Evening star., 1936-12-13

TASKS OF POLICE EXTENDED
One Of Most Brilliant Efforts Of Past Was Penny Lunch Which
Mrs. Roberts Gave Much Labor-Story of an Annual
Turkey Supply-Ssters of Poor.
By John Clagett Proctor.

BY John LI1geH Proctor.
TT Is most timely and appropriate
that The Star and other agen.
cies should be making an effort
i at this time to collect toys and
funds to make the coming Christmas
O happy one for the poor children Of
the city and every one should do his
part to make the undertaking 100
per cent successful 50 that not a child
In the city might be deprived Of one
or more gifts and warm clothing also,
If necessary, for no one knows just
what sort Of Winter Is ahead Of us,
and q matter so vital as this should
not be overlooked when the wolf is
actually already at the door.
Nor in our desire to bring happi-
ness to the young folk should we to
the slightest degree neglect the grown
ups and the aged, for If we would
bring Joy to the world we must care
for the needs of all alike. Washing
ton Is noted for needing the cry Of
the poor and no doubt will cheerfully
respond to the present call and will
contribute just as freely this Christ
mas as i has on former occasions.
OF course the matter Of looking
after the needy in Washington is not
new proposition at all, and as q
matter Of fact charity has grown up
side by side with the city, for as early
as 1905, according to the researches
Of Wilhelmus Bogart Bryan, the
amount spent on the poor of the city
that year was next to that spent on
the streets, which was then the largest
item.
MR.. BRYAN also brings out the
" interesting fact that large pro-
portion of the poor and dependent
people Of the city come here and stay
here because this Is the Capital Of the
Nation, their reason for coming here
being primarily to obtain Federal
employment, public relief or to get
through Congress a claim for some
thing they believe due them. Mr..
Bryan puts his remarks in the fol-
lowing words:
For then, as now, people came to
Washington with the hope of collect
ing claims against the Government, of
getting q pension or perhaps an Office,
and then there was class who had no
very definite object.
Delays, disappointments and fail.
ure were the fate Of many. and so,
with resources exhausted, they were
thrown into the debtors prison or be-
came dependent The city govern
ment had hardly been in existence
four years when, in the course of q
report to the Common Council, it
was stated, We cannot comfortably
or economically provide for our own
numerous poor or furnish the alterna-
tive Of work or expulsion from our
streets to the struggling vagabond
beggars. which the seat Of govern
ment draws together and who are as
much . pest to the members Of the
National Legislature as . nuisance to
the resident inhabitants"
THE transient who visits the city
and stays here for only q short
while. and the members of Congress,
whose whole attention is centered
upon the wants of their own con-
stituents and districts, may not realize
1t, but We Of the native element, and
those who have resided here for many
years, are continually. forcibly re-
minded that the increase of pauperism
in the city has relatively kept pace
with its growth, up to the present
time. due entirely to the fact that it is
the Nations Capital, and the writer
has no doubt that a check-up Of the
city's penal institutions. its poor
houses. eleemosynary institutions, gen.
orally. and its hospitals, including its
mentally Ill at st. Elizabeth's Hospital
would show that a majority, or q very
considerable number. are really bona
f1de residents of the States, who
Uncle Sam" should be taking care of
rather than the District of Columbia.
Tor 1t is he who is responsible for their
coming here
Indeed, it does seem that these and
many other items are not given the
consideration they deserve when Con-
gress is deciding upon its share of the
expense for maintaining the Federal
Capital.
0NE Of the earliest meetings of the
citizens for taking care of the
poor took place in January, 1905, and
from that year to the present the
residents have banded together and
contributed clothing and money for
those in need of charity, realizing that
IN Q majority of instances at least,
their unfortunate condition was not
due to any cause Of their own How
ever. there will always be those among
us who are so constituted that they
will not look out for the inevitable
rainy day that even some little insects
have instinct enough to do. Aesop,
who has told many good fables, covers
this phase Of life In the one on the
Lazy Grasshopper saying:
In a great field lived the Ants and
the Grasshoppers.
The Ants we're busy little folk.
They worked all Summer getting erain
for the Winter.
we snau need 1t to eat, then,
said the wise Ants.
It'd rather hop In the sum- said
q Grasshopper.
but there will be snow in the
Winter. Then we can get no foed!'
answered the Ants.
But the sun Is % nice and warm!'
ehirped the Grasshoppers.
by and by Winter came. Oh, how
cold it Was! The Grasshoppers' legs
were stiff with cold. And they were
% hungry.
please give US some grain, dear
Ants begged the Grasshoppers.
1--WE have none to spare answered
the Ants.
But we have none ut all!' cried
the Grasshoppers.
what were you doing all Summer
asked the Ants. Why did you not
s<rv,> u,s q, snvvra vrojr xl,ane,