During those six weeks a good deal had been learned by many persons as to actual conditions. The thousands and thousands reported to be out of work had dwindled constantly. Now, the estimate of the state bureau, based on returns from four hundred business houses, was that not over four thousand persons had been thrown out of work, — a half of the number which had been estimated three weeks before. Of the eight hundred applications for work which the bureau had received during one month after the fire, one-quarter only had given the fire as a cause. Spring was at hand. Despite the delay in open ing up the burned district for improvement, much laboring work was beginning, as usual. Activity among artisans would probably soon be great. Those who were now suffer ing by the fire were those who were willing to suffer in silence. Many persons had been relieved by relatives or churches or friends, in some of those many ways which are the essence of true charity.
When, finally, the papers reported that the bill appro priating a quarter million of dollars for relief of distress in Baltimore had become a law, somewhat of a " run " on the committee was looked for. True, forty thousand went to the militia, and another forty thousand was set aside, by law, for the Johns Hopkins Hospital, but over two-thirds was left. But no run came. The key to the situation here was largely, as it had been at the other strategic point, the good sense and honesty of public officials. The governor, like the mayor, had known of the work previ ously done by the well-organized charities of Baltimore. Both of them had been at the annual public meeting of the Federated Charities in November. The governor had intimated, before the passage of the bill, that the Citizens' Relief Committee would be the natural advisers. So the work went on quietly, without interruption. That the work of the committee and the state appropriation were not given more publicity in the daily press was probably due largely to the exigencies for more interesting news of the fire and of the doings of the legislators at Annapolis.
The total of families assisted up to the last week in May, in fifteen weeks after the fire, was 1058., Of these, by far the largest number were assisted through the Federated Charities, the next through the Hebrew Benevo lent Society. The Relief Committee assisted directly about one-eighth of all. Aid was given in all sorts of ways, in food, clothing, tools, transportation, by gifts and loans, and of value ranging from $250 down. Some times it had to be given cautiously in small amounts and repeated. Some persons came as fire sufferers who had been well known to the charities as always rather needy. Usually, when the person was well known as responsible and reasonably resourceful, one considerable sum would be given.
The total of money spent in those fifteen weeks was about $21,600 only. Somewhat under a quarter of it was
spent directly by the committee in relief, mostly in gifts, about a fifth was spent through the Hebrew Society, about a fifth through the Italian committee, and as much through the Federated Charities. The St. Vincent de Paul Society called for less than a thousand dollars ; the German society for much less still. The expenses for administration all told were under $1900, about one thousand being spent by the committee directly, and a half as much through the Federated Charities. It was spent in saving the state many dollars and in seeing that relief was brought intelligently to those in real need.
The total of money spent for fire sufferers from all sources cannot, of course, be told. But the amounts received by the charitable agencies from sources other than the Relief Committee were not large. For instance, the Federated Charities, up to May 1, spent about $600 received from special donations. The belief that the state would make an appropriation cut off much giving by individuals. Also, some persons felt that charitable agencies, losing subscribers because of the fire, would need their gifts for ordinary work in the future.
If there are lessons to be learned from this work for emergency relief, they are indicated in the story itself. Stress may be laid, in conclusion, on three. First, is the value of having public officials who believe that enlight ened administration of charity is a part of good govern ment. Second, is the value in charity work of using the experience of persons and agencies of experience in that work. And third, and most of all, is the duty of protect ing the poor from patronage, of giving opportunity for expression to the many forms of aid, from relatives, churches, friends, etc., and to powers of self-help, which in times of need show the real "strength of the people." The Charities Record, the publication of the Baltimore Charity Organization Society, in closing its account of fire relief work, has spoken as follows, happily and justly: " The same spirit of self-help which has characterized the mayor and his advisers, the business and professional men of Baltimore, in meeting this disaster, has been mani fested by the working people who have shown equal cour age and commendable independence. Those who have felt compelled to ask for help have for the most part done so only through stress of actual necessity, preferring to rely upon their own efforts rather than to seek assistance even from the public treasury. When the history of the city is written and the story of its greatest conflagration is told, no episode will furnish greater cause for pride to its citizens, present and future, than that which has demonstrated the courage and self-reliance of its own people, not only the well-to-do, but those dependent upon regular employment for their daily bread."