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SYSTEMATIC CHARITY.

1). A. O'SULLIVAN, KSgUIRE,

BARRISTER^AT-LAW.

Pnper rtad hejor* the Canadian Inttitute, Janiiury, 1885.

IBtad h^ft^r* tki OmiuUkan /tutilMto, Jammrn, 1886.1

SYSTEMATIC CHARITY.

BT D. A. O'SULLIVAN, B8Q.
BorrMtr-at-Law.

Eveiy large city in the world has a destitute population ranging
probably about five per cent, of the whole number of its inhabitants.
There are the poor who are unable to work, the poor who are unwil-
ling to work, and the poor without v/ork for them to do.

The first of these classes inchide the sick, the aged, the deformed,
and those who, whatever their disposition may be, are unfit to sup-
port themselves. They form the great mass of any city's permanent
poor, and they are the ones towards whom the energies of the chari-
table aad the actions of the Legislature are directed.

The second — and an alarmingly increasing class — furnish the
pauper and the tramp of modem civilization, and it is said on the
authority of a very experienced writer that "the pauper, the
impostor, and the fraud of every description carry off at least one-
half of all charity, public and private, and hence there is a constant
and deplorable waste in the alms-funds of every large city."

The third class of poor, able and willing to work, but without
work to do, is a fluctuating class, absent in one city and present in
another, and varying also in seasons in the same city. They form
the lower order of working classes ; if work is provided for them
they may arrive at a higher level, if not they become depauperized
and are the scandal of society.

I have divided the poor whom the taxpayer and the charitable
have to support into three classes, with reference to their capacity or
inclination for work — ^for labor of some kind ; bui there are othera
with whom the public are concerned, such as the criminal of minor
offences, who is kept in gaol or in prison at the public expense ; the
drunkard, who finds his way to the same institutions, and a large
miscellaneous class who, by reason of vice that is a legal crime, or
vice that may not be such, are maintained in the hospitals and
infirmaries and magdalen asylums, and whose children are to be
found in the various institutions from the infants' and children's

homes till they are ripe for a repetition of the vices and career of
their parents.

The social and economic problems in regard to the poor are neither
few nor simple of solution. What is to be done for the honest poor
who desire to better their condition ? and what remedies can be
offered to repress the degrading process by which a poor man becomes
a pauper) How, in fact, can the worthy poor be enabled to help
themselves, and how can the pauper and the tramp be exterminated 1
The task of maintaining the helpless is a very small one compared
with the tax to maintain the idle and the undeserving. The rate-
payer and the charitable have to support not only themselves but
the poor and destitute of every kind, and it is important to them to
aid in any effort towards the co-operation and efficiency of our
charities.

Charity coraes to be administered within a score or so of institu-
tions in cities like Toronto, and so far as indoor relief or assistance
is concerned there is not so great a necessity for any organized co-
operation. The waste and abuse and imposture is chiefly in regard
to outdoor relief, and it is all the more in those cities where no well
organized association of charities exist. It is of this organization
of alms-giving that I propose to treat principally in this paper.

Within the last seven years 36 charity organizations have sprung
up in the United States, and it is on the experience of the workings
of these institutions that I propose to direct your attention, I have
prefen-ed relying upon the reports of charities in those cities having
so many features in common with our own, and so have not gone
into the workings of any other foreign charities. The AfontMy
Register, of Philadelphia, collects information from all quarters, and
is the oflBcial jou. nal for a large number of charity organizations.
It is obvious that wherever a Poor Law system prevails there would
be fewer materials for our guidance in organizations than where no
legblation is required for their efficient working.

Tlie principles upon which American charity organizations are
founded are very simple and very well understood.

A charity organization does not mean one mere charitable society.
" It means," in the language of Mr. Kellogg, the organizing Secre-
tary of the Associated Charities of New York City, " an alliance
offensive for economy, thoroughness and efficiency of all such organi-
zations of public official relief, and of congregational and individual

beneficence, into one harmonious and co-operative body, maintaining
intercourse and comparison through one central agency, and pledged
to united and concurrent ^orts for the suppression of the pauper
and the rescue of the deserving poor."

It means a common field in which men of all beliefs and men of
no belief can work side by side in the cause of humanity. It means
an examination into the cases of individual destitution by a personal
canvas, and it means a thorough investigation of every applicant, so
as to detect and expose imposture, and is, therefore, a comparison
and exchange of information in confidence.

This central agency or bureau does not interfere in any way with
the workings of the existing charities. It gives no relief except in
rare, urgent cases. It excludes no worthy applicant, and it frowns
down any attempt at proselytism. It aims to prevent imposture, to
reduce vagrancy and pauperism, to relieve the destitute, and to give
relief in return for employment. It has its agencies, its branch
offices, its paid and volunteer officers, and as efficient a system of
registration as possible.

This last— a registration of the names of all in the city in receipt
of private or official relief— is not only one of the first things insisted
upon, but it will be noticed in comparing the reports for different
years that it is considei-ed of very increasing importance. The
report from Baltimore (and I quote the latest issued) says that the
charity directory has already proved of valuable assistance. In
Brooklyn, Boston, Detroit, and many other cities, a map is prepared,
the names of applicants collected as far as possible, and a list of
those obtaining relief from the circle of charities in the city.

The manner in which this was done in Buffalo is a fair example
of what can V>e done with little expense. " Circulars were sent to
all church societies, relief societies, benevolent societies and fraterni-
ties, and to all asylums and hospitals, asking for particulars as to
their mode of operation, the kind of relief given, «fec. Then the
books of the Poor-master's office were copied, and shortly after,
through the kindness of the Superintendent of Police, blanks were
delivered at every house in the city by the police, asking for full
particulars of any relief that any citizen was giving at that time to
any poor person or pensioner. These forms were collected by the
jR..,._. ^T^^/.xvj-iuui iiuuia alter ucuvuryj and om oi Bome ;iU,uOO
issued, some 3,000 were returned fiilled in." •' And this," says the

very able writer on the subject of Charity Organization, the Kev.
Mr. Qurteen, "our first work of registering the names of all in the
city in receipt of relief, whether official or private, was begun."
Books were then opened for indoor and outdoor relief, and classified
as public or private, and the information methodically arranged, with
the names in alphabetical order. It was found that the same person,
in some cases, was in receipt of relief from three or four difiTerent
societies, from a dozen difierent individuals, and from one or more
churches, besides being on thn poor books. '* It was a lesson," he
adds, " fiufialo will never forget."

The Secretary of the Brooklyn Bureau of Charities says : " The
value of the registry system is now proved by actual test in the
principal cities of the country. The system in some form is indis-
pensable to the intelligent administration of charity." # # «
" A complete registry is the only adequate check upon those who
subsist upon alms fraudulently obtain^."

" In New York," Mr. Kellogg says, " we should feel ourselves
powerless without it, and the bulk of the large relief societies would
feel that its abandonment was a long step backward." There are
195,000 persons in the New York Registers.

One reason why this is insisted upon — and a number of other
authorities could be cited — is that it corrects abuses in the outdoor
relief. The tendency of outdoor relief, it is said, is demoralizing.
Detroit officially reports in favour of its abolition. Brooklyn and
Philadelphia have made it illegal. New York gives no outdoor
relief, except to the adult blind. BufiPalo has taken the same view,
and great savings are reported in cities where the organizations are
complete, or where outdoor relief is entirely abolished, as in Brooklyn
and Philadelphia. To reduce imposture is to reduce vagrancy, and
in this knowledge is really power. To know that one person ia
deserving and another is not, is not only to be in the way of efiectual
alms-giving, but it is a saving of expense and an encouragement to
the relieved.

On all points of view every aim of methodical charity is assisted,
strengthened and sustained for good by the completeness of its regis-
tration ; registration of those who ought to be relieved, whether they
ask it or not, and registration of those who ought not, no matter how
or where they apply for relief.

The oth«^r fetitureH of the American, or aa it might be called

"Tho Buffalo Plan "of Organizing Charities, do not need especial
mention. No good would be done by attempting to interfere with
the existing charities, and every one would deprecate any attempt at
proselytism. Charity, in this human aspect of it, as well as on the
Divine side, should exclude no person, or botly of persons, on account
of religious creed, politics or nationality. Such an organization
requires but little funds, as the rule is to give no alms. If it can
direct where alms should be given and where withheld, a great good
will have been accomplished. Its funds are intended to be used
solely in payment of such paid officials as may be necessary. In
Boston, with a population of about half a million, tho expenses of
the associated charities are in the neighbourhood of $1 3,000, but
they have 25,000 people on their books, and received reports from
47 charitable societies and 571 private individuals, and employ
about 600 paid agents. Last year the central office received over
30,000 reports, and sent out about half that number. In Philadel-
phia, with a larger population, about 1,000 or over are employed,
and the expenses are very much less, only about $4,000. In Buffalo
the expenses of the first year were |6,700, and it is claimed that
there was a saving to the ratepayers in that year of the sum of
$48,000.

The task of seeing that all deserving cases of destitution are
properly relieved is, of course, one of the greatest aims of these
associated charities. This is effected by a network of agencies
throughout the city, at the headquarters of which the chief officer
has a list of charities and a report of the person to be relieved. The
visitors make a recommendation to the proper charity in order to
obtain relief. This is not a thing to be donr - a day or a year, and
I notice that while the early reports recomuicnd that all officers of
the organizations be paid — that there be no sentiment but all busi-
ness in the matter — some of them now admit that to have been an
error ; that volunteer charity m, when it can be got, the right sort of
charity. This would not, however, apply to the central office, which
is open all day, and where a complete register of every case of relief
is to be had. In communication vdth this central office, and revolv-
ing around it, as it were, are the district committees, and with these
the use of volunteers is not only desirable but imperative. The
work could not be carried on otherwise. The usual support given to
the poor, the encouragement to elevate their home life, their health,

lnJ^\ \tT """ "'*'''" ^^^ '^' •'«"«^°'«»^ «i*i-n -^o can
Bnatch a half hour m the week tor that purpose, and come« all the

better from l.un than from the official representative of charity

Indeed the a«Hociated charities must do good in this dim^tion. or
do veiy httle at all, as they are not organize<l to relieve the poor
by givmg alms, but to enquire into the case, of deserving poor
and thus aid the existing charities, an.l secondly, to help the pooVto
help hemselyos. So long as real misery exists or is skilfully coun-
terfeited, so long will the charitable hand out their money on the
street or m their offices, no matter how umny charities there may be
around them. The association of charities is opposed to this thought-
ess or mdiscnminate giving. An English clergyman, speaking of
his experience in the terrible winter of l867-'8 in the east end of
London, says that out of every shilling ticket he had given he had
done four pennyworth of good to eight ,>ennyworth of harm-the
id. representing the bread which had gone into the mouths of a
wretched population, the Sd. the premium which was given to their
wasteful, indolent habits. Immediately after the experLce of these
times a society was started in London called the « Charity Organiza-
tion Society, and it gives no relief (except in the exti^me cLs of
despair or imminent death) without previous and searching exami-
nation. At Its head is the Bishop of London ; and men like Cardinal
Mannmg, Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Ruskin, the Eari of Shaftesbury and
the Duke of Norfolk are amongst its officers.

One of the aims of a charity organization calls for special men-
tion. The basis of relief is employment in all cases where work can
be got, and where the applicant is able U> work. This is easier to
discuss m theory than to reduce to practice. One thing has how-
ever, been noticed. Whenever work was obtainable the applications
for relief ell off. In many cities the procuring of work is'put on a
commercial baais as they say; in many the civic authorities provide
employment In Baltimore it is made a substantive charity called
the Provident Woocl Yard. When a man professed a willingness to
work and work could not be provided, it was cruel to dismiss him as
undeserving. Any man making a proper application is provided
with liAong wages until something better can be found for him
Tickets for this purpose are with the charitable societies and the
poh^. When the managers of a Boston charity attt ched thereto a

wood Vard and Qnnf^,-,Y\i'£ui it- ■<- >• " 1 t •

^ — , _.a ....i.o«nc^ tiiiit reuei would be given to no able-

bo<lie«l man unIeR8 willing to do a certain amount of work, the diiily
number of applicants fell off at once from 160 to 49, and Mr. Our-
toen adds that in every city in which the t««it has Inien applied it hiui
l«on eminently successful. In Philmldphia, wlon an ahle-lnxliod
mendicant after un offer of such a ticket refus«,8 to send to the ortic,
for relief, the {wlico are called uiwn to arrest him.

As evidences of the assistance given to the public and to the ex-
isting charities, it is reiK)rto.l that in Buffalo, for example, street
begging 18 eHectually done away with. In another American city
the assistance given towards repressing imposture is officially stated
at a decrease of 58 per cent, in the number of vagrants and 73 |M3r
cent, in the numlier of undeserving ytoor.

Even on the low ground— but one not to be forgotten— of a
pecuniary saving, very complimentary figures could be given. In
London in ten years the cost of maintaining the poor has been
reduced 30 per cent., and in some of the American cities to more
than double that proportion.

These associated charities advise the public to give no money to
any applicant, but to send the applicant to their central office, where
his case will be considered and attended to. If he can work and if
he refuse to work, he gets nothing ; and it requires no comment to
shew that private charity is almost always unable to detect this un-
willingness. The money given to such a person is worse than th« own
away. It is an encouragement to pauperism. It is not an agreeable
task for the charitably disposed to encounter these applicants and to
be never absolutely certain that their offering is not squandered on
the most worthless of characters. The organized charities say. We
can manage these things better, and what is a trespass on your time
is our employment and duty.

These charitable organizations say, in the second place : visit the
poor, give your information, your assistance, to find out and detect
fraud, and to ascertain who are really deserving of relief, but give
your money to the existing charities. The lame and the cripple, not
to speak of the man with the seven helpless children, and no fire in
the house for days, are frequently found to have amaased great sums
of money by begging. And this art is so profitable that it seems to
be worth acquiring. An advertisement is said to have appeared in

a London paper, where tha arf nf Kor.^»» ;o *«..~Kf ^ i- « •

six lessons by a person who has founded a college for that purpose.

He had an aawrtment of professional appliances, artificial wounds,
trained dogs for the blind, crutches, and could direct his students to
the most lucrative streets and neighbourhoods.

Whilst the existing cliaritable institutions and societies are not at
aU interfered with by these organizations, they are assisted and pro-
tected by them. It has been said that a knowing tramp in this city
of Toronto, with its churches and its two dozen of charitable institu-
tions, could put in the winter very weU, and if detected too early,
could easily earn the sixty days that would entitle him to frea'
quarters in the gaol. The church societies are largely imposed upon
also, and in the many cases of slender stipends of the clergynen the
imposition is outrageous. The charity of all is much greater than
the good done to the recipients of it, and whilst an association, such
as we have been describing, may not remedy everything, it might
do a vast deal of good.

■'