The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-03-31
SOCIAL EFFORT IN HOLLAND
"THE DUTCH SOCIETY FOR GEN
 ERAL WELFARE."

Valuable Work Done In Holland During
 the Past Century-The Power of the so-
 ciety as 1t Exists at the Present Time
 Growth of the Organization.
 In the Bulletin of the Department of Labor for March, 1897, there is an ac- count of "The Dutch Society for Gene ral Welfare" by J. Howard Gore of Co., lumbian University, which describes the valuable work done in Holland dur ing the past century by this unique or ganization. It was founded in 17S4 by Jan Nieuwenhuizen, @ pastor in Mon vance general prosperity and to strive for the promotion of the intellectual, moral and social condition of the peo- pie, especially by fostering education, | by ennobling their concept of life, by | increasing the earning capacity of the wage earner, and by enabling him to | better enjoy the fruits of his labor" The first society was organized at Bdam in 17S4, and in 17S9 it removed to Amsterdam where it announced as it's purpose Ito spread abroad good, popu- l lar and cheap books, to improve the 1 schools and to reward deeds of valor and virtue. There was no limitation as | to the age or the religious faith of | members at first. In 17SS persons of 1 the Jewish faith were excluded, and l this restriction continued until 1888, when it was abolished. The work of the society for many years was chiefly educational. A century ago there were no public schools in Holland, and books were accessible only to the rich. From five books in one hundred and eighty editions It was largely instrumental in securing the establishment of public schools in 1906, and in 1857 the school system was rernodeled on lines suggest ed by the society. When an impetus had been given to education the work of the society was developed on broad CT lines until it finally included nearly every branch of effort related to the welfare and progress of the Dutch peo- pie.
 The society as it exists at the present time consists of 13690 members organ ized into 312 groups or departments The author gives the following account of the form of organization:
 The power of the society lies in the departments, not in the central or ex- ecutive committee-in the members, not in the officers alone. Each member pays annually S2.10 or more if he feels so disposed, into the local treasury. and of this seventy-four cents is handed over to the central organization for general purposes. Whenever as many as eighteen persons in one locality ex- press a desire to become members by sending their dues to the central com mittee, they can be organized into a department But in order to avoid a dissipation of energy only one depart ment is permitted in the same place. Tn the plan thus outlined appear two quite distinct organizations-the de- partment with it's own local officers, and the central committee, which is composed of twelve members, six of whom must reside in Amsterdam. Two members of this committee retire each year and their successors are elected by the delegates of all the departments at their annual meeting. The general work of the society Is directed by this central committee, together with the general secretary However any de- partment can propose line of work or suggest any special investigation which it may deem advisable. If such a pro- position should require an appropria- tion for it's carrying out, itsmust be discussed al the annual meeting To avoid undue haste in disposing of a proposed scheme or investigation, 1t is required that the proposing department send it's measure to the central com mittee at least four months before the annual meeting. The committee, some weeks before this meeting, distributes to the members of the society the pro- positions which have been submitted, together with its opinion regarding each In this way the departments can discuss these propositions and give, if they like, instructions to their delegates as to how they are to vote. The consti- tuition must be explicit as it is for the guidance of large number of persons of varying degrees of intelligence all of whom feel that they have a financial interest, if no other, in the society. This is evidently attained in the seven ty-four articles of which the constitu- ton consists. In order to keep up with the growth of the organization, as well as 10 meet any new demands that may arise, it is provided that the constitu- tion must be referred to a revisory committee every ten years.
 | In order to realize what the three hundred and twelve departments are doing, it will be necessary merely to glance at the following figures, show ing the number and kind of institutions which they sustain, viz, four bathing establishments, seventeen burial funds, twenty committees for securing better attendance on the schools, sixty eight playgrounds for children, thirty-four libraries for the young, seven normal l cn,1rcoc oo,,,eoc