Assistant Agent-Mr. ROBERTS. Bankers-THE CHEQUE BANK, 20 King William Street, E.C. Office-27 East Arbour Street, Arbour Square, E. • Members of the Executive Committee. REPORT. In presenting their Tenth Annual Report, the Committee note that the decrease in the number of cases dealt with in the district during the year 1882-3, has continued to the year 1883-4; the figures for the former year being 623, and for the latter 578-a decrease of 45. On the other hand, the class of cases sent has considerably improved, and the Committee hope that this is due to a better understanding of the principles of the Society, and a more general knowledge by the senders of cases of the difference between Poor Law relief and charity. This year 110 cases were rejected as Poor Law cases, against 131 last year; and 28 as ineligible, against 68 last year. The cases not assisted were fewer this year by 71, while the cases assisted were more by 26. For the 312 cases assisted the total amount of money passing through the books of the Committee was £521. 98. 10d. This does not include the amount spent by institutions and individuals on the cases at the recommendation of the Committee. Of the sum of £521. 98. 10d., only a small part was raised in the district; the Council granted £75 for general relief, private persons £18. 3s. 6d., and the Thames Police Court £10. For special cases, upwards of £107 was raised from private persons (not including £89 for emigration), £108 from institutions, and upwards of £102 from private persons on appeal through the Reporter. This plan of obtaining money for special cases by advertisement has worked well, for in no instance have the Committee failed to obtain the money they required. The Committee have dealt with 84 convalescent cases; of these, suitable homes and institutions have been found by the Central Convalescent Committee, without loss of time, for 64 cases, including two scarlet-fever cases; the expense to the Committee being a fee of 10s. in each case. This does not include fare, nor the expenses of a prolonged stay. The Committee desire to record their opinion of the excellent working of the Central Convalescent Scheme, and they would be glad to raise, if possible in the district, the sum of £25 as a commutation fee, instead of the fee of 10s. per case now paid; this would enable them to find suitable homes for all the convalescent cases of the district which were sent through their office at £25 per annum. The remaining convalescent cases were dealt with either at Mrs. Gladstone's Home at Woodford or Mrs. Kitto's Home at Reigate; both of these valuable institutions are free. Private persons have also given letters for Ventnor aud Margate for some of our cases, two of which we give: 3443. A labourer in the gas works, suffering from phthisis, sent to Ventnor for eight weeks, which, with fare, cost £5. The letter was given by a private person; the cost was raised by advertisment in the Reporter. He was advised to stay two more weeks, at a cost of £1; the further money was raised in the same way. On his return he was advised by the doctors to give up his old employment on account of the fumes of the gas, and he was set up by the Committee as a hawker of crockery; by this he could make a living for himself. His wife, a silk weaver, earns enough to support herself and one child. 3436. A girl, aged 19, with spinal disease, after six months' stay in the London Hospital, was recommended to go to the Sea Bathing Infirmary, Margate, for six months; a letter was given by a private person, and £9, the cost of maintenance and expenses, was raised by advertisement in the Reporter. Unfortunately she has not recovered. The Committee have been successful in emigrating seven families, at a cost of £89. They consider this, although the most expensive, the most satisfactory way of dealing with emigration; many institutions do not emigrate whole families on account of the expense, preferring to send out single men instead; but this Committee consider that single men, if able-bodied, might save sufficient to pay their passage as emigrants without charitable assistance; while to pay the passage of a man with his wife and children, requires more money than an unsuccessful man can save. Such a man, if, as often happens, a good but not highly-skilled labourer, who in time of depression of trade has been discharged from his regular employment, instead of sinking to the level of the unskilled waterside labourer, may find good employment in the Colonies, and his children have a fair start in the world. The Committee, in looking back at their year's work, feel that not the least satisfactory part of it is the emigration of these seven families; and they desire to thank their friends for the assistance which has enabled them to carry out this work, which they have never been enabled to do on so large a scale before. 3459. Through Lady Hobart's East End Family Emigration Society the Committee sent out to Canada a man, aged 34, formerly a gunner in the Royal Artillery; wife, aged 28, formerly a lady's maid; and three children. This man, with a good character and a good discharge, had for two years been doing casual dock work, and was, with his family, half starved. The Committee, by advertisement in the Reporter. obtained £4; the East End Family Emigration Society provided the outfit and sent the family out. That Society deals with Canada only. The East End Emigration Society have assisted the Committee to send out to Queensland : 3165. A man, aged 38, a carpenter; wife, 28; and four children. Committee provided £7; Rev. Archibald Brown £7 and outfit. 3085. A man, aged 47, wife and three children. He was formerly in the army, and had a good discharge; he was for fourteen years in the same employment as a tea cooper, but was discharged in consequence of the slackness of work; afterwards, for two years, he only did casual work, and he and his family were nearly starved. Committee obtained £11 188. by advertisement in the Reporter; £2 from the Society for the Relief of Distress, and £2. 98. from private person; the cost of outfit was provided by the East Ead Emigration Society, who by special arrangement with the Queensland Agent sent each of these cases out at a cost of £14, instead of £28. 3451. A man, aged 34, who had been a tea labourer, but was out of work. He was advised to apply to the East End Emigration Society, who offered to find £5 10s. if the other £5 10s. could be raised. This was done by private persons at the recommendation of the Committee, who also provided the necessary outfit. The family, consisting of man, wife, and two children, were sent to Canada. 3326. A man, his wife, and four children, were emigrated to New South Wales. He was a baker by trade, and the Colonial Agent took the family for £9; this sum was advanced by a private person, but it required another £10 for outfit, fare to Plymouth, &c.; this was obtained by advertisement in the Reporter. The man and his wife were of exceptionally good character; the woman had been a servant before marriage. 3289. By the assistance of some gentlemen a German woman, with three children, was sent to America to join her husband, at a cost of £10. 8s, less £3, 148. 2d. sent over by the husband. 2927. A family, consisting of man, aged 44; wife 39; six children, aged from 17 years to 18 months, were sent out to Pulman's City at a cost of £37, of which the relations in America paid £10; £2. 108. was a special grant from the Society for Relief of Distress, a private person gave £2, and £22. 10s, was obtained through an advertisement in the Reporter. The outfit, which was considerable, was given by the clergyman of the district. The man, who was only a casual dock labourer, has got regular employment; the wife, who could wash, and a girl of 17, who was here a factory hand, have also good employ ment. 3236. An old woman, aged 67, was sent to Detroit, United States of America, to join her daughter, who offered to give her a home; friends in this country raised £2. 10s., and the Committee raised £4 by an advertisement in the Reporter. The relations of the Committee with the clergy and the Guardians continue satisfactory, and the interest taken in sanitary matters has been the means of bringing to the office a considerable number of workers who are interested in the welfare of the poor of the district of Mile End. Hours -10 A.M. to 6 P.M. (applications for assistance from 10 to 12 only). The Committee meet every Wednesday at 10 A.M. and every Friday at 11 A.M., and on the first Tuesday of every month at 11 A.M. REPORT. IN presenting this their twelfth Annual Report to the public, and more particularly to the inhabitants of the vast district in which their office is situated, the Committee are glad to be able to state their belief that more and better work has been done during the past year. To this two causes have mainly contributed: (1) the help given by the Convalescent Committee, which has enabled us to provide convalescent treatment in a much quicker and more efficient manner than hitherto; and (2) the great assistance given by volunteer helpers, local and otherwise. Chiefly through the aid of our Hampstead branch, several ladies have been interested in this district, and are now regularly helping, particularly in one of the most important parts of our work, that of visiting. The great danger of office work is to be mechanical; though at the same time it is most necessary. It is, however, only volunteer enthusiasm and energy that can guard us against this deadening tendency. Personal influence of the highest kind must be brought to bear on those in trouble. We want to have a visitor in charge of every case; for some a man will do the work best, for most perhaps a lady. Two or three families at a time will be quite as much as one person can manage so as to do them any good. The visitor must submit to be at first a learner and to put up with disappointment. She must become a firm friend to those in her care, studying all the points in an intricate case, visiting often to win their hearts, always on the look-out for new chances and openings for them, determined that they shall be the better for passing through her hands. She will put new heart into the hopeless, and make life worth living for the downcast. If more money is wanted, she will come to the Committee with a well-considered plan for their benefit. Seldom can cases be disposed of by a single vote; it is just as easy to throw away pounds as shillings by insufficient care. Little of the real work can be done at meetings after all; it is done before and after them, in patient attention to details, in the consultations and silent ponderings of workers, in their constant friendly intercourse with those in trouble. Personal devotion is the key to its success. If they cannot call forth such a spirit, our offices are but counting-houses and our work merely formal drudgery. those who can enter into the true spirit of the Society a field is open such as they will not find elsewhere. Workers are gathering round us here, and they have done great things already for people who seemed to be in a hopeless plight. The successful treatment of distress depends on the amount of sympathy and pains and trained intelligence that we can bring to bear upon it. Truly,' writes one of them, it is no light labour that you ask of your volunteers." No, but it brings a rich reward, for we ask them to go about doing good.' But to This is the kind of agency that we are trying to create for Poplar. One centre can do little in this great district. We ought to spread and put forth branches all over the union. Who will supply the means? Who will take part in the work? Had we but sufficient forces there would be no sort of distress with which we could not struggle victoriously, no outcasts' so 'undeserving' that we could not raise them up to better things. The first step when we hear of anyone in trouble is to find out all about him, because without doing so one cannot possibly tell how to help. The applicant must come, if it be in his power, to the office; he will there find pleasant, comfortable rooms and a sympathetic listener, who will invite him to explain his position fully and privately. Much tact is often required to get at the indispensible facts without wearying people needlessly; it will take perhaps half an hour to do so. 'This is a work for high skill and delicate sympathy, and one for which ladies are specially qualified. A form is then filled up, which shows the state of affairs at a glance; on one side the income, on the other the expenses. We have to enter into a good many details, feeling our way carefully to see whether this or that will give us the key to the situation and open a door for effectual aid. A sensible person who finds himself driven to ask for charity will explain everything at once, and help us to find out how to help him. The addresses will be entered of previous abodes, friends and relations, former employers, and others. These will be visited if residents, or written to, either direct or through the Committee for their district; in this way valuable information is received and often help comes in from an unexpected quarter. We are careful to avoid inquiry where it might injure the prospect of employment. The Relieving Officer, the clergy, and others are consulted as to their knowledge of the case. Temporary assistance is given, if necessary, at once, when it seems likely that we can help in a permanent way. The home is visited, and, whenever possible, a volunteer is told off to assume special charge. Our workers set themselves to discover the real causes of the distress and how they should be met, which often needs much anxious thought as well as ready wit. Most, if not all, of the inquiry can be excellently done by volunteers. In a few days it is complete, and probably we have formed some idea of the best course to pursue. Among those helped during the past twelve months the following may be mentioned: |