The Barracks
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These policies reflected the board members' particular social vision. Concerned
about losing the city's labor force, they soon suspended the issuing of free
railroad passes to fire refugees. Similarly, they took better care of certain
members of the population than others. The shelter houses were reserved mainly
for skilled workers. The Committee on Special Relief looked to the needs of
those more genteel fire victims who "were borne in a single night from homes of
comfort and plenty into absolute destitution." It was assumed that such people
of refinement would have to be found and helped discreetly, since they would be
too proud to ask for help.
As for the able-bodied poor, the barracks were good enough--probably better,
the Society maintained, than the housing they had lost. The best thing was to
get them off relief and back to work as soon as possible. The Society took
great care "to detect and defeat imposition" on its charity by such people and
"to aid in establishing order by withholding encouragement to idleness," which
was a threat to social order. It was determined to "give no aid to any
families who are capable of earning their own support," at the same time
assuring the productive labor necessary to rebuild the city. It required
applicants to fill out various forms if they wanted aid and to supply a reliable
reference, such as an employer or minister. Then a "visitor" would check
personally on the merits of the case. A labor exchange was set up with the
philosophy that "Any man, single woman, or boy, able to work, and unemployed at
this time, is so from choice and not from necessity."
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