“It may be well to say that the Chicago Municipal Lodging House began operations with both restrictions in force. A three nights’ limit and three hours’ work daily from each able-bodied lodger were required by the rules. Experience and observation of the results of the enforcement of these restrictions in Chicago and other cities convinced the administration that they were cruel and unjust. The substitution of an employment bureau, effective co-operation with other charitable and correctional agencies, and daily discriminating distribution, have enabled the Chicago Municipal Lodging House to abolish both restrictions entirely. Not only has this substitution not resulted in overcrowding the house or increasing the number of human parasites that seek its hospitality, but, on the contrary, the proportion of the worthy men has steadily risen under the new régime. The ‘Chicago System’ provides food, lodging, baths and distribution for a maximum of two hundred lodgers daily at an annual cost to the municipality of ten thousand dollars.”
In conclusion, let it be understood that the keyword for the successful administration of a model Municipal Emergency Home is co-operation,—co-operation in the interior management, co-operation in all external relations, co-operation with all existing agencies for human service, co-operation for the creation of new ones when found to be necessary from time to time; co-operation with all other sister cities and States in creating a body of approved information and legislation upon the broadest principles of humanity, for the service of helping the wandering citizen, the unemployed masses, of removing the causes, of bettering conditions and of correcting wrongs throughout the world.
Standing as the collective social action of the whole people for meeting honestly and scientifically the communal obligation to the outcast, wandering, unemployed wage-earner, the homeless man and woman, without special regard for race or class or sect, serving no private scheme, or ulterior motive, the Twentieth Century Municipal Emergency Home will be a potent witness to the practical expression in municipal administrations of that awakening social conscience which is the growing hope for righteousness in all the nations of the earth.
Following are suggestions for the printed cards to be used both as advertisement and admission tickets for the needy:
I
THIS TICKET IS GOOD FOR
LODGING, FOOD AND BATH AT THE
MUNICIPAL EMERGENCY HOME
(Location)
Telephone__________
(Reverse side)
The City of —— is maintaining a Municipal Emergency Home for the benefit of all wandering citizens, homeless and indigent men and boys, women and girls in this City. Lodging, food, a bath and other necessaries of life are being provided free to every applicant. Those seeking work are given employment. The crippled, injured, old or infirm are sent each morning to hospitals, dispensaries or homes. Each applicant receives the personal attention of the superintendent, and upon personal investigation his or her case is disposed of upon the facts so determined alone. Employment is given to suit the applicants and only able-bodied people will be sent to work. All loyal citizens of the City of —— are earnestly requested to refer needy, homeless fellow-men to the Municipal Emergency Home by means of this ticket.
By Authority of ———
II
GET YOUR HELP
FROM THE
MUNICIPAL EMERGENCY HOME
(Location)
SKILLED AND UNSKILLED LABOR CAN BE OBTAINED
WITHOUT CHARGE TO EMPLOYER OR EMPLOYEE
Care Taken to Supply Situations With
Competent Men
Telephone__________
In conclusion, I refer to New York’s Municipal Emergency Home, as a guide for the technical plans which too can be improved upon, and are being improved upon as we understand this great subject more clearly.
THE END
Footnotes
[A] The author asks forbearance for the direct personalities contained in the Introductory, which has nothing to do with the writer’s appeal, and it is simply given as a reply to many inquiries.
[B] See worker’s letter in the Portland story, Chapter xv.
Transcriber’s Note
The table below describes the various issues encountered in the preparation of this text. Where there are other instances of a misspelled word, it is assumed to be a printer’s error, and was corrected. Other dubious cases are merely noted here. Hyphenated words are given as printed. Where the hyphenation occurred at a line break, it was removed if there were other unhyphenated instances.
The spelling of “Pittsburgh” in Chapter XI varies. Historically, The final ‘h’ has come and gone, removed and restored by Post Office fiat. By the time of the publication of this text, it had been restored for good, but it seems the ‘h’-less spelling still had some currency.
The word ‘lantine’ on p. 115 is most likely a corruption of ‘latrine’, but has been allowed to stand.
| p. 40 | itiner[e/a]nt | Corrected. |
| p. 54 | repellant | sic. |
| p. 92 | floatsam | sic. |
| p. 115 | lantine | sic. ‘latrine’? |
| p. 116 | forgetfullness | sic. |
| p. 119 | accom[m]odate | Added. |
| p. 123 | itinerate | sic. |
| p. 138 | occur[r]ence | Added. |
| p. 146 | and get my pay.[”] | Added. |
| p. 150 | not[h]ing | Added. |
| p. 151 | [pealing] potatoes | sic. |
| p. 161 | accom[m]odate | Added. |
| p. 163 | Tacoma [Woman’s] Club | sic. |
| p. 178 | Diety | sic Deity. |
| p. 211 | vil[l]age | Added. |
| p. 228 | approach[i]ng | Added. |
| p. 245 | [“flop”/‘flop?’”] | Nested quotes. |
| p. 256 | Lou[si/is]ville | Transposed. |
| p. 273 | Pa[c/d]ucah | Corrected. |
| p. 331 | ap[p]licants | Added. |
| exist[a/e]nce | Both corrected. | |
| p. 346 | don[e/o]rs | Corrected. |