The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1921-08-05
AMERICAN RESCUE WORKERS ARE A
DISREPUTABLE LOT, SAYS REPORT
Imitation of the Salvation Army Will Not Be Per-
nitted To Drum Elizabeth City-Run Out of
the North, Grafters Camp on the South


City got a setback this weel
when the Board of Aldermen or.
dered Capt. r. S. Wooten of the
american Rescue Workers tc
appear before the Mayor anc
City Attorney and give an &C
counting of his work in this city
or get into some other work
Capt. Wooten hasn't given an.ac-
counting yet and this probably
means that he and his staff will
move on to some other north
eastern North Carolina town
there to pound their big bass
drum, sing their gospel hymns.
invoke the name Of Jesus from
the gutter and pass the tambou-
rine.
The American Rescue Workers. ini-
tating the methods of the Salvation
Army have been doing business in
Elizabeth City for several weeks. WOot-
en-. the head of the outfit here is a
young main of good appearance and.
tho ignorant. he has made a good i'm
preston even among the ministers of
the town. He has been holding street
meetings all over the town and has
recently recruited enough local help to
put two crowds on the streets Satur-
day night to pound the drums. shake
the tambourines, sing songs and take
up collections.
But there is evidence that Wooten
with all his activities hasn't collected
much more than enough to take care
of himself and co-workers and the
amount Of rescue work they have done
is negligible. In fact, expert social
workers find these Rescue Workers do
more harm than good in such work as
they attempt among the poor
Now Elizabeth City has a public well
fare officer. paid by the city and county,
to work under the direction of the
State Department of Charities and
Public Welfare, to do at public expense
the very work these ignorant religious
-rafters pretend to do. And so the
Hoard of Aldermen wants to know just
why the American Rescue Workers
should continue to collect small coins
from the Elizabeth City public.
In seeking Information about this i'm
itation Salvation Army the Aldermen
have received some enlightening facts.
It appears that the American Rescue
Workers generally are a sorry. diSrep-
utabIe lot and are not tolerated in many
states Run out of the North, they are
now camping on the South and have
established a state headquarters at
\. c., in charge of one T. G.
McAlIister.
They are not recognized by the State
Board of Charities and Public Welfare
and have been forbidden to do any child
placing anywhere in North Carolina and
they are guilty of fraud in collecting
funds for such purposes. An investiga-
ton of the organization has brought out
the following report which has been
submitted OF Mayor Goodwin. This re-
port. from an authoritative source, |
says:
Looks Like Bad Lot
The American Salvation Army, or
Of dissenters from the regular Saliva |
ton Army which became an organiza- |
ton under the leadership of James |
William Duffin. +
They made spurious use of the |
name, military titles, uniforms, insignia |
and badges of the Salvation Army until
prohibited from doing so by an injunc-
ton of the Supreme Court of New York
in 1910, after which they assumed the
title of American Rescue Workers.
Their history, personnel and stand
ing have been carefully investigated
through a National organization of un-
questioned standing and through various
other social agencies by the North Car
Dina State Board of Charities and Pub
ic Welfare, and their organization has
never been reputable one nor has 1t
made a creditable showing in any large
,ity.
They make collections and give
small accounting for their indiscrimln-
ate use of funds. Their national or
;anization at 1927 Frankford Avenue,
is supposed to receive ten
1er cent of all their collections and
t has made no pretense of auditing its
accounts since 1915. Their solicitors
It the various stations which they main
ain over the country are employed at
wages to suit their individual prefer
nee. These collectors are persons of
uch questionable character that they
ave some times been arrested for
agrancy and fraud.
The State Board of Public Welfare of
ieorgfa in it's annual report for 1920
ives a report of the American Rescue
Workers. Emergency Home in Atlanta.
t is described as squalid and unsanitary,
nd not a single qualification which
rould make it desirable as an institu-
ion is found there. The records of
ersons coming and going are imper-
ectly kept, and different types of cases
ucb as dependent women with children,
omeless women, fallen women, depend
mt children, children day boarders
those mothers are working, and fee {
| lpmiO6a6 woman children II