CONCERNING CERTAIN WISE LIMITS TO CHARITY ORGANIZATION SOCIETY WORK.
Written from the point of view of a director of a charity organization society in a city where no general society for relief exists.
For the sake of brevity, the charity organization society or associated charities which does not give relief directly is here called C. O. S. That which does give relief from its own funds is called mixed society.
Anyone who is not ready to accept the cardinal doctrine of C. O. S. about relief, viz., that it is not the purpose of wise charity, but that it is a means to other ends, just as truly as investigation and registration are means and not ends, will not be interested in this paper.
There is an obvious necessity that much of the "charity" which it is our business to organize, or to associate, must, under present conditions, include a large amount of relief in kind or money. It is now generally understood that unceasing care must be exercised to insure that this necessary relief shall not do harm, instead of or as well as good, to the recipient. How best can we avoid or lessen the evils which relief may cause, while we secure all the benefits that wise and kind relief can confer? The temptation to do this by keeping the distribution of relief in our own hands is a serious one. It is easier, in theory, to keep our own agents within due bounds than those of another society. Our agents are fully occupied ; it would save much time to write relief orders in our own office instead of asking other people for them. We are already criticised for too much machinery ; why erect a new machine in the shape of a society for relief, instead of adding an attachment to the one existing? These questions seem pertinent, especially to business-men who know the advantage of consolidations and combines. And, it must be admitted, about half of the so-called " charity organiza- tion societies" or "associated charities" in the United States are mixed societies, and many of the mixed societies appear prosperous.
There are, however, several dangers which no mixed society
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