1. It shall be the duty of said board, when any person by himself, herself, or another apply for relief to make immediate inquiry into the state and circumstances of the applicant, and if it shall appear that he or she is in such indigent circumstances as to require temporary relief, the said board shall furnish, out of the funds in their hands, such relief as the circumstances of the case may require; provided, that in all cases where the applicant for aid may be found dependent and said applicant or member of said applicant’s family is an able-bodied male person capable of performing manual labor, said board shall require such person to perform work to the value of the aid given, and the city engineer and the street commissioners of such cities in their respective departments are required to utilize the services of such able-bodied persons upon receiving notice from said board that such person has received or is entitled to such aid. Where the applicant or a member of the applicant’s family is an able-bodied female, said board shall, whenever practicable, require that labor to the value of the aid given be performed. They shall make investigations of cases of dependence for individuals or other charitable organizations and furnish such reports upon the same as in their judgment seems advisable.

2. Their office shall be a center of intercommunication between the various charitable agencies in the city. They shall foster harmonious cooperation between them and endeavor to eradicate the evils of overlapping relief, and for this purpose shall maintain a confidential registration bureau.

3. When it is impossible to repress mendicancy by the above means they shall prosecute imposters. They shall carefully work out such plans for helping families to self-dependence as may seem most practicable. They shall make concentrated attack on social causes of hardship, such as unsanitary housing, child labor, extortionate charges by pawnshops, salary loan and chattel mortgage agreements.