Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 123, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 May 1919 — EL PASO ASSOCIATED CHARITY SECRETARY VISITS HERE. [ARTICLE]

EL PASO ASSOCIATED CHARITY SECRETARY VISITS HERE.

Blaine Gwin; son of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Gwin, is spending a day or two here with his parents and other relatives —— Mr. Gwin is the secretary of the Associated Charities of El Paso, Texas, a city of about eighty thousand population. The association in that city handles about $25,000 a year. Mr. Gwin is enroute to Atlantic City, Ga., where he will attend three national conventions. The first is that of the social workers of the nation. At this convention Mr. Gwin will give an address on “marriage laws.” This convention will be in session from June 1 to 8. From June 8 to 10 he will, attend the national medical association and from June 10 to 15 the national convention of associated charities. Mr. Gwin has been offered some very prominent positions and much better salaries than what he receives at El Paso, but on account of the delicate condition of his wife’s health he has declined these offers and for the further reason that he is very much interested in his work at El Paso. 'During the war he was in charge of the Red Cross work in El Paso, dividing his time between that and his charity work. He is a very close student of social conditions and has a national reputation with the organizations that have to do with social and economical questions. He thinks that there is a very grave danger of the big organizations which have done so magnificently during the war of attempting to continue their work on too large a scale. He is of the opinion that localities can handle their problems more satisfactorily and with very much less expense. He thinks that the organizations have perfected their machinery for raising large sums of money very much more than theif ability to serve in their several lines of usefulness. That sh many instances they are not well organized to expend the money they are collecting. He thinks it is perfectly evident that in the community contributed money which must pass into the hands of some organization without, that there is sure to be more or less loss before the funds are returned to be expended for the relief and benefit of the local people. When a plea is made that the money is to be spent in Chicago or' elsewhere, Mr. Gwin suggests that Chicago is much more able to raise the money and take care of its own problems better than outside communities. . ~ He seems to feel that the big ideas may overshadow the real situations in the individual communities.