New Britain herald., 1916-10-28

ed to protect the poor of the com munity. A community could easily | be pauperized and paupers are ex- l pensive."
 At one time MT. Kerner said that he was in Pittsburgh and there was no charity organization there so the churches took up the work. The people of the east end were the ones ] who became interested, in other words tn people of wealth. These people said that something must be done so l they picked out section of the town | called Woods Run where they start l ed mission and relief station for | the poor. One church alone started the work, then came back and told 1 of the wonderful success it was hav- ing which led to another taking up the work. Now in a very short time many churches are helping the poor with the result that the entire com munity was pauperized. Strong men who were working every day came for aid as did others who were not work ing. These relief stations gave them the money to live on.
 With the coming of organized char ity a promise was extracted to have
 
 stay out of that section altogether. Upon investigation 112 families were found that had men in them who were bread earners but had not worked from one to fifteen years Some even followed the rich out into the words Associate Charities" and the people focked to the doors think ing that someone new had taken up the burden of their support But the new people asked questions Some even went so far as to say that their rent was due. Others sent in chill dren saying, Give us a pair of shoes," etc. At one time they even made threat to throw MT. Kerner into the Ohio river.
 During the first month which was january said MT. Kerner, we gave $ooo Tn relief put able bodied men to Work or gave them the alternative ol gong to jail, with the result that Solile oh 'hem took jail. But in just one year only $500 was given for re- llei II Ill 'lla' very same spot. This was the result of organized charity The of my assistant and the re,+ .n,o,,n+ ed to $20O, which it Cost to o,iva .1,.v the $500. The foNowing vear +he cost was still the same bnt o,,11, COG was given for relief. Peon1e who 1 could not see the results con1d o,,11 think of the $200, but others oo,1S 1 and did see the result Of orgo,,i1.as charity. The best kind of of a rnno,,+ is one where the organization does not 1 give out much.
 Last month, said MT. Kerner +bo | city of Waterbury paid out s1a fo1, emergency relief besides several hun 1 dred dollars in pensions Tn the lat l ter case it was far better to give inc money to the widows to take care of 1 the children than to send the children 1 to an institution. The organization is a general clearing house for all the charitable work of the city.
 In the twenty-three years that the local institution has been in existence if the directors had been adequate the l record kept would be of great value. Cases of one kind or another that would lead to the general welfare of the community, would also be kept on | record. These records would not 1 mean anything to anyone but the agent and would be a secret to all l but her Or those who had good cause l to know them
 The agent should have the backing 1 of the directors and the community, | as her work IS of the hardest. Two years ago MT. Kerner said he was in l the office from ' o'clock in the morn ing until 8 or 9 o'clock at night, 1 hearing nothing but one hard luck | story after another.
 The backbone of the organization l is the board of directors and the ex- | ecutive committee which should fur l nish a moral and financial backing Encouragement was the thing need ed and the best thing was for some of the directors or workers to go to the office and try to help out. One , kind of secretary was always thinking Of goo0 press story, good report, or 1 writing letters of appeal. That kind 1 of a secretary did not pay, he said.
 In the city of Waterbury the finance | committee raises the money. The , agent should not be asked to spend her time in raising her own salary as an organization of this kind never gets anywhere. The board of di- rectors and the finance committee