the report y - un. wet
We would like to state ~ our opinion
that health conditions will never hr
brought up ~ what they should ~ with
out some means being devised AMI ap
piled for the relief NJ congestion III thc
crowded sections of the -itv. Five. SIX
and seven families often are crnwdcd. to-
gcthrr Cn one small rity lnt. Such con
gc>tiun must surely imprril thr health
of our citizens. Mann families are lin
Ing in hutS OF = sort that il seems
strange that human beings can exist ia
them.
This lead, W. ~ mention moral con
ditiun~ IN parts 81 the outlying district.
w. have already commended the hrallh
work being lone there. That j. onlv 90
ing part ~ The Wa, ~ clean M filth.
We find in manv places moral conditions
that are most appalling. II could hardly
be otherwise i'm such crowded quarters.
In MANY instances persons have confess
rd that they are living together in open
violation ~ the law. There H. need NJ \
moral clean M. as well. This W think
could be- greatly furthcred by relief from
crowding and prevention uf further flag
RANCHES ia this respect
The two members of the committee
no connected with the present Charity
home take occasion in the report 70 en-
dor~e enthusiastically and commend the
good work being dome ~ the home.
Acting Mayor Dwornan m accepting the
report spoke of the size Of the task before
the investigators. and granted them further
time IN which ~ gather additional facts.
lie then appointed Aldermen Craig. Garcia
and Dalzell members of a committee 10 act
with the Charities committee in dcvi~ing
wavS and means ~ meet the situation.
'ANc appreciate the recommendations
made in the report" he said. "The prob