Norwich bulletin., 1916-01-12
UNITED cHARlrIEs.
Helpful Work of the Year Is Shown in Report Given af Annual Meeting.

The annual meeting of the United Charities association was held in their rooms on Valley street Tuesday eve ming at o'clock.
 The first business was the reading of reports, in which some interesting Lincoln in part gave a brief report.
 The report of Pierre Laramie, treas urer, showed receipts of $1,S3S.06, and expenses of $1.71S.79. with a balance of $119.27. About $1,05o of the ex- penses went for salary, rent, etc, and $500 directly to the poor. Some $50 of the first item, however. was for permanent improvements, for which there will be no need this year.
 In addition some $671 worth of SUD- trtbuted and nearly $2,000 of garments distributed, which were contributed by the donors. Besides this, about one-half of Miss Austin's time was spent for the town, so that one-half of her salary only should be figured against the United Charities organi- zation itself.
 Miss Austin's Report.
 Miss Austin gave a comprehensive report of the work of the year, which follows in part:
 At the time the work was taken up 2S families were referred by the town for groceries. Some objected to call- ing for their groceries and in the case of a widow who was working in the mill the objection seemed reasonable and arrangements were made accord tngly. The list of articles of food were changed as the families became better known to us. Flour was given instead of bread. Rice, oatmeal, prunes and other articles of food were se- Iected especially for the nourishment of developing children. The number aided by the town the last five months averaged six, four widows being aided regularly.
 When these 2S families were refer red they were investigated not with the idea of finding something detri- mental in order that we might not have to give assistance, but in order that we might better know all the re- sources and circumstances of their lives and with this knowledge help them to plan for self respecting i'm dependence. In some instances the income was double, even triple what it was given at first, and to all ap- pearances, this stateInent in the home was true. 1t was some little time be- fore it was discovered that family supposedly living on the $7 a week earned by the daughter, had weekly income of $22. It took time to get all this information because the income came from such different sources. An other woman was living with her SUD-
 
 ment; she was able to work, as were her brothers and sisters, and the fath- CT was found to own the house. These decepti0ns are not so much the fault of the people as they are the fault of the old idea that what can be obtained from the town is clear gain.
 The families in which there were ablebodied men were visited first and they were told positively that the town did not intend longer to support their families; that they must get to work at once and if they could not find a i Job that the United Charities would get one for them. This we were able to do in some instances. One man who said he was sick was persuaded 1 to have a doctor and soon went to work. He has been working ever since receiving no assistance from the town Another man who received SITS fn food last year from the town and $127 during the six months before the or ganization Of the association went to work after the first call and has a steady job. He had been drinking quite heavily, but now his pay Is small and he says when his bills are paid he has nothing left for drink Sev. eral evenings have been spent with this family, going over the store books I trying to plan with both the father and mother for better management They were spending $2 a week fol I bakers bread. After some persuadine I he had bricks put in the stove so that l it would bake and the mother tried to make bread, but as she is not very strong, having spent some time in the