172 EMIL MUNSTERBERG 



effort is, through division into districts and in other ways, to 

 find a personal friend for every poor family, and we earnestly 

 request all to stand by us as voluntary helpers in benevolent 

 activity." 



The societies, apart from their own enterprises, give none 

 of their own means for support, but seek to investigate cases 

 referred to them and to secure means in individual cases, and 

 to refer cases for further aid to other institutions which stand 

 in close relations with them. 



A peculiar position is occupied by the United Jewish chari- 

 ties in New York. It grew out of the same discovery of un- 

 systematic and divided charity to which the Charity Organiza- 

 tion society owed its origin ; and after the experience of a quar- 

 ter of a century it declares its satisfaction that its efforts have 

 contributed materially to the diminution of these evils ; but at 

 the same time it expresses the wish to have more means and 

 more personal service at its disposal. It also has a number of 

 standing committees and a number of institutions of its own, 

 among which an educational institution for girls and an em- 

 ployment bureau are conspicuous. Of special importance is 

 the work for immigrants, who come mostly from Russia and 

 Austria. Each year the society handles a population equal 

 to that of a medium sized city, which arrives in America with- 

 out knowledge of the language, often helpless, and by the 

 regulations of the government threatened with the impossi- 

 bility of obtaining employment. Counsel is given the immi- 

 grants even when they are not in absolute want, the destitute 

 are relieved, and means are provided for returning those re- 

 jected by the public authorities. Up to 1890 the work was 

 conducted for the most part by the Hebrew Immigrant Aid 

 society, to which the association in 1884 joined its efforts, with 

 a committee which worked especially at the landing places. 

 In 1890 the Baron Hirsch fund was founded, whose adminis- 

 trators were members of the committee of the association ; from 

 this fund and from the Jewish Colonization society, founded by 

 Baron Hirsch at the same time, the association received the 

 means for assisting immigrants. In 1891-92 the Russian 

 Transportation society, the American Association for the Relief 

 of Russians, and the Central Russian Refugee committee were 



