Dear Settlement Folk:
By this time you have received or will shortly receive a questionnaire from Mrs. Robert Bruère who is the Director under the Prohibition Survey Committee authorized at the last conference of the National Federation of Settlements. I know you will be pleased to learn that the Committee under the Chairmanship of Miss Wald went to work immediately with the old time fire of the settlement pioneer. A job is to be done and settlement folk have responded as has been their wont since the earliest days of Toynbee Hall. I know you are happy with me that so much has already been accomplished.
I am writing you for two purposes. First, may I say that Mrs. Bruère and the Committee will be happy and grateful if you will give this [questionnaire] and the work that it entails the most careful attention. The settlement people have answered the challenge with respect to prohibition and we must therefore give our best to this study.
The second purpose is the matter of financing the study. The services of the Director and clerical assistants, traveling expenses, etc., on this national basis, will cost some $6000. Of course, if the gathering of facts in individual neighborhoods were not to be done by the settlements themselves, this budget would be many times increased. We must raise this amount in order to support the Committee and to complete the study.
The date we have received in contributions some $1285.50. We are also promised the last $500 on the $6000 budget. This leaves something over $4000 which the settlement people of America must raise.
The present political squabble over prohibition is rendering it difficult to get large contributions. We must secure a few large contributions to safeguard the work. If the settlement houses will send me the names of their Boards or of prominent men and women in their city who are interested in this problem of prohibition, I shall be very glad to write letters (which I believe they could follow up to great advantage.) [page 2]
The bulk of this $4000, however, in my opinion, will be raised in smaller amounts. May I suggest that each settlement house give directly as a house what it can, no matter how little, and also that the matter be presented to the settlement residents for such contributions as they may desire to send.
It is felt by the Committee that the best time for the study is in the summer when the neighbors are met on the streets in an informal way, and that an early report will have more effect now that prohibition has become such a dominant issue. But it is rather difficult to secure contributions from those outside of the settlement in the summer, since many are away on vacation. So this is an added challenge to us "Settlers" to meet the issue ourselves.
I have written fully to you in order that you may have at your disposal all of the facts. The question of time is an important one. May I, with due apology, urge upon you to hasten a response to this letter?
Very cordially,
C C Cooper [signed]
P.S. Since writing the above letter, I have received word from the Committee in New York that the trip of Mrs. Bruère to the settlement houses throughout the country is being held up on account of lack of funds for the journey; this is serious and prompts me to urge upon the settlement residents early attention to this letter. C. C. C.
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