Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-05-20
MUCH CHARITY WORK
REMAINS TO Be DONE
Miss Mullen Shows Wide Range
of Associated Charities
Activities.

Mias Il. Ethelda Mullen. general sec
rotary OF tho Associated Charities, has
just completed a lengthy report on the
work the organization has been carry
ing on and II shows the wide range
OF tho activities OF tho association
Miss Mullen In her report says:
The month OF April opened with 1872
cases carried over from the preceding
month, 10 which number havc been
added 80 during the month, giving
total of 72S az against $40 FOR March.
This may seem n very slight decrease
in the case load, but 1t must be re-
numbered that many or our families
cannot be dropped from our Hats as
soon as employment is secured. Even
with tho financial adjustments made
there are many other problems which
have presented themselves during our
contact, some OF them far less easy
OF solution than that OF finance.
Tho figures. however. although
showing only IS fewer cases carried.
are still encouraging. The March re-
port showed 1870 applications. 40
moro than during April. The intake
for tho past month Ia less than during
any other month for n year and n half.
1t ia reasonable that for several
months we may expect only a gradual
tightening OF thS case load. although
the figures for relief will show a great
err contrast. During tho winter the
proportion OF relief TO service haze
been uneven. With conditions ap-
preaching normal again we must find
the balance. In many families there
are still adjustments to be made
which will need our supervision for
neutrality-suspicious. years.
It may DO a little early to view In
perspective the work of the Associated
Charities for the past winter. Certainly
there ia etill much to he done and
much moro which may never he &C
Complished. but n compilation Of eta
tistiCs covering the period from Oc-
tohcr 1. 1921 to May /. 1922 VIII give
some idea Of what wc have undertake
en- and how we have measured up 60
our responsibilities. beginning with
200. we have carried In all 1,404 I'M
duplicated families during the winter
Cd A brief study Of who these people
were. ca How they came to us. ca
How long they remained under care
(4) The problems they presented. and
(5) How we were able To help them
to solve thoee problems may be OF in
terest
UD There were $40 American white
families. 39s Negroes. 144 Poles. 9S
Italians, 30 Irish. II German. with the
rest of the number Represented Ivy
Swedish, English. Spanish. Greel,
/ Canadian. French, Cuban. Syrian
/ Mexican and Scotch.
/ CD They came TO our attention ~
/ follows: Personal applications III. Re
ferrcd by local agencies 1873. By indi
viduals (clergy1nen, school teachers
physicians. neighbors. former employ
er1. ctc). 13s. Out OF town agoncie
! 20. Mayor Harvey so, and tho WON
en's Committee OF tho Emergency Re
lief 81.
II Is interesting to note that OF tn
800 negro families only about flftce
were referred Tho other ISL drifte
in or came because they wcre refus
cd assistance at the Emergency Re
lief.
(S) Tho length Of time under car
varied according 10 the needs OF IN
individual cases: ITO families were un
der care one month: 279 families wer
under care two months; 232 familie
were under care three months: &c
families were under care four months
81 families We're under care fiv
months. 81 families were under car
six months; 1856 families were undo
care seven months.
This last figure represents the grou
composed largely OF widows. physical
~ or mentally incapacitated. and thos
requiring continued supervision. Wit
n few exceptions they were carrie
over from the previous year and wi
be under care at the close OF the pre-
ent one. Neither Industrial deprS~slo
nor extreme prosperity causes a riI
pie in the monotony OF their existence
(4) II is difficult to determine (
every case the one outstanding caus
tor a family's first introduction TO an
agency. When things have gone 6
badly that the family is not Cor think
II is not able to cope with the situa
ton alone, there are apt TO be cor
iributory difficulties, which may, o
the surface, appear to be the rec
trouble. For instance. unemployment
or underemployment may be the re
suit Of some mental or physical dis
ability. Their report is an attempt {
show as nearly as possible the out
/. standing cause for application whe
the family came 20 our attention.
Unemployment. $50: Physical Dis
ability. 21S; Old Age. 60; Desertio
|, and non-support, 80; Mental Defec
tiveness. 80; Sexual immortality, %
Illegitimacy. 90; Imprisonment, IA
Guaranteed Families. 13; Begin
Tendency. 10; Sight Impaired. 10; In
temperance, 9; Venereal Disease, Z
, Bad Housing. 6; Insanity. 4; Industris
Accident, 3; Strike. !.
| In, additi tlou.. LIZ. 4. L..