The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-07
San Francisco Charity Plan.


The government of charities in great
cities has been a perplexing problem.
There are not many men who would not
be glad4to be rid of the opportunities OF
begging, and yet there are few men who
could or would turn down applications
of real merit. Personal investigation
Of applications has become an impossi-
bility, except in the case of few men
who are out of business and have their
own time in which to indulge their
penchart for giving help. The busy
men have come more and more to de-
pend upon organized societies. But even
here their guide is not a safe one, since
the freedom Of the field leads to the Or
ganization of great many fake chart
ties which are composed of persons who
are bleeding the generous public of a
fat living in the name of a sacred cause.
The springs of what should prove an as
sistance to the charitably inclined are
thus poisoned and giving becomes worse
than refusal. r. :. ": 4'&.-s - ~ =
But out of the confusion in which
charity has been involved in cities order
is coming. One Of the most interesting
experiments in regulation is reported
from San Francisco. It originated with
the Merchants association. The mer-
chants of San Francisco had suffered as
those of other cities are still suffering
from the raids Of fake charity societies.
A plan for clearing house committee
| on the subject Of charities was suggest
ed by the directors of the association.
Circulars were addressed to 500 mem
bers, 4S9 of whom returned answers say
ing they would gladly subscribe to the
plan and give aid to no charities except
those which brought credentials from
i the central committee. Charitable So
cieties were invited to send in their ere
dentials for examination and indorse
ment by the committee.
The idea was that it would thus be
possible to weed out the fraudulent so.
cieties and it was, but in way quite
unexpected to the committee. To the
members surprise, nearly every fake
charity in the city sent in it's name
Some Of the frauds evidently believed
that the examination was. a matter OF
form; others. organized by persons as
ignorant as those they preyed upon
made up credentials which: showed
singular conception Of the sort Of work
they were doing. The solicitor for the
United Christian church answered whe1
asked the size of his congregation
"Me and a Chinaman. This q church
had raised money all over the country
Another society sent in. its credential
in writing. 1t announced: "This so
ciety is for men, women and cruelty t.
Children which it undoubtedly was.
The Endorsement committee g worl
was first seen in the withdrawal: from
San Francisco of a large number of TIL
grating charities It, was next notice,
in the fact that the unindorsed char
tiles speedily lost financial support. Tn
Endorsement committee has been iercel,
assailed by all those who have ha
their graft interfered with and it ha
required moral courage for merchan
to be known as a member of it. Blu
it has done good work. It is the uni
versal testimony that never were tn
=. deserving poor as well cared for in Sa
Francisco as today and never was til
expense so light upon the giving part 0
5 the population. It is the old story
when the graft was stopped there wa
money enough and too much for. a.
| lapitimata p11rnosas~ .r.-