" Applications in such cases may also be made in writing to Jeffrey R. Brackett, chairman, City Hall, who will see that they receive prompt attention. The relation of the need to the fire should be plainly shown.
" The charities are expected by the Citizens' Committee to act promptly, employing extra visitors if necessary for the purpose ; and, if relief in unusual amounts is found to be necessary in order to remove causes of need, the charities are expected to spend whatever sums are really needed for adequate relief, in gifts or loans." All these charities went to work more actively than ever, the Federated Charities employing several extra agents. One of these was kindly loaned by the Washing ton society, and one who had formerly been an agent in Baltimore returned from New York.
With all these agencies at work, and able to deal promptly with applicants who came directly to them or were sent to them by the relief committee, that committee had its hands full during the following week in dealing with a number of benevolent individuals, organizations, and clubs, all wishing to do something for fire sufferers. To convince some benevolent persons that there was no great pressure of destitution, was a hard task indeed. Yet most careful inquiries which were made from day to day of various beneficial orders, of clergymen, of the Salvation Army, of several deaconess' houses, of the visit ing nurses, and others not directly connected with the charities used, showed that there was no rush of appli cants and no cause for further machinery for relief. Several of the agencies reporting had had no applications from fire sufferers. The three stations of the Salvation Army in Baltimore had had very few applications, and had referred those promptly to the usual charitable agen cies. One Baltimore clergyman of many years' experi ence in a large parish, mostly of persons of little means, knew of some two hundred families with a member or members out of work because of the fire, but careful inquiry which he made brought to light six families only believed to be in immediate need, and only three of these were burned out. The family which he believed to be most in need had refused his offers of aid, on the ground that they were able to get on so far without it. The others he had referred to the Charity Organization Society or to the German Society. Some of the results of these careful inquiries were almost amusing. Two religious agencies which, the day of the fire, had spread inflammatory reports of dire distress, were called on one week after the fire. One had not heard of a single case of suffering ; the other had heard of several but had felt doubtful whether they were bona fide sufferers, and had referred them gladly to the proper agencies. One so-called
missionary, who had written to a prominent citizen a plea for funds for " suffering ones," when asked to the office of the committee, in order that the committee might see that the families were relieved, named only one family which he wished the committee to aid, and that was found, on a prompt inquiry, to be in no way needy, because the 'wage earner was again at work for the same wages received before.
There were very cheering reports from a number of societies and beneficial orders. The Royal Arcanum wrote that all needy members would be relieved. Leaders of the Federation of Labor, at its regular meeting ten days after the fire, had no unusual distress to report, declared that they would try to look out for their own members who might become needy, and voted to return to the federa tion of Washington, with their thanks, a check for $100 which had been sent over for the fire sufferers. One of their leaders was on the Citizens' Relief Committee. The chairman of the committee and the chairman of the Charity Organization Society executive committee had the pleasure of being at this meeting and of applauding this action of the federation. The Presbyterian clergy of the city very promptly appointed a special committee to deal with cases of need, especially those arising among their own people in congregations with limited resources. The Baptist clergy did the same. In order to give further publicity to the desire of the committee to help all bona fide cases of need, and to utilize every helpful agency in reaching the needy, representatives of all the religious denomina tions were invited to a meeting in the mayor's reception room. Many attended. The policy of the committee was talked over, and the clergy were asked to search for cases of need, especially for those who had not been in need before. At the same time a copy of the following circular letter was sent out, over the names of the executive com mittee, to three hundred and twenty-five ministers and religious leaders : " The Mayor's Advisory Committee on relief of need due to the fire, in promptly announcing to the public, by advertisement in six daily papers, the addresses of the leading charities, stated that persons in need because of the fire who have never applied to charitable agencies, are not required to make application at any public place, but may state their needs in writing to those charities, and that inquiries which are then made of them are made in their homes, without publicity. Announcement was made at the same time that applications in such cases might also be made to the chairman of the committee, J. R. Brackett, City Hall, in writing, plainly showing the relation of the need to the fire.