South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-11-29
Rev. J. C. M'Ginn in Speech at
Lap0rte Says We Must Get
at Causes of Poverty.
News-TImes specIal servIce:

News-Times Special Service:
LAPORTE. Ind. Nov. cad
dressing a joint meeting of charity
and social welfare workers here un-
der the auspices of the st. Vincent
&c Paul society, Rev. J. c. McGinn,
OF Notre Dame university, spoke Of
the relation of bad housing to the
problems of the social worker and
Gwelt at some length upon the agi-
tatiOn for a housing survey which
has been carried on by The South
Bend News-Times.
For charity or correctional socie-
ties" Father McGinn said in part,
ito act indifferently 10 the great
movements that are going on outside
their immediate circle is TO neglect
TO take advantage of the most pow
erful allies they have in their fight
for the elimination Of poverty, des-
titution and vice. We know that
the health and morality Of our young
people are menaced by bad housing
conditions. yet we sometimes take
no interest at all in the movements
that are started TO eliminate bad
housing conditions and improper
modes of living.
"As an instance let me cite our
own organizations in South Bend,
and / do this not by way of CEN
sure. but by way Of suggestion.
Cites News-Times Campaign.
For several months The News
Times has been carrying on a cam
raign for better housing conditions.
A very conscientious young woman,
actuated by humanitarian motives
and governed by a discriminating
mind. looked into the housing con-
dltiOns OF the city She pronounced
them bad. in many instances intol-
cradle. She illustrated her informa-
ton TO show its truthfulness.
The News-Times printed her in
vestigation and Immediately COM
mitted itself TO a campaign for bet
ter housing conditions. This partic-
Ular social work did not end with
exposing the conditions of housing
in the city. 1t went further and
provided a remedy for the situation
A part of this remedy was a $4,000
appropriation by the city council for
a survey that would deal with the
conditions in a thorough way
For some reason or another that
survey was not made and in all
probability viii not be made along
the lines suggested by the investi-
cation.
Now my point is this, during
all the publicity that this question
received. not one organization Of
philanthropic nature expressed it
self formally and publicly as an or
sanizatiOn, upon the question of bet
tering our housing conditions.
Not One Expressed Self.
when we consider that it is nat
ural and unavoidable that the hous-
ing movement should be led by phi-
anthropists. as Mr.. owen Brainard
stated at the housing conference last
october, is it not astounding to find
that not one Of the many societies
engaged in preventative charity en-
deavor in the city publicly expressed
itself on this housing campaign for
letter conditions? Tubercular camps
and hospitals are taking care of
patients that these bad housing con-
ditiOns infect; dispensaries are
treating the diseases that these bad
housing conditions spread among the
children of the poor, charitable or
CARNATIONS are feeding and cloth
ing the poor who have been MADE
poor perhaps by these very conji-
tiOns. and yet not one voice is heard
to encourage the champions of this
great philanthropic movement. Isn't
il our duty 10 sanction or at least
look into these movements that
have for their ultimate aim, social
welfare?
IF We hope even TO abolish the