Mr. PITNEY. And have the power to determine whether they would use the Associated Charities or any other instrument to carry out their duties under the law?

Miss HOSMER. Yes, sir.

Mr. MCMILLAN. They would have a general supervision?

Miss HOSMER. Yes, sir; to supervise the whole field.

Mr. PITNEY. Your idea, Miss Hosmer, is to delegate to the board of charities, or, rather, throw upon them the responsibility of organization? Miss HOSMER. Yes, sir; if they are not already organized, and to determine those that are necessary to be organized. They should be delegated to perform certain work that the Commissioners of the District have not the time to perform, and all the money that is given to charities by the public should be expended under their recommendation. They should have that power. Their powers would be supervisory. They would not be responsible for investigating every case, but the Associated Charities is the body that would attend to that, and see that relief was obtained.

Mr. PITNEY. This board of charities is to give more eyes and ears to the Commissioners of the District, and more hands-that is to say, more facilities for performing executive and administrative functions? Miss HOSMER. Yes, sir. If it will not be taking up too much time of the committee, I would like to read an extract from this paper, which shows what is done in one case that comes to the Associated Charities. It is rather interesting.

Mr. PITNEY. We will be very glad to have you read it.
Miss HOSMER read the extract which follows:

TYPICAL MARRIED VAGABONDS.

Gamma made his first application to the Charity Organization Society seven years ago, at a time when it was even more difficult than now to find volunteer visitors who were intelligent and faithful enough to make a careful study of the needs of families placed under their charge, or courageous enough to carry out any thorough plan of treatment in these families. The man was a German cobbler who had married an American domestic, and, at that time, there were three children, one of them an imbecile with destructive tendencies. The man said he was discouraged, that he got work with difficulty and had no materials with which to do it. Materials were furnished and members of the society found work for him, but, this form of assistance not being very much to his mind, they soon lost sight of him, and it was not till several years later that the society again encountered the family in a different part of the city, and a friendly visitor was secured to study their condition and try to improve it.

The visitor reported that the man was "discouraged," the house filthy beyond description, and that the life of the fourth child, then 9 months old, was endangered by the imbecile boy, who was violent at times. Aid was given, and the man's own theory being that he could do better in another neighborhood, the family was moved and otherwise aided by money secured from benevolent individuals. It soon became apparent that the man lacked energy. He was given to pious phrases, and was a good talker, but all efforts to inculcate industry or cleanliness were met by both man and wife with the excuse that the imbecile boy interfered with all their efforts. At the family's own solicitation, the society tried to find a home for this boy; after months of negotiations he was placed in the School for Feeble-Minded at Owings Mills. This burden removed, the visitor redoubled her efforts to make the home a decent one for the remaining children, but without success. The beds were not made until they were to be slept in, the dishes not washed until they must be used again, and soiled clothing was allowed to stand in soak a week at a time in hot weather until a heavy scum gathered over the top and the air was poisoned by the stench. The remaining children were unkempt and untrained, and the woman quite indifferent about their condition. The imbecile had improved at Owings Mills, but owing to a half-expressed wish of the mother's to see the boy, Gamma brought him home and refused to take him back again. The man's good intentions always seemed to evaporate in fine phrases. He was reported by the neighbors to be drinking, though not heavily, and one morning the visitor received a letter from him saying that she must take care of his family-he could stand it no longer and had left them.

One thing greatly handicapped the visitor at this time and later; the squalor of this family strongly appealed to chance charitable visitors, who helped them liberally because they looked miserable-helped them without knowledge and without plan. It used to be said that every American thinks he can make an after-dinner speech, and it might be added that every American, or nearly every American, thinks he can administer his own charities judiciously. When we are mistaken in our speechmaking ability, we ourselves are the sufferers, but the saddest thing about our charitable blunders is that not we but the poor people are the sufferers. The friendly visitor to the Gammas was a woman of unusual intelligence and devotion. Her failure may be traced to two canses: To the fact that she was not called in earlier, and to the willingness of many good church people to help quite indiscriminately for the asking. They went and looked at the home, saw that it was indeed wretched, and called this "an investigation." "Yes, I've helped the Gammas," they used to say, "I've investigated their condition myself." The way in which Gamma was in the habit of talking about the Bible as his best friend made a great impression on them.

The man's desertion of his family was a mere ruse. He was soon back again and ready to profit by the help they had obtained. Moving from place to place to avoid rent they were at last ejected, and the man, wife, and children, including the imbecile, found refuge in the stable of a kind-hearted man who took pity on them. The owner was alarmed, however, when he found the family making no effort to find other quarters, and fearing the imbecile might set fire to the place at any time he applied to the Charity Organization Society to know what could be done. We offered the woman and children shelter at the electric sewing machine rooms until the boy could be sent back to Owings Mills and the other children committed to the Henry Watson Children's Aid Society, and advised that the man saw wood at the Friendly Inn until he could get work. The man refused to go. but the woman and children came to the electric rooms and with the cooperation of the Society for the Protection of Children the imbecile was returned to Owings Mills.

At this juncture, unfortunately, the daily papers interfered with our plans for the children by publishing a sensational account of Gamma as a most industrious shoemaker, who had always supported his family until the hard times of the last year had thrown him out of work. Money was sent to the papers for the family. Gamma, who had consented to have two of the children placed in good country homes by the Henry Watson Aid Society, changed his mind, and the old story of indiscriminate charity and indiscriminate filth and neglect began all over again. The gentleman who had given them shelter thought they ought to have another trial. They had had six years' trial already, but this last one was of short duration. In four months their champion returned to say that the Charity Organization Society was right and he was wrong, that he had found Gamma drunken, lazy, and insolent, and that children raised under his influence must become paupers and criminals. Again the family were ejected, and this time, before public sympathy could interfere, the two older children were committed to the Henry Watson Aid Society, and only the baby left with Mrs. Gamma.

Our advice to Mrs. Gamma was to return to her mother, who offered her a home. But the advice was not taken. Established in another part of Baltimore, Gamma renewed his attack on the clergy, and told one minister that he was a hardened criminal who had served a term in the penitentiary, but after hearing one of his sermons he desired earnestly to reform. The latest news about the Gammas is a bit of information in which the charitable public will have to take an interest, however reluctantly, before very long-there is a new baby.

One reason that I desired to read this was to show the necessity for the Associated Charities. It should have the duty of investigating and seeing that relief is applied, and the board of charities should see that the whole field is covered.

I fear I have taken up too much time.

Mr. MCMILLAN. Is the superintendent of charities here?

Mr. PITNEY. The superintendent has sent through me an apology in writing and a physician's certificate.

Mr. MCMILLAN. Does anyone appear for the relief committee?

CENTRAL RELIEF COMMITTEE.

Mr. WILSON. Col. H. F. Blount, the chairman of the committee on distribution, was present here this afternoon, but he was obliged to leave. He has asked me, as secretary of the central relief committee, to

present report upon the work of distribution for the past winter. In accordance with the resolution passed by the central relief committee at its organization, the central relief committee used the Associated Charities as the means of investigating and reporting on cases of need, and have granted relief only to families recommended by the agents of that society. We are pleased to state that we have found this arrangement very satisfactory. It has prevented, almost entirely, the duplication of relief, and at the same time has enabled us to relieve the really needy.

We found that the vast majority of the applicants for relief were already known to the agents of the Associated Charities and those cases could be quickly passed upon, while those families that were not already known were promptly visited and the circumstances examined by the agents of the society. Through this personal knowledge not only was fraud and imposition prevented, but the lady visitors were able to find and relieve those families who frequently are unwilling to make public their condition. Frequently those who are loudest and most persistent in their demands for relief suffer less than the quiet self-respecting families who shrink from making their wants known at a crowded relief agency. Through the agency of the lady visitors we were able to reach these families quietly in their homes and relieve their necessities.

We have not opened any central distribution agency, but have required applicants to go to the district office in the section of the city in which they reside. This arrangement we have found most satisfactory. It has prevented congestion and confusion, always found at a large central distribution agency, where people from all parts of the city come to clamor for relief. Besides, it has enabled the agents to deal much more intelligently with the applicants, because each applicant was required to make his application at the district office in the section of the city in which he resided, and the agent in charge being constantly in touch with the people in her division, knew their circumstances and was better able to deal with the cases in hand than could any person who had not formerly known anything of these people and their history. The work has been done very quietly, but it has been done effectively. Up to date relief has been granted to something over 2,000 separate families. We believe that few cases, indeed, of real suffering have been unrelieved, and, so far as we can learn, but little complaint has been made as to the manner in which the work has been done.

Not only has the work been effectively, but it has been most economically conducted. We have never refused to aid a family where it was deemed necessary or wise to grant relief, and yet with a fund of a little over $8,000 we have been enabled to do the work of the winter and have left a considerable balance which can be used for cases of emergency that arise during the summer months.

We feel confident that the work of your committee will commend itself to the public who have supplied the means to enable us to carry it on, so that if in the future you should find it necessary to appeal to the publie for support it would be most generously given.

We do not believe in public outdoor relief work, and we thinkMr. PITNEY. You do not believe in indiscriminate outdoor relief work?

Mr. WILSON. No, sir. We think if it is a public body that has that work to do the money will be misused. In other cities they have large general relief societies; we have none here. We have church societies, but there are many who do not belong to churches needing relief, and

who do not belong to any beneficial societies. There should be such a society to deal with these cases, to give relief to those who have no other source of relief. The board of charities would see the necessity for it and would recommend it. We see the necessity for it and see it each year. The papers have to call for contributions. There is great demoralization sometimes. For instance, one person comes from an alley for relief. If it is given the whole alley will come, saying that such a person got it and we should have it too. Therefore this outdoor relief work should be done very quietly.

Mr. MCMILLAN. Mr. Wilson, have you anything further to say for the general relief committee of 1896 and 1897?

Mr. WILSON. Colonel Blount is the chairman of the committee on distribution. The report submitted by him was considered by the full committee on March 12 last. It is stated that with a fund of a little over $8,000 we were able to do the work of the winter, and there was a little left over to do the work of the summer.

Mr. MCMILLAN. How did they get this money?

Mr. WILSON. By private contribution; a little over $8,000.
Mr. NORTHWAY. No public fund whatsoever?

Mr. WILSON. No, sir; I do not say that I speak for the relief committee. They have not been able to get together. I am here as secretary of the committee; still I would not undertake to speak for the committee. However, my experience is that the necessary funds for the public out door relief can be provided as they have been this winter. Two or three years ago Congress made an appropriation of $10,000 to relieve suffering, and there are many people who think that it did more than $10,000 worth of harm. The applicants for relief did not come and ask charity. They would say "We want a living and here is the money to give us a living." In the North and Northwest, in Wisconsin and Ohio both, where I have worked, there is a movement to curtail the amount for this character of work. There is a movement toward abolishing it in large cities. It has been done in Philadelphia.

There are special reasons why it should not be in vogue here. We have here 80,000 colored people or more. During ordinary times we have almost two applicants from colored people to one white applicant. Let an emergency come when there is a little excitement, the number of white applicants will not materially increase; that is, the white people do not come in a rush, but, on the other hand, the number of applicants from among the colored people will increase enormously; we have had them increase twentyfold. Now, we have these people here; they live here at all times, summer and winter, from hand to mouth. If you establish a public out-door relief fund they come around in the winter and say "I am out of work; I have nothing to do; I want relief, and there is money here to give it." You say you will investigate. You know these people are within forty-eight hours of starvation most of the time. You go to the house and see absolute destitution. The money is there for relief purposes and it has to be granted. By having such a fund you take all the backbone out of these people.

Mr. NORTHWAY. Suppose you do not have any money; they starve then?

Mr. WILSON. No, sir; they work then. These people can not come to you then and say this money has been appropriated by Congress for relief, and that they are entitled to it; that is, they can not claim it as a right.

Mr. PITNEY. No; they could not claim it as a right.

Mr. WILSON. The very worst cases are these people who have an idea that we get money from Congress. Yet if you supply it, we can

not say no. These people receive it naturally, and expect it. It is not so in regard to white people. The great majority of them would rather struggle to get along. The colored people are childlike, and if we had a public outdoor relief fund their condition would be doubly distressing, we think. Besides, there has never been any difficulty to raise money when needed. Washington institutions, more largely than those of any other city in this country, I think, are supported to a great extent by public money.

Mr. MCMILLAN. Have you a statement showing to what extent they are supported in that way?

Mr. WILSON. No, sir.

Mr. MCMILLAN. You might make up a statement of that kind.

Mr. WILSON. These institutions being supported in this way to such an extent, it leaves the burden a comparatively light one. If you have the confidence of the people you can raise the money, and, above all things, you can raise money for outdoor relief. You know how the papers write up a sensational story. We do not blame the newspapers; they help us; but in ninety-nine cases out of one hundred the person who allows himself to be written about is undeserving. These people may be hungry, and what are you going to do about it? If you start to feed them they will do less for themselves. I have seen little children not bigger than that [indicating] come in to ask for relief, and have heard them say: "Well, Mr. So-and-so got it, and I don't see why mamma can't get it, too." Is that not bad training-teaching them to be paupers? Mr. PITNEY. Does not the same motives operate to a certain extent to increase the demand upon all the institutions; that is to say, the facility with which they can get it and the fact that there are public funds given to the institutions? Does that not increase the demands upon the institutions by people who do not need relief?

Mr. WILSON. Yes, sir; but not to so large an extent, because institutions are not the kind of places they seek as a rule; that is, they do not want to seek the almshouse, but they might seek the hospitals.

Mr. PITNEY. What do you know about the operation of the Emergency Hospital?

Mr. WILSON. I know of it in a general way, especially of its outdoor work, but they tell me that during the past year they have been compelled to do a kind of permanent work, and it is therefore not quite so well able to do the real work for which it was created. They have asked us to look up some of the applicants who ask for free treatment, and they have sent us many of these cases to investigate for the reason that they believe they are not entitled to it.

Mr. PITNEY. How long have you been doing that?

Mr. WILSON. For three months. I have not the figures for these three months made up, but not more than 5 per cent of the cases referred to us for investigation have proved fraudulent. We are not anxious to investigate these people, but it is necessary. The superintendent said to me the other day that since the fact was stated that applicants for free treatment would be referred to the Associated Charities large numbers will not come.

Mr. PITNEY. Because they think your association has an acquaintance with or knowledge of professional frauds?

Mr. WILSON. Yes, sir; it does not always require much investigation to ascertain that a case is not one deserving of free treatment. We find the cooperation with them very harmonious indeed.

Mr. MCMILLAN. One case has come under my observation, in which applications have been made to my family for help during the last three