Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1903-01-21


and secretaries with an almost end
less array Of books and records 10
give away the money of John d. Rock
efeller, the Standard Oil millionaire
Just how much is given and Just
where il is given is a secret between
Mir. Rockefeller and his trusted cash
Ter, Fred T. Gates. soys the Chicago
Tribune. These two are not telIiog
any ore what is going on, and they
V i'll not even admit that any money
in any form is going out of the busy
establishment. 1t is a fact, however,
that TO conduct the charities OF the
millionaire scores of persons are al
ways busy.
The Gyatcn is like a huge mail or
der business. The only difference is
that the requests for money come in
to the office. and instead of sending
out the goods the office sends out aid
to the needy. Like everything else
connected with the Standard Oil con
cern, this department is a develop
mant from q small beginning. How
much greater it will grow cannot be
predicted. It is growing every day
and the force needed to operate is
Icing added to as time progresses.
\, the head of the disbureing de
partment is the Rev. Fred r Gates.
AT one time q minister. who was forced
to eve up his charge by the ever-in-
tasing call upon him by Mr.. Rookie
feller Finally he had no time for any
is his duty to pass upon all applica-
tions for aid He cannot do this by
applicants. and has to avail himself
of the extensive bureau OF information
Every charitable organization in
the country is used to investigate and
come IN for consideration. The police
ard the hospitals are made a part
of tho vast machine constructed for
the sole purpose of giving away mon
ey.
',ho underlying idea of the whole
affair is to help those who need help.
1t is not desire to give away money.
There are thousands of cases where
lift at the right moment will avert
an endless amount of misery, and it
is to reach these that the department
aims
Sometimes the aid is given direct,
and sometimes it is applied through
the organized charities of the various
cities. 1t is all done as quietly as pos
sible and in the majority Of cases the
identity of the giver is lost before
the gift reaches its destination
The letters asking aid, and many of
them simply begging, pour into the
office every day They are taken in
hand by the clerks and treated in
business like manner. They are elias
sified and assorted. AS they progress
through the office many Of them are
disposed of in various ways. Some
go to the police or some particular
hospital for action. After the sitting
process has been finished the remand
er go to Mr.. Gates. He takes them
in turn and disposes of them as they
may appear to him to deserve. No
time must be lost. 1t is well under
stood maxim that real aid must be
prompt to be effective.
mail reaches the office there will be a
dozen agents Of Mr.. Gates ont on in.
to use their judgement in these cases
and to give immediate aid if it is need
cd. This. however, is only in excep-
tional cases that cannot be reached
through the regular charitable or&ani-
cations
The less urgent eases are tabulat ed
and sent to the societies with which
the bureau has connections. All of
these are 10 be investigated and re-
ported upon in due time 1t is seldom
that these cases are sent To societies
that have not from time to time been
supplied with funds by the Rockefeller
buroau. 1t is not hearlded to the world
and would probably be denied by Mr.
Gates. Even the great fortune of MI
Rockefeller could not meet the de
mands that would be made if the actual
method became known.
Like all the Rockefeller gifts, the
principle Of helping those who help
themselves applies in all these cases.