6

6.

"Getting back to my mission, for more than a hundred years Jackson-
ville has been merely a commercial city. But many things have converged
to make it so. She has an ideal location on the historic St. Johns, with
the best harbor, with the advantage of sea and land for transportation, un-
disturbed by storm and fog. Ours is the subtropical climate luring people
from the North to the commerce of the South. We take off our hats to the
past as we salute the men that planned and built our city, in spite of
famine and fires, wars and fatal diseases. All praise to municipal owner-
ships of the waterworks, the electric light plant, certain docks, the
stadium, radio, and many other projects that make for the financial success
of our great city.

"Yes, we are happy to praise the police and fire departments, the park
and sanitary departments, recreation department, great school system and
our magnificent churches for their great cultural and spiritual program.
But there is no provision for helping the man that is down on his luck. We
have welfare agencies that are doing a great work but they must adhere to
specified rule and follow-up investigations. That is why I prefer to con-
tinue this mission, for I am able to immediately aid the man that is de-
tached—the man that really needs a friend.

"A mission is the only institution I know that reaches the man that is
down in the most effectual way without embarrassing him.

"This is the only agency in the city that gives direct relief immedi-
ately; including medical aid and everything that one man may be able to do
for another without charge. Everything is absolutely free, with no strings
tied to it, except the promise to be a real man and try for self-support
and self-control.

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