New-York tribune., 1900-12-22
MILBURY'S PLEA ANNOYS.
FAMINE COMMITTEES STATIONERY
USED WITHOUT AUTHORITY.
FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY SENDS
OUT LETTERS ASKING FOR MONEY
TO AID IN VAGUELY DEFINED
EDUCATIONAL WORK.

EDUCATIONAL WORK.
Members of the Committee of One Hundred
on India Famine Relief have been much annoyed
the last few days by letters sent out by Arthur
w. Milbury, assistant secretary of the commit
tee, which contain appeal for subscriptions to
help some vague educational work. The
mttee finished its work about two months ago.
yet these letters have been sent out on the COM
mttees stationery, bearing a full list of the
names of the members of the committee. and
apparently having the committees sanction. In
addition to this the letters have been sent from
the committees former office. at No 73 Bible
House.
William E. Dodge chairman of the committee,
said yesterday that he was at a loss know
why this had been done He has been receiving
inquiries from people who were asked to sub
scribe and wished to know whether the commit
tee had anything to do with the object of the
subscription. To all these inquiries Mr.. Dodge
has replied that the committee had nothing
whatever to do with the affair and that he did
not understand why Mr.. Milbury had used the
committees stationery. He said that the COM
mtttee had relinqushed it's office in the Bible
House and that if Mr.. Mbury using it he
had rented it himself
Il do not know why Mr. Milbury has used the
committees stationery" said Mr.. Dodge. 1T
may have been stupidity on his part, and then
again it may not"
THE UNAUTHORIZED LETTER.
The following is a copy of the unauthorized
letter:
For several years | have been very earnestly
engaged in public school work, the chief object
being the preservation of the American public
school system in its original integrity and the
securing to public school graduates thorough
grounding in the fundaments of education. In
other words, my efforts and those of my asso
ciates have been in the line of endeavoring to
hold the public schools to thorough training in
the essentials of education, as against the ten
dency Of the last few years to treat reading.
writing, arithmetic spelling, grammar simple
history etc, with considerable degree of con-
tempt, and favor a widely extended curricu-
Ium to the serious detriment of the essentials;
so that boys and girls are graduated from the
grammar and even from the high schools with
a superficial smattering of knowledge along
great variety of lines, but without thorough
training in any, and totally untitled for the
practical duties of life.
We believe in giving the children broad an
education as possible. But we insist that the
foundation be laid soundly.
My associates and myself have spent several
thousand dollars in this work, and have never
asked for a penny outside of our own small
circle. Our work is now at critical point We
need $1,000 instantly. and write to you in the
hope that you will be willing to contribute $50.
Checks may be drawn to my order.
Hoping that you may be able TO respond ID
my appeal, am, with cordial holiday greetings.
very sincerely. ARTHUR w. MILBURY.
The amounts asked Tor IN tneSe letters varied
In some it was SO, in others it was $50. The
work in which Mr.. Milbury is engaged is al
ways put vaguely. Who his associates are is
also left to the imagination.
MILBURY's MOVEMENTS MYSTERIOUS.
The office in the Bible House was dark yester-
day. No one had been there yesterday far
could be learned. The jantor Of the building
said that Mr.. Milbury never in his Office but
that he called for his mail Saturdays. The
janitor said that Mr. MiIbury had gone TO Phila-
delphia the first of the month. but he did not
know just what part of Philadelphia.
1t was afterward learned that Mr.. Milburys
address when he was last heard from was The
International General Company, Real Estate
Trust Company Building, Broad and Chestnut
sts., Philadelphia" 1t could not be discovered
what Mr. Mibury is doing in Philadelphia.
What mail he does not call for at the Bible
House on Saturdays, it is supposed he has for
warded to him.
Mr.. Milbury was secretary of the Industrial
Christian Alliance at No. 10 Bleecker-st for
seven or eight years. At the office of the all-
ance it was said last night that Mr.. Mlbury
was one of the founders of the organization. He
had resigned his office secretary in July, 1899,
in order to enter the employ of the Ecumenical
Conference After he had finished his work for
the Conference he became the assistant secre
tary Of the Committee of One Hundred on India
Famine Relief.