Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-05-11
Speaker at National Conference
of Charities Finds Fault
With Booths System
THINKS FUNDS LILLY SPENT
Edwin D. soenberger, Of Minneapolis,
Finds Much Fault With the Methods
of the Salvation Army-Intimates
That the Financial End Of the Work
is Kept Too Secret.

Philadelphia. May 11.-At the Thurs
of Charities and Correction a paper on
Relief Work of the Salvation Army
was read by Edwin ID. Solenberger
general manager Of the Associated
Charities of Minneapolis
He declared that the social relief
work of the Salvation Army, as carried
on thru its homes. lodging houses and
other agencies, is poorly organized and
poorly administered. and that the so
called charitable work of the army ~
largely subservient to financial inter
ests."
Continuing the speaker said: zone
of the chief difficulties In trying to ar
rive at definite conclusions concerning
the armys work is untrustworthiness
of their statistics, due largely to lack
of uniformity in recording and sum
marlzng data.
For instance. the 1906 report say
that outside employment was found foi
55.45S, while the 1905 report says tina
14.yO7 found outside employment and
an undated leahet says that 5o.oVp
found outside employment during Tn
year.
II found somehow that most people
have gained the impression that tht
army has n large number of farm col
onies and that thousands of poor peo-
pie from the Sums have been trans
fcrred to them. There are at presei's
but three colonies. one each IN ONO
Colorado and California. having totat
OF but $50 people: These colonies nave
become self supporting, but II Wouia
be interesting to know what percent
,ge of them, while living In the city
had been recipients of either public OF
private relief or even dwellers In VIVA
he Salvation Army calls the slums.
The Salvation Army maintains a
present about seventy four lodgln"
houses In our various cities, furnish
ing beds at the rate of l0c ana ioc
night. In its appeals for funds the
army speaks of lodging thousands OF
1omeless,' and most people gam the
impression that such lodgings are, IN
art at least, charity, and that the
accommodations furnished are much
,,,perior to those of the ordinary cheap
lodging house. run for private profit.
Reliable information from large num-
Der of typical American cities indicates
that the system of cheap lodging
houses conducted by the army have
Ill the defects of the poorest of the
privately owned lodging house. having
but few If any, advantages over them.
Recently in an eastern city a Salvation
Army lodging house was closed when
the local board of health began to en-
force the sanitary ordinances, While
from wide separated cities came ac-
counts of specific glazing evils.
1T is exceedingly difficult. said
Mr. Soenberger, ito secure satisfac-
tory information about the financial
affairs of the Salvation Army.
"The balance sheets and statement
of accounts of the national headquar-
tiers in New York City are gone over
each year by a certified public ac-
countant, but this only guarantees that
the footings and the balances are
correct.
THE business affairs of the Saliva
ton Army are rapidly attaining large
proportions, and those who give finan-
cial support to the organization GER
tainly have a right to expect clear
financial statements"