New-York tribune., 1918-07-21

Old Stepping Stone Between Alien and Cit;zen~,.
and Interpreter of Ideals Now Ques-
tions Its Usefulness

"Under the draft law, legal ad-
visory boards were provided for in
each local board district. After the
first rush of work most of these
boards found that there was little tt
do to warrant their being kept open
Upon closing, however, it was found
that a good many cases still re-
mained to be cared for. Delayed
questionnaires, changes of status OF
dependents, and a thousand and one
individual difficulties arose, which re-
quired men to call here for assistance
The calls became so frequent that
they could not be handled in connec-
ton with our regular work, and, at
our suggestion, the Central Legal
Advisory Board established a per-
manent East Side board, open three
nights a week. The Office fills a
very important need, as these men
require advice and in many cases are
unable to pay for it. In any event
the spirit of the selective service law
is that these men should be advised
by lawyers having a public rather
than a private interest and it is most
important that this advice be en-
tirely free from monetary considera-
tion and that it be genuinely help
full and sympathetic. A number of
our senior club members assist as
clerical helpers. The average at
tendance per night has been about
thirty.
Food Demonstrations
For Mothers
"The settlement has served the
food administration, one of the staff
memhers acting as captain oe this
Assembly District. A thoro Ugh cam
vass of the district was made at the
time the pledge cards were being
circulated and some 5000 pledge
cards were secured. Since then food
price cards have been placed in the
food stores in our district. All of
this work has been with the coopera-
tlon and active assistance Of about
9OO OF our senior club members.
"1n addition to this we have had
food demonstrations for the mothers
OF the neighborhood, who have re-
sponded in large numbers to the invi-
tatlon to attend. During the past
two months we have also sold sugar
to the amount of almost ton. This
mas gone to our own club members
who have been unable to purchase
elsewhere.
"The fuel administration, at our
invitation, established an Office here
during the 1917 coal crisis. A dep
uty was placed in charge and a COM
plant bureau opened. The number
OF people using the office ranged
from 2oo to 500 a day, for period
OF about eight weeks. Taking the
complaints, making a cellar survey
and otherwise actively aiding the
administration, required the fre-
quent help of our staff workers and
q good many Of our senior club MEM
bers.
Several of the young men of the
settlement have Joined the Four
Minute Men and are doing educa-
tlonal work. All information of the
Four Minute Men is sent to the set
tiement and is for use AMONG tho
club members.
The settlement has an informa-
tlon office for the United States
Working Boys Reserve: served &c
an information Office for the Interna,
revenue Tax Collector; has about
ten knitting circles, one of them "a
full-fiedged Red Cross auxiliary
conducted two successful citizenship
classes for women voters; two
courses in first aid to the in iured
and one course IN home NURSING"
These are the war activities of tho
settlement and speak for themselves
as We'll as the adequacy with which
the institution is filing an Immediate
and urgent need.
Listed above are some of the
CIVIC movements which the settle
ment has fostered or promoted. and
now a word for those social activities
in which the institution has been =
pioneer and which are gradually be-
ing absorbed by public organizations
"a fact which has engendered one