city. If the reply is favorable, the man is sent on. It seems to me that it might be possible for this Conference to establish a system of co-operation in reference to the transportation part of it.

Mr. SENIOR, Cincinnati.— An important item in our regulation is that, after you have determined that the man is acceptable at the city of destination, it is the duty of the forwarding city to pay his transportation through to the point of destination. We found in our investigation of the evil that a man starting at St. Paul, who wanted to go to New York, appeared before the charity organization societies of twelve different cities before arriving in New York. had to appear before twelve different boards, and he went by a circuitous route. We have arranged a telegraphic code to be used by various cities, with a list of all organizations subscribing to the agreement. You can practically get a letter in about fifteen or twenty words.

He

Mr. TUPPER.- Suppose a person is not accepted, what do you do with him then?

If we

Mr. SENIOR. We take care of him at the point of origin. find that his story is unfounded, we say, You are telling an untruth, but we will give you work here if you are willing to work. He usually disappears.

Mr. DEVINE, of New York, thought that there would be more difficulty of applying this method to all other charitable agencies for the reason that their relations are much more complicated, and because public authorities are engaged in transporting transients.

Mr. EVANS CARRINGTON, Colorado Springs. Our idea is that the associated charities should be so organized that it should be in a position to meet every kind of a demand. We regard it as fundamental that we should have a relief department as well as an organizing department. In Denver they appropriate a certain percentage of their revenues to different institutions that are in federation with them. We do nothing of the kind. We do not vote a single dollar to any institution.

A letter from the secretary of the mayor of St. Louis was read, of which the following is the substance:

Since the present mayor has had charge of the affairs of this city, a suggestion was made by Mr. McClain, General manager of the St. Louis Provident Association, that charity institutions of this city were being greatly imposed upon by other cities. Mr. McClain at the same time kindly offered his efficient corps of assistants here, and their associated offices and assistants in other cities, to help in some way to put a stop to this abuse, and to investigate and report upon the advisability of giving transportation to any applicant who applied for same.

In this way the three main points to be ascertained can be furnished: first, never to give transportation to an unworthy case; second, whenever transportation is given, that it be an adequate amount to carry the applicant to the point of destination, and that only after full investigation has been made, which investigation shows that there is some one at the point of destination who can and will provide for the applicant; third, never to give transportation to any

applicant until a thorough investigation has been made as to his means of support at the point of destination.

To show that this is not a theoretical but a practical treatment, I beg to say that, after a year's strict adherence to these rules, we have found the result to be an excellent one to both the executive office and our charitable institutions. . . .

In probably one-half the cases the report made by the applicant is found to be untrue. He is then turned loose, and given to understand that the city will neither support nor transport him, and that he must provide for himself. Probably in one-half of the remainder of the cases the party or institution furnishing the transportation thus far forwards the amount sufficient to carry the party to his point of destination: the other half of the remaining cases are returned to the place of starting.

Now, if some resolution can be introduced, based on the actual work of the year thus set out, with request that before transportation is furnished some similar course be pursued, it will at least cut off this practice and go a long way toward putting an end to such abuse.

If this resolution could be made broad enough to include executive offices of cities, I will gladly take up the matter with them by correspondence, and think I can secure their indorsement of such a plan.

This office will send as its representative to the convention to be held in Detroit next week Sergeant James L. Dawson, who has practically charge of this work in this office, and is thoroughly conversant with the working of such a plan after a year's strict adherence to it.

Mr. McClain has kindly offered to do all in his power to secure some action along the line thus set forth. You will find Sergeant Dawson thoroughly awake to the subject, and he will gladly assist you in any way you may designate.

Yours very truly,

JAMES G. MCCONKEY,
Secretary to the Mayor.

On motion of Mr. Devine it was voted that a committee should be appointed by the chairman to draw up a letter adopting rules similar to those of the Hebrew charities, to be sent out to every one responsible for the transportation of applicants.

The chairman announced the following committee: Mr. Senior of Cincinnati, Mr. Dawson of St. Louis, and Professor Blackmar of Kansas.

On motion of Mr. Devine the chairman of the section, Mr. Weller, of Washington, was made chairman of this committee. This committee reported later, but for convenience of reference the report is inserted here, as follows: :

Ladies and Gentlemen,- Your Committee on Transportation of Dependants beg leave to offer the following report:

That we recommend the publication and distribution of a pamphlet prepared by this committee, setting forth the evils of free transportation, and containing a set of rules and a telegraphic code suggested for use of all associations and agents;

That members of the National Conference of Charities be invited to contribute toward a small contingent fund to defray the expenses of publication of said pamphlet and for correspondence;

That, until such rules are sent out, the use of the Rules for the Regulation of Transportation used by the National Conference of Jewish Charities is suggested. These rules may be obtained by applying to either Mr. Max Senior, of Cincinnati, or J. L. Dawson, Mayor's Office, St. Louis.

This committee was continued, and special subscriptions were taken by D. I. Green toward a fund for publishing the committee's report and sending it to all appropriate organizations.

We

We

Mr. HANSON, Associated Charities of Kansas City. The social or friendly visiting work is recognized as the foundation principle of our work, and is being rapidly developed. We have made a good beginning with a penny savings-bank, and have about 500 depositors among the very poor. There is another savings system organized by the Woman's Temperance Union. The Associated Charities is the clearing-house for twenty-six different charities. During the past year we have started two social settlement movements. are encouraging people to clean up and beautify their homes. shall have a municipal camp organized, a sort of a school for civil government. There is a movement on foot for establishing a settlement in one of the neediest districts in connection with the day nursery. We had a fire in Kansas City about two months ago which wiped out eighty houses and left over one hundred families homeless. A subscription was started. The secretary of the Associated Charities was chairman of the Committee of Investigation and Distribution. $13,000 was raised and apportioned by the committee. The fund was too large, but it was expended with the least harm because some one with experience was given a chance to direct it.

Mrs. GEORGE, Associated Charities of Denver.-The charity idea is spreading well. Quite recently the charity organization office was removed from the court-house to a nine-room house, which is the headquarters of the charities of the city. Since going there, we have had applications only from those who were needy or disabled. Ten years ago the exaction of work in exchange for relief would not have been tolerated in Denver. The Denver charity organization has a board of trustees, fifteen in number, from among the best business men. They raise all the money from the different societies, which number sixteen. The city gives $9,000, and about $17,000 is raised by private subscriptions. This money is put into a common fund, and distributed quarterly among fifteen or sixteen societies. We have at the central office an emergency fund of $5,000. We do not have to run around and get this money from individuals, when we need to relieve particular cases. The Humane Society does its work on its appropriation from the charity organization. We have a Visiting Nurse Association which has $9,000. The Jewish Relief Society receives $1,500 or $1,600, and Jewish cases are referred to that society. There is a Catholic orphan asylum and a Protestant orphan asylum, in all sixteen societies. After fourteen years' experience we feel the plan is a good one.

QUESTION. Are there public relief funds besides the amount given to this common fund?

Mrs. GEORGE. The poor commissioners have a fund of $100,000. I should say that the different societies also raise separately about as much again as the $26,000 we raise.

Mr. BRACKETT.- Does the fact that the city gives this large amount of money in a lump sum to the Associated Charities make it difficult to get money from individuals? And does the fact of this large relief fund affect in any way the effort made by your agents to get individuals to help in special cases?

Mrs. GEORGE. Our people are very generous, and they do help a great deal in special cases; and the fact that the city gives that money does not hinder other people. There has never been any dissatisfaction about the division of the funds. The amount is given according to the work of the societies and the number of people they have helped the previous year. Two county institutions are supported out of the $100,000 administered by the poor commissioners. There is a county farm and a county hospital. The population of Denver is 150,000. The number of charities in Denver has been decreased by this system. We have several less than when we adopted it.

QUESTION. Does every society collect in addition to the funds they get?

Mrs. GEORGE.

They are allowed to collect from people who do not contribute to the charity organization fund. We have only 500 subscribers, but these 500 give largely.

Mr. VANE, Aurora, Ill. The supervisors in our town of 30,000 inhabitants will only give relief to one recommended by the district visitors of the charity council. If they get a request for help, they send it to the visitors.

Professor BLACKMAR, Lawrence, Kan.- Lawrence is a town of between 11,000 and 12,000 people. Douglas County has about 40,000. The plan of charity giving is to have a township trustee. who is a charity commissioner, and the mayor of the city is also a commissioner. Each separate township is anxious to get as much of the public fund as it can, because some other town will get it if it does not. The mayor helps people, especially before election time. $135,000 was spent in this kind of relief. When we try to help somebody up, the mayor, through the marshal, would help him down. We induced the mayor to make our secretary the agent, and our agent was finally appointed county commissioner. The result is that, instead of spending $10,000 in out-of-door relief, we have reduced it to between $3,500 and $4,000, including the salary of the county commissioner.

Mr. EAGLESTON, Columbus, Ohio.-- For a number of months past, owing to a change in conditions, the Associated Charities has done the investigating for the city poor department; and no relief has been given except on the recommendation of the Associated Charities. Columbus has a population of 150,000. It costs the

city for coal, groceries, and shoes the sum of $1,874. Of course there are private charities in the city that do their usual work. I visited a city of about 40,000 people within six weeks, and was told that it costs about $1,600 a month to take care of the poor, a city one-fourth the size of ours,- so that I am satisfied that clever investigation will reduce the amount required for relief.

Professor COOLEY, of the University of Michigan, referred to university teaching as influencing public opinion. He tries to instruct students in the spirit, principles, and methods of modern charity. A university course, properly given, ought to develop a certain breadth of view,-a conception of all philanthropic problems as a whole. The student ought to see these things as one single problem or as one phase of a general problem. There is, I think, an increasing interest in universities in charity work as a career. I am inclined to think that in the future trained university graduates will be more in demand.

Mr. DAVIS, Richmond, Va.- I am superintendent of the public charities of Richmond. When I took charge of the office in 1886, the annual output was $10,000 a year. I have reduced it to $5,000, and have kept it down. The population of Richmond is 100,000. During my term of office we never had a hundred white paupers. We have a hundred and twenty colored. I am heartily in favor of organized charity, but we can perhaps be too systematic and too economical. I believe that, in many cases where there is a prejudice against tramps, if we reach down and give them a hand, we can resurrect what God has put into them,- manhood.

Mr. GOWAN, Portland, Me.— Two years ago there was a scandal about our poor department, and also in our county, as to the way the prohibition law was enforced. So the people elected a man to enforce the law. Two years ago they spent $12,000 in our city of 60,000 for outdoor relief. In the first year we reduced that expenditure to $9,500; and last year, aided by shutting up the rumshops, our expenses were reduced to $6,250. A year ago our mayor was invited to send delegates to Washington to this Conference. Mr. Rose and myself were sent as delegates. We were thoroughly imbued with its spirit, and we have introduced some of the things that we learned in Washington. We also have been at work all over the state. Maine has no state board of charities.

Mr. THWING, of Seattle, called attention to the difficulties experienced in the West. There is lack of supervision. There is need for a more general charitable sentiment. Our cases are of temporary need rather than cases of chronic poverty. The fact that there is a temporary need makes it incumbent upon us to handle relief funds : that is one of our difficulties. This diverts our attention very largely from the more pressing need of developing public sentiment. And there is a large opportunity in the third place for more thorough work.