Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 04.djvu/583

* CHARITIES AND CORRECTION. 503 CHARITY ORGANIZATION SOCIETY. was to arouse public interest leading to the establislimont of loi-al or Slate conferences, and in securing nccdcil legislation. The lirst session was held in Xew York City in 1874 at the invitation of the Social Science Association, with which body joint meetings were held till 1S7S. though the proceedings were published separately after lS7(i. In 1879 the first separate convention met in Chicago, with delegates from twelve States. The membership and attendance have steadily increased. The State (.iovoruors frequently appoint representa- tives, as do the mayors of large cities. Deleg-ates from foreign lands are often present. In 1880 the lirst report on the organization of charity was read, and thenceforth this topic has had great attention. In 180.3 a membership fee was charged, the expense previously having been met by contributions. The membership fee is $2.50, entitling the members to the volume of Procecd- iiifls and the quarterly Bulletin. These vol- umes contain a vast amount of valuable informa- tion on the charitable activities of America. The i-onfercnce holds annual meetings in Jlay in the various cities of the country. The evening sessions are devoted to general questions. Sec- tion meetings are held during the day. These sections are in charge of special committees, com- posed of experts in the various fields. The gen- eral secretary is Joseph P. Byers, Columbus. Ohio. Consult Proceedings of the Xational Con- ference of Charities and Correction (Boston, 1874. et seq.K CHARITON, char'i-ton. A city and county- seat of Lucas County, Iowa. oG miles south by east of Des Moines, on the Chariton River, and on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (Map: Iowa, D 3). The city contains a public library, established in 1808, and has manufac- tures of foundry and maohine-shop products, agricultural implements and machines, bricks, flour, carriages, and wagons, windmills, tanks, pumps, pijic. etc. There is a municipal electric light plant. Population, in 1800. 3122; in 1000, 3989. CHARITON, kar^-ton (Gk. Xaplrui). A Greek prose writer, the author of a romance entitled Cha-reas and Callirhoe (q.v.), writ- ten not earlier than the Fifth Centurj' a.d. Of the autlior's birthplace and personal history we know nothing; for the statement at the begin- ning and end of the work that the writer was a native of Aphrodisias in Caria has long been rccosnized as a pure invention. Consult Rohde. Der orlcrhisrhe Roman und seine Yorlaufer (Leipzig, 1898). CHARITY, Brothers .sd Sisters of. See BRriTiiKiis AM) Sisters of Cihrity. CHARITY ORGANIZATION SOCIETY. Associations bearing this name or known as Associated Charities. United Charities, or Bu- reau of Cliarities existed in 1001 in 134 cities of the Tnited States, with 17 other societies par- tially adopting their methods, and in 7 Canadian cities. They are also found in the English and Australian cities and organizations more or less closely resembling them exist in Europe. The parent ^^ciciety. known as The Society for Organ- izing Charity and Suppressing Mendicity, was started in London in ISfiO and was supported by such men as Gladstone. Ruskin. and Cardinal Manninir. The first Charity Organization Society in -America was organized in Buffalo, N. Y.. in 1877, through the influence of Rev. .S. H. Our- tecn, who was acquainted with the work of the London society. The Charity Organization So- ciety has already become one of the most suc- cessful of charitable undertakings and wields great inlluencc. The founders of the London so- ciety said that its main object was "the cure as distinguished from the mere alleviatiim of dis- tress." Another object was to bring about such a cooperation between existing charities as to avoid overlajjping of fields and duplication of cU'orts. To many of the earlier sixdeties the reason for existence was almsgiving to those in distress, little, if any, careful investigation being made as to the cause of the trouble and less at- tention being paid to the work of other agencies. Whenever such a condition obtains it is always found that many people are jjractically supported in idleness; that 'charity tramps' and profes- sional beggars abound. The very existence of these various dissociated agencies is a tempta- tion to those on the border line of self-support to seek assistance. As one person says: "We have no right to make our alms a tem[)tation to the poor: and it is a dangerous, though easy, thing to teach a man that he can live without work." The charity organization societies, there- fore, stand for certain general principles, Cooper.tion. They act as a clearing house for all philanthropic societies and individuals. Careful records are kept of all cases. These are preserved in envelopes — one for each family. In these envelopes are put all the information regard- ing the individual and family history; the re- ports of investigations; all letters and other relevant matter. The record is kept as nearly up to date as possible. These envelopes are so filed that they can be found in a moment. The records are confidential and are given only to persons or societies having a legitimate interest in the family. Their use prevents duplication and fraud. Public officials frequently find them of great assistance. The society undertakes to know just what the other organizations do. As they seek to cure distress, not merely to relieve it, whenever a case comes under their care a careful investigation is made of the family's condition, sources of income, possible means of assistance, friends, former employers, etc. In cases of emergency assistance is at once given or secured. Then some plan is formed — com- prehensive, but subject to constant modification — and this plan is followed until, if possible, the family becomes self-supporting, or, if this is im- possible, until some permanent disposition may be made so that the family may have no excuse for asking further assistance. This often in- volves the calling upon a number of institutions for their serices. There is, however, a clearly defined end in view so that the org-anizations as- sisting are rendering a most valuable coiipera- tion. The Charity Organization Society does not duplicate existing agencies, but seeks to supple- ment them. Many consider this the most impor- tant feature of their work. Some charity organi- zation societies have even had no relief fund, preferring to act wholly as mediators. Persox.l Service. The pursuit of a compre- hensive plan involves an immense amoimt of time and labor. Under the old system a sum of money or other necessaries were given and the recipient disappeared from sight and notice till