An intelligent, scientific, systematic and centralized campaign of
publicity must be _ceaselessly_ carried on for this Free Home. Free
tickets of direction and admission must be constantly distributed
through fraternal and charitable societies, labor unions, institutions,
hotels, business offices, churches, clubs, housewives, railroad
conductors, brakemen, and other officials and citizens. As soon as
it is generally known that every applicant, without exception, is
absolutely certain of wholesome food and sanitary shelter _free_, with
such help next morning as his need demands, the cooperation of the
humane public will be immediate and constant. In this campaign for
publicity the daily press, through news items and editorial comment,
should be the most powerful ally for the extension of the service to
the needy.
Two vitally important considerations of administration now claim our
attention. One is the matter of an arbitrary limitation upon the number
of nights one of these unfortunate, homeless, wandering wage-earners
may remain and enjoy the hospitality of the city. The other is the
question of the so-called work-test, so much asked for by charitable
organizations.
This, the greatest of all problems confronting the Municipal Emergency
Home, we must face courageously in the endeavor to demonstrate its
practicability to social service. Either in the name of Christian
Brotherhood, sympathy for unfortunate humanity, or other high and holy
sentiments, men are given to "cant." So they exploit the institution,
or in the name of preventing pauperization, preserving, a man's
self-respect, a business administration, and other like high sounding
terms, the institution subtly exploits its charges. This much seems
certain: The arbitrary, _lump_ method of dealing with men is always and
everywhere wrong and inhuman.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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