The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-07
MRS REID OFFERS SUGGESTIONS FOR HANDLING CHARITY Would District the City by Churches for Conduct of
 Voluntary Work
NO INTERFERENCE
 WITH OTHER BODIES
Suggestion Grows Out of Her Experi- ence as Chairman of the City's Emergency Relief
 Committee

Mrs. J. B. Reid. who acted as chair
 man of the recent emergency relief
 committee. yesterday outlined plan
 for broadening and strengthening char
 ity work in Birmingham. She points out that the plan need
 not interfere with any existing char
 ity work but would enlist the earnest
 efforts of many women of the city
 who would be glad to give an hour
 week to the cause
 Her practical experience should make
 her suggestions timely. She says some-
 one else may have better plan ana
 hopes that discussion Of the subject
 will be brought about.
 Hero is the statement she made yes
 terday:
 "After two weeks incessant cortact
 with the down and outs of Birming-
 ham am thoroughly convinced it is
 the greatest responsibility the paople
 have "This class stands alone. We have
 no reference to the men and ,,vorlen
 who have always earned their living
 and are only temporarily unemployed
 incident to the trying business situa-
 ton.
 We have met splendid characters
 amid the disaster-real trojans on the : field of battle who only need a chance ;. to win the victory over this spell of expression. and they have put their : shoulders to the wheel to try and help roll the clouds away from their neigh bor's door.
 Many good citizens are idle today who will be busy tomorrow; who have weathered the storm and smiled amid the whirlwind of hard times The city--we are proud of such cit izenship and wish them God speed in : their good spirits.
 But there are conditions among an- < other class. the people who never J work-who wander from place to place
 and ask constant help. Men, women. 2 even little girls and boys. who seem Just waiting and wanting something ! for nothing.
 Handled by the People The existence of such conditions af- fects the citizenship and Is one to be : handled by the people We have a serious problem wherever human welfare is involved. There are reasons for everything--it is easier to
 lind the cause than the remedy. How
 ever, in order to apply the remedy the
 case must be diagnosed and then treat cd like doctor does patient-with the right kind of medicine. If they will not work for themselves they should be made to work for others : It is a matter so serious. that it is ai- most a subject for legislation. Great healthy specimens of men ap- pear with fake story of various kinds
 and want help. An instance, few days ago, two fine looking young men came together. A strange coincidence they both were to be operated on thas night for intestinal maladies. They want
 ed n suit of clothes to wear to the nos pitaL To use common phrase I sized them up. and told them they would not
 need the clothes for hospital attire, but to leave their address and if they wenc to heaven after the operation would see that they started on the way with a new suit each.
 ''Of course. they took it good naturedly; they had come to work a committee of sympathetic ladies and were amused that oe were equal to the emergency. District the City by Churches We have seen the conditions and know the burden is all on the people, anc we nave presumed to think. even to think out a plan for suggestion The people : have got job and big one. Why not district the city by churches. ask each church to appoint a relief com mittee of women, with chairman each !? This will not interfere with any or- ganized body. but should be an adjunct to their efforts.
 'The central body can have chair
 man in Birmingham proper. After the committees are organized and their district designated according to location convenient for cooperation, the chairman and committee could, in a short
 while, familiarize themselves with neigh borhood conditions, and through them a
 great personal work could be done among
 the people. The central chairman would
 tcsntInued an Page Eixht)