Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-19
Session of American Social Science
Association Nearing the End,
DISCUSSION OF SOCIAL ECONOMY
Topics of Papers Read Before the
Society Today.
REFORMS HOPED FOR

cial Science Association, which began in
this city Monday evening. will come to an
end tonight. This morning the officers to
serve for the ensuing year were elected.
Oscar s. Straus of New York city was
chosen as president. The last president Of
the organization was the late Charles Dud-
ley Warner. Frederick John KingsbuTy
of Waterbury, Conn, was chosen first vice
president
The following were elected vice presi-
dents: c. A. Wood. Marion. 5. C.; F. B.
S8nborn. Concord. Mass; John W. Foster,
Washington d. c.; 5 E Baldwin. LID,
New Haven. Conn; Francis Wayland. LII
D.. New Haven, Conn; Daniel C. Gilman,
LID. Baltimore. Md; William T. Harris,
LID. Washington. d. c.; Carroll d.
Wright. LID, Washington. D. c.; j. B.
Angel. LID, Ann Arbor. Mich: Andrew
ID. White LID. Berlin, Germany; John
Eaton. Washington. ID. G; Lucy Hail
Browne Md. Brooklyn. n. Y; Mrs. Caro-
line H Dali, Washington. d. c.: Charlie.
A Peabody. LID, New York city; Grace
Peckham Murray. MD. New York city;
H HoIbrook Curtis, Md, New York city;
Rev. F. @. Peabody. DID, Cambridge
Washington, d. c.; Mrs. Virginia b. Nc
KeIway, Brooklyn. y. Y.
The other officers chosen are:
General secretary-Rev. Frederick STAN
ley Root, NJ. A.. New York.
Treasurer-W. c. LIE Gendre, New York
Directors Jacob l. Green Hartford d
Potter, Newport, r. l.; Eugene smith,
New York; Charles BuIkley Hubbell;
Booker T. Washington, Tuskegee, Ala;
Seymour Dexter. Elmira, \: Y; r. ii:
Brooklyn: W. NJ. F. Round. Norfolk. Mass
Department Officers-EducatiOn and art:
Rev. Joseph Anderson, Waterbdry, Conn,
chairman; 5. I. DuttOn, New York, secre-
tary. Health: George NJ Sternberg, U. >.
A, chairman Social economy: John era
ham Brooks Boston. chairman: w. F. Will
loughby, Washington. d. c., secretary.
Jurisprudence Francis Nayland, New
Haven. chairman: Isaac F. Russell New
York. secretary.
Executive committee-The president OF
the association. Rev F. S. Root. general
secretary: W. c. lie Gendre. treasurer, and
the chairmen of departments.
Social Economy Discussed
The session this morning in Columbian
University Hall was conducted by the de-
partment of social economy =. B. San
born of Concord, Mass. chairman. presid-
ing. The session was opened with an adj
dress by Mr.. Sanborn on Home building
and Handwriting by the Industrious
classes in the United States" in which
he said among other things:
In all parts of the country. but more
particularly in the middle, western and
northwestern states, great aid in home
building for half a century past have been
the cooperative banks or building and loan
associations, which first assumed import
ance in the United States Gn Pennsylvania
especially and the neighboriIg region)
about 1855. These interesting establish
ments We're first brought to the notice of
our association in 1874 by Josiah Quincy
of Boston, one of our early members, and
the grandfather of the present Bostonian
of that historic name AT that time they
were scarcely known in New England or
In the prairie states of the west: but in the
quarter-century following 1870 they have
extended wonderfully and have attracted
great attention from economists and legis-
lators. In Massachusetts, for example,
where in 1910 there We're no cooperative
banks. there are now 126, with assets of
about S2d 600: and these assets have
been increasing for eight years past at the
rate of about S2.UOo.000 year. In other
states. notably in Illinois, Indiana and Mis-
souri,. the assets have been diminishing,
largely in consequence of such mismanage-
ments and frauds as have brought larger
banks and financial corporations into,
bankruptcies, and their officers into the
prisons of various states, or made them
fugitives in Canada But, on the whole,
the cooperative banks have withstoOd this
national tendency to fraud and embeZzle-
ment more successfully than railroads and
national banks have done. There have
been more losses from the frauds practiced
in a single Boston bank 0he Globe Ma
tionap in the last three years than from
all defects of one sort and another in the
126 cooperative banks of Massachusetts in
the past twenty-five years.
Dangers Cited.
THE pressing danger in this nation both
Social and political. comes from the accu-
mutation of enormous wealth in a few
hands, whether individual or corporate;
and the uncontrolled opportunity given to
make these accommodations still greater and
TO use them for the control of legislation
and political administration. In a far less
degree this danger existed in the time of
Il q nd hv-h
in manner not always to be commended
for its specific measures, but satisfactory
in its general results His immediate sue
ceSSor Mr. Van Buren,. was perhaps the
President best qualified by nature and
training to deal with financial questions
that the country has seen since Washing
ton, who. awaiting himself of the genius
of Hamilton and controlling the imprudent
temper of that financier, put our national
finances on sound basis Mr. Van Buren,
was the pilot that weathered the storm
of 1887, but he was unlucky enough like
Nirgtls sleepy helmsman, to be swept
overheard in political cyclone.
AT present We are in eddy of the cur
rent. and it looks as If tenant farming and
the oInnipresence of the benevolent despot
with the golden crook (crookedly acquired
too often. however kindly wieldeD were
extending all over the land. / doubt it
The proper counterpoise to the domina-
ton OF the millionaire is the establishment
of the human millions in homes of their
own, on land of their own-making the
democracy and no longer the serfs of the
overSroWn capitalist the voting ma
chimes of the political boss This is the
contest Whereunto our successors are call
ed and which the younger men among us
VIII see hotly waged-but in which victory
Is secure Tor the cause of the many against
the few
Domestic Service.
MIS- olga LanghOrne followed with a pa
per on domestic service in the south. She
said:
Nhen a southerner speaks of servants
negroes are always understood. Irish Bid
dy, English Mary Ann. German Gretchen
and Scandinavian maids are as vet I'M
known factors in our problem. Black Dinah
holds the fort and rules the roost for US
and when she will half way do her work
ana treat us with reasonable civiIity we
are wont 70 be satisfied. look lenientIy upon
her moral delinquencies and greatly prefer
her TO any Of the foreign tribe
in the average southern community
where stranger should inquire as to the