The evening world., 1915-01-14
OPPOSE THE BILL.


oPPosG THE BILL.
Alfred T. White. head Of the Brook
lyn Bureau Of Charities and member
Of several private charities. stated a.
sone Of his reasons against Mothers'
Pensions: 1T would hinder thelr, (pri-
vate charities) getting necessary as
sistance for other work. People would
feel that the public was doing all
that In necessary for outdoor RELIEF
and the requests Of tns private char.
tiles would 20 largely unheeded."
DR.. Devine Of the Charities orgsn.
ization Society and Director Of the
School Of Philanthropy, said before
the commissions: Il think that you
ought not to proceed upon the a..
sumption that the charitable societies
either could orr iwouid continue to DO
what Ii now being done for widowed
mothers II system Of State pensions
were adopted. There would be no
reason why the charities should ask
the public for money to do what <Ae
State Itself had undertaken to do.
| citizen should respond to such ap-
peals II they were made.
| You may, OF course. argue that
that would release these funds to do
some other necessary charitable
work. but that wouic Dc q purely
gratuitous assumption. The. money
might or might not be available for
other things"
Therefore in the average case they
continue to call on the church, tho
relative. the neighbor. the friend and
any other source that money can be
secured from before giving aid them.
selves.
Yet the private charities OF New
York refuse to recognise their limita-
tions. They seem to have the i'm.
preston that they are able to cope
with all forms OF poverty. Their posi-
tion would be tenable II their past
record could show that they have ads.
quately met those they have attempt
ed or that even one form has been
met and overcome.
| Further. q notable and most serious
condition exists. There 10 little or no
coordination between private and
public charities.
Instead es encouraging and pre-.
noting the taking over os some ef
their burdens BY the State, pri.
vats charities have regularly, per.
sietsntly and almost system.
atiocliy fought such legislation -
dsns.
Such privsts charities are not
eomPsllsd TO account to any Pub.
lio body for the disposition Of
moneys that have been solicited
by them from the public.
WHERE EUROPE DRAWS LINE
ON PUBLIC RELIEF.
In direct contrast In European coun-
tries. while private charities have
| started various relief measures, they
have urged the State to take them
over. 80 their own usefulness might
| go on In other directions.
This whole matter II very we'll
stated by DIR. Munsterberg. founder OF
the Elberfeld system. and recognized
as one OF the greatest authorities Oh
the subject OF POOR relief. He said:
"One thing must still be demanded
on both sides of the Atlantic: the re-
spective provinces Of public poor re-
lief and OF pri; ate charities must be
defined as clearly and as carefully al
possible; furthermore. there must be
established between the two 4 den.
mite and well-ordered relation. This
is recognized, IN Germany. as the
aim and the goal OF relief work. To
begin at two extremes ono might say:
Essentials. necessaries OF life. are 20
no supplied by public charity. while
the furnishing Of useful or unneces-
sary things or even luxuries shall re-
main the province OF private chari-
ties"