Although the association was aware of the danger of allowing its energies to be absorbed by outside special en terprises and refrained from undertaking certain reforms to which they would have been inclined, they were never theless active in several directions besides the supplying of material relief. Most important among these was the agitation for improved dwellings, the first fruit of which was the "Report of the Committee on the Sanitary Con dition of the Laboring Classes of the City of New York with Remedial Suggestions," published in 1853. This report contained definite recommendations for legislative action, as well as an appeal to capitalists and owners of real estate to embrace the opportunity before them and to take advantage "of the singular privilege of becoming benefactors of the poor with pecuniary advantage to them selves." It appeared that most of the new tenement-houses were on so contracted and penurious a scale, that they were actually inferior to many of the old buildings whose places they supplied, that vice and pauperism were perpet uated by such causes, the almshouse and prisons supplied with recruits, and the city burdened with taxes for the support of dependents. In conclusion the report denies that the more strict legislation recommended would inter fere with the rights of property-holders or with the rights of tenants ; emphasizes the educational influence of more sanitary regulations upon the laboring classes, and ex presses the belief that many of the laboring classes are more alive to their privileges than has been generally sup posed, and that, so far from thwarting endeavors to pro mote their health and cleanliness, they will render every possible assistance, for they will discover that their own best interests are promoted by all those measures which are calculated to improve their sanitary condition.
The association inaugurated the plan of collecting cast off clothing for distribution among the poor and also of providing for the wise distribution of broken victuals by registering the names of such residents as were willing to give only to families sent by the association. The plan of loaning stoves was in force for several years. There were repeated efforts to repress vagrancy and street beg ging, and the educational work of the association extended to the circulation of tracts containing directions about food and drink and their preparation, and warning against intemperance and other vices. Many thousand copies of a twelve-page pamphlet entitled " The Economist " were circulated, and Poor Richard's famous brochure, " The Way to Wealth," was also published as a tract by the association with, however, several appended extracts from Proverbs and Ecclesiastes calculated to supply what was regarded as a want of religious feeling and sentiment in the original. After careful examination of the recom mendations for and against an employment bureau, it was decided in 1850 not to enter upon this field but to continue the policy of urging removal to the country upon all those who were unable to find employment in the city.' The association in the sixty years of its existence has taken an active part in many useful reforms and social improvements, and has been instrumental in organizing a large number of charitable institutions and societies for special objects not included within its own original scope.
In several other cities relief associations were started within a few years after the foundation of the New York association. The Baltimore Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor dates from 1849, the Boston Provident Association from 1851, and the Chicago Relief and Aid Society from the autumn of 1857. Although the Chicago society adopted a different name, it was un doubtedly indebted for many of its leading features di rectly, or through the influence of other societies which had copied the plan, to the New York Association for Improv ing the Condition of the Poor. This is shown most clearly in the general rules of the society which follow at most points the rules of the parent organization. At first 1 Over forty years later, however, the association for a period of five years conducted an employment bureau. See p. 336.
volunteer visitors were employed by the Chicago Relief and Aid Society, but this was soon found unsatisfactory and paid visitors were employed. A division of the city into districts was, however, continued in Chicago and in Baltimore, while in New York City both the territorial subdivision into districts and the employment of volunteer visitors were eventually discontinued.
Among the originators of the Provident Association of Boston were Rev. Dr. Ephraim Peabody and the Hon. Robert C. Winthrop. The territorial limits established at the outset have never been extended. Its principal objects, as stated in a brief paper by Mr. Edward Frothing ham, the present general were to endeavor to ele vate the character and improve the condition of the poor, and to suppress street begging. The city was divided • into twelve districts and these were subdivided into one hundred and seventy sections ; each section having its vol unteer visitor whose business it was to visit, investigate, and, if necessary, to relieve all families who were referred to them by subscribers through whose contributions the association was supported.
With the early annual reports was published a directory containing a list of the streets of the city and carefully prepared directions to both subscribers and visitors. The latter, of whom there were at no time over one hundred, were expected to send monthly reports of their experiences to the general agent at the central office. After 1880 this system was changed. The volunteer visitors were found difficult to control ; many lacked judgment ; most of them were extravagant ; and they often neglected to forward their monthly reports. Captain A. G. Goodwin, who was for twenty years the general agent, used to say that the visitors often gave him more trouble than the applicants. So the volunteers were gradually allowed to drop off, their places being filled by paid visitors. At the present time the visiting and aiding the poor is entirely in the hands of trained agents who make visiting their business and do nothing else. The wisdom of changing the volunteer system to paid experts is thought to be demonstrated by 1 " One of Boston's Great Charities," in the Prospect Union Review for March 6, 1895.