may be urged, what harm can be done by a few city tenements? Will not the lives of some working people be made easier? Yes. But what of the others who are now maintaining their homes by their own unaided effort? What lesson will it teach them? Surely we who are grounded in Charity Organization principles, and who are seeking to teach the lesson of self-dependence, can not approve that which teaches dependence upon others; least of all, that which teaches dependence on Government? Food and clothing are more important than shelter. We do not hesitate to leave that supply to natural social laws. Why not shelter as well, more particularly when benevolence stands ready to aid as an independent social force and produces such results as can be seen in London? 7 gress, and the preservation of which can alone maintain it there. ** Dr. John S. Breckinridge, superintendent of the Methodist Episcopal (Seney) Hospital, died August 28 Stamford, Connecticut. Dr. Breckinridge was sixty-three years of age and a native of Pennsylvania. He filled several pastorates in Connecticut and Brooklyn. In 1887, while pastor at the Simpson Methodist Episcopal Church in Brooklyn, he was appointed superintendent of this hospital, which position he has since held until the time of his death. * * * On August 29, the sum of $223,415.91 had been contributed to the Committee of One Hundred for the relief of the Indian famine sufferers. Classified Advertisements. Advertisements under this head, two lines or more without display, 5 cents a line. Every extension of the sphere of TH Government tends to restrict individual effort and to diminish the spirit of self-dependence. Every such extension has this inherent objection, and must affirmatively justify itself. HE CHARITY ORGANIZATION SOCIETY asks for further contributions to pay the rent of an old German couple, who have lived in the same house for twenty-five years. The man had one leg amputated nearly ten years ago, and the woman, now seventy-two years old, has been the bread winner until her strength gave out, and she can now only earn the food needed. There are no children or relatives. The following contributions for this purpose are gratefully acknowledged: "Anonymous" and Mrs. James Timpson, $ro each; "A. L. L." and "H. S.". $5 each; "S. S. K.", $2; "M. D. F.", $1. TH HE CHARITY ORGANIZATION SOCIETY renews its appeal for $150 to pay the board in the country of a young married man who is consumptive, but may be benefited by a change of air. He has promise of work from a former employer as soon as he is able to return. He has been unable to work for a year and his savings are exhausted. There are no relatives to help. The following contributions for this purpose are gratefully acknowledged: and Marcus Stine, $10 each; "E. C. A.”, “N. V. N. M.", "O. D. G.", Albert Stieglitz and Mrs Hermione Brooks, $5 each; "B. P.", $3; "Cash" and Miss E. M. Ewen, $2 each; "Brooklyn", A. W. Tolles and John F. Mills, Jr., $1 each. There are such extensions which necessarily grow out of the great concentration of population in cities. The frontiersman may well object to sanitary regulation of his isolated hut. Not so the dweller in the city tenement. But the dweller in the tenement ceases to feel that responsibility for health conditions that the frontiersman recognizes. Let us beware of enlarging the circle of W Governmental action beyond the line of clear necessity, lest we extinguish the vital spark of reliance on self which has placed Anglo-Saxon civilization in the van of human pro Any money for these cases sent to the Charity Organization Society, 105 East Twenty-second street, will be duly and publicly acknowledged. ANTED-A position as collector for a charitable institution or society by a woman of experience, who is now at work in the same capacity for a Protestant Episcopal institution, requiring only a portion of her time. Best of references. Address A. F. E., care CHARITIES. as matron Whousekeeper, by a lady of long and successful experience in large suburban institutions. Best of references. Address N. E. M., care CHARI TIES. CHARITIES THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE CHARITY ORGANIZATION SOCIETY OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK. ENTERED AS SECOND CLASS MATTER AT THE NEW YORK, N. Y., POST-OFFICE. Issued every Saturday. Five cents a copy. Subscription price, one dollar a year, in advance. Three dollars a hundred. ADVERTISING RATES. Classified advertisements, 5 cents a line, eight words to the line, agate measure. Display, 5 cents a line, 14 lines to the inch. Full page, 200 agate lines, $10. Half page, 100 agate lines, $5. Quarter page, 50 agate lines, $2.50. Special position, twenty-five per cent additional. EDWARD T. DEVINE, Editor. PUBLICATION OFFICE: 105 East 22d Street. NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 8, 1900. The Charter Revision Commission will be asked to consider the expediency of creating a Department of Public Hospitals, distinct from the Department of Public Charities, and intrusting to this department the management of Bellevue, Fordham, Harlem, Gouveneur, Metropolitan, and City hospitals, and possibly also the almshouse hospital. It is proposed that the head of this department be a board of seven unpaid members which shall have power to appoint a director and public hospital as its chief executive officer, a superintendent for each institution, and such other subordinate officers as may be needed, and the medical and surgical boards. Each of the members of the board of Public Hospitals would hold office for seven years, and the term of one member would expire each year. This is the feature which will especially commend the plan to those who favor the merit system and who appreciate the advantages of continuity of administration. The medical profession would also, we should think, favor the proposed change. The objections would be likely to come from those who have been interested in the improvement of the almshouse, the lodging house for homeless persons, the infant asylum and the other work in the department of charities which would be left to that department. It is well known that the president of the present Board of Public Charities has been personally interested in recent and pending improvements in the hospitals under his charge, and that many private citizens, laymen as well as physicians, have intelligently studied the needs. of those institutions, and pressed for reforms of various kinds. The question arises whether, if the hospitals were placed under another jurisdiction, the Department of Public Charities would suffer by the transfer of this professional and public spirited interest to the new department. It is possible that, on the contrary, those who have taken an interest in the care of dependent children, and in the reform of the almshouse, would have a better opportunity to concentrate attention upon the work to be done in those two special fields, and that two well conducted public departments might result from the proposed separation. The Paulist Social Settlement is the outgrowth of a boys' club located at Tenth avenue and Fifty-ninth street. The number of children reached is about 250, composed mostly of Italian, Irish, and other children of foreign parentage. In an interview with Rev. A. P. Doyle, of the Church of the Paulist Fathers, it was learned that this settlement stands for social and civic betterment, it has circles for cooking, house-keeping, sewing, hygiene, hygiene, economics and gymnasium work. Evening sessions have been held during the summer, but it is hoped that these may be supplemented by day sessions. Outings have been given the children upon four or five different occasions during the summer. The instructors of these children, about twenty-five in number, of both sexes, are those interested in social improvement, no restriction being made on account of creed in either this or membership to the circles. Mr. William E. Dodds made the First donation two years ago to assist in the work when started. This winter a board of directors will be formed to further the interests of the Settlement. During the long winter evenings many lectures will be given upon biblical subjects to the children, which will be made still more entertaining by the use of the stereopticon. A fee of ten cents per month is charged for membership. ** * The Free Lectures to the People in the City of New York for the past season, opened October 2, 1899, and closed April 30, 1900. During this course, lectures were delivered at fifty-one different places, the total number given being 1,871, of which 1,314 were illustrated by stereopticons, 102 were illustrated by experiments and 455 were not illustrated. The total attendance at these lectures which was 18,673 greater than last year, was 538,084, of which 263,683 attended on Mondays and Thursdays; 90,261 on Tuesdays, 67,499 on Wednesdays; 51,590 on Fridays, and 65,051 on Saturdays. Lectures were given on Physiology and Hygiene, Natural Science, American History, General History, Civics, Sociology, Descriptive Geography, Literature, Music, and Art. In 1889, lectures were given in six places, the number being 186, while the total attendance was about 22,000. During the last season, 1,871 lectures were given, the places provided for them being forty-eight, and the total attendance 538,084. On August 28, there were 177 inmates at the Roosevelt Hospital, which has a capacity of 237. During July, 1900, 302 patients were admitted, while in July, 1899, 239 patients were admitted. This difference is chiefly due to the fact that one ward was closed at this time last summer. The ambulance calls for July, 1899, were 278, while for July, 1900, they were 328. The average daily number of patients in Roosevelt Hospital for July, 1899, was 141 28-31, while in July, 1900, it was 160 17-31. The number of cases treated in the emergency department has been much larger than any previous year, which increase the superintendent attributes to the increased facilities for the, treatment of such cases, the new emergency department having been opened in February, 1899. In September, Roosevelt Hospital will substitute automobile ambulances for horse ambulances, two having been provided through the generosity of two friends of the hospital. The number of hospital cases sent out for investigation by the department of charities, from August 27 to September 4, was over 220. The superintendent of outdoor poor admitted forty-eight persons to the almshouse during the week ending September 1, while forty-seven in fants were admitted to Randall's Isl and. During the same week, 382 permits were issued by the department of charities. These permits entitle the holders to an examination, after which they may receive hospital treatment or be disposed of as their case seems to warrant. Only one ticket for railway transportation was given in the week; 337 cases received medical or hospital treatment. after examination at the office for the outdoor poor. Of this number 177 went to City Hospital; ninety-eight to the Metropolitan; twenty-two to the Dispensary; eight to the superintendent of outdoor poor; three returned home, while twenty-nine went to Bellevue Hospital. The attack made upon the negroes in this city last week was one of those occurrences with which we are unfortunately becoming familiar nowadays, that indicate the latent lawlessness inherent in man, in spite of the centuries of human endeavor toward high ideals. Without any Without any adequate excuse, unexpectedly and with an intensity really alarming, a certain neighborhood in our city is invaded by hoodlums and welldressed men, who proceed to play hari-kari with human beings, insensible to the pain and humiliation inflicted; with the encouragement, nay the assistance, of the paid peace officers of the city. We are wont to say of these occurrences, we in this country, forgetful of the facts of history, that they are temporary aberrations of the mind, exceptional; that those involved are beyond themselves, or that they are impelled by extraordinary happenings to diverge from the ordinary course of conduct. This excuse admits the "original sin" in man ineradicable. There is scarcely a country where these aberrations are not evident, and there is no people who are affected so continuously as objects of attack as the Jews. For this attack on the negroes was of a piece with the attacks made on the Jews in those benighted countries, where the ritual murder charge still perverts men; with this difference, that in the ritual murder cases, there is not even one who is guilty. The conduct of one wicked negro is made the reproach and crime of every other colored man. It is the revival of tribal responsibility for the crime of its members. We think we have progressed, we optimists, but here it is, popping up again, and not even limiting itself to the money payment, but insisting on offering up all within sight for the one crime, actual or imaginary. The ancient "blood for blood" instinct is aroused, and revenge is sought with manifold increase. The more the mob thinks of revenge the more implacable and irrational the feeling becomes, and the more rigorous the punishment. In the case of the Jew there is utterly no ground for the suggestion of revenge. The ritual idocy has been exploded times innumerable. Here nothing is proved, but the supposition of guilt gains momentum by meditation. Finally it bursts upon the Jew, and we here, safe in a free country, so far as we are concerned, hear the telegraphic ticks telling us of pillaging and riots-tragic ending to an idiotic beginning. In both cases, what is the remedy? It must be universal in its application. It is unflinching and absolutely certain punishment of the offenders against law. Society, if it would continue, must punish every one who opposes its power. Governments are institutions of peace; they are established by social agreement, which premises as its first law that all wrongs are to be righted by the constituted authorities. He who takes the law into his own hands must swiftly and certainly be deprived of his power of action until he can respect law. An |