The Washington herald., 1907-05-13
Salvation Army Does Not
Answer It's Critics.
DEPLORED BY IT'S FRIENDS
General Secretary Weller, of the As
socinted Charities, Discusses Re
spired by Washington Orgnniza-
tIOn-QuestiOns Asked a Year Ago.

| llldl lic ASSOClttcu tNdillioS ihSpitDN thc
criticism of the army which appeared
| in the last number of Charities and the
Commons, the national journal of philan-
thropic work We knew nothing what
/ ever about the article or about The
Heralds editorial review of 1t until after
they appeared. 1t would be unfortunate
/ TO have the public understand that the
criticisms upon the Salvation Army are
merely local or prompted by any lack Of
appreciation OF the subordinate officers
and soldiers. who imprrss US all as being
! earnest and unselhsh in their religious
work The charitable public are entitled
to a full knowledge 0f the situation.
Friends Of the Salvation Army, among
whom I have been included for years.
/ feel. naturally. that the best interests Of
| the army would be promoted by full and
/ frank replies 10 the pertinent questions
which are being asked. At the national
/ conference OF Charities and Corrections
year ago the criticisms recently re-
viewed In Charities and the Commons
were presented, Prominent officers of the
army were present, on invitation. to an
swer the charges. and they have been
/ invited 10 use the columns of Charities
and the Commons for this purpose. In
stead, they seem disinclined 20 meet the
! issues clearly.
Time TO Set Itself Right.
In England as well as In America the
questions are becoming more insistent.
The army's friends are hoping that il
will set itself right To this end the gen.
4 eral public should clearly understand the
issue of which the principal features are
as follows. Please note that the criti-
cisms or questions are not made by me.
/ but merely quoted from authoritative
printed statements circulated widely since
the meeting of the National Conference
of Charities, last May. and reviewed IN
the issue of Charities and the Commons
Of April p, 1907 II is stated that:
l. No public accounting is made anywhere Of the
funds collected and expended locally IN the hum
drods Of towns and cities of the United states-
Donors who have sought to get reliable information
privately have learned 20 their sorrow and 20 the
I discuIagemcnt n further contributions that they
were not available. There Is no local board q
trustees; the treasurer and the auditor are. almost
without exearii0n officers q the local cJrTs Audts
I are therefore farcical.
. Tie Salvation Amy appeals for funds on the
Plea that il IS lodging thousands of the homeless
/ Tie poor and destitute who occupied the beds Of
the Salvation Army loiging houses paid in actual
cash Sli sl932 which Is s2l 30 y over and above
the total expense q these shelters for the year
ended September 90 l90ji The Salvation Army is
10 be commended fer making these enterprises pay.
but its failure 70 give the public these facts raises
the question Of its right to ask support tor some oi
It's other enterprises.
g. Tie work Of the Salvation Amy in the United
States is carried through three distinct corpora
tions In two Of these the preferred stock. amount
ING 20 Si000O0 or onehalf the total capitalization
Of the two. Is guaranteed per cent interest II
comes therefore. as a new and somewhat disturbing
revelation that purchasers Of the War Cry, Pos,
Fountain pens. and ether articles q manufaciurt
are supplying profits Of PER cent on preferred
stock which tie Salvation Army has guaranteed
and that d1u0rs uf old clothes shoes. furniture
magazines. newspapers, and books give them not
20 the Salvation Army. but 20 a corporation which
likewise pays per cent dividends on preferred
stock guaranteed hy the Salvation Army While
there Is perhaps false representation on the part
Of the salvage collectors, the generous donors have
! generally supposed that the salvage. as far as Il
could BE- used went direct 20 the poor instead oi
being sold for profit, and that magazines and news
papers were Distributed in hospitals. prisons, and
homes instead Of in large measure being haled fol
profit to pay interest on a loan with which "a
finance the CoTporaton
Its Farm Colonies.
l. The farm colony plan has attracted the mos,
favorable attention for the past nine years. Mcs'
people have gained the impression that the army
has a large number q these farm colonies, and
that thousands Of poor paople from "the slums
have been transferred 70 them. There are but three
colonies having total of but $50 people. intending
: men, women, and children. The c0lonists have in
I most instances become self-supporting and havj
acquired considerable equity in their homestssds
but 10 data Is adduced as proof that they were
inst urior 70 the period q colonization, dependent
/, chr fha
there is a considerable amount Of proof that few
if any, belonged 10 that group which corresponds
; 70 what William Booth calls the submerged
| tenth, for whom the farm colony was hailed as
panaces.
:. The DISCREPANCIES and Deficiencies in the sta
, tistics given ont by the army make it i'm
possible 70 secure accurate information about il
work Among the instances given are the follow
ing "In October ls35, the Salvation Army in th'
United States is credited with having l50 indus
trial homes wood yards, and stores for the unem
ployed. From the same source IN June 1876. Il
| appears there are 100 industrial homes, woot
Yards and stores for the unemployed In Septem
, ber 1906, Miss Booth announces that the ARM
maintains seyentyour shelters in the United States
in May 1906 there efEhtyeieht shelters, bus ir
June 1906 the Philadelphia hrigadier falls back O,
seventyfo1r shelters ard adds there are four shell
ters for women One IS curious to know when
during these nine months the salvation Army haf
seyentyfoUr. when seventy yeight, and when eighty
eight shelters.
6 There is a feeling on the part Of many peopl
that the Army IS peculiarly fitted for work anon
the poor and that moreover, il reaches class tina
| no other church or charity reaches For years il
every appeal for funds made By the Arnys collector
the money has been asked for on the ground OF tn
Arny's relief work The religious side of thelr vor
! Is seldom insisted upon-is rarely even mentioned
This important matter was discussed at length i
the paper presented at the National Conference o
Charities The writer cited instances that pgesen
some proof Of very poor work well as an unQues
toned tendency 20 exploit in the yellow news
! papers the misfortunes OF the poor Tor the adveT
tisement OF the Army" The instances given ais
disrel the notion that the salvation Army deal
with families that do not come 10 the attention 0
other charitable societies both before and after be
coming known TO the Army.
Instead Of being willing 20 profit BY the successe
and mistakes Of other agencies the Salvation Arm
remains unwilling to prevent duplication and over
lapappirg Of rel ei and is content to work at eros
purposes rather han TO Join hands with others, 70
fear Of indirectly suhjecting its work TO Others
scrutiny.
should Meet the Issues.
From these quoted statements It is evi
dent that we who cordially wish for tn
best interests of the Salvation Army ar
justified in expecting It to meet thes
issues clearly. It is unfortunate that tn
army has allowed these charges to stan
before the public for nearly year s
that the recent article In Charities an
the Commons is led to ask:
VIII the Salvation Army continue much longer t
stand In a class b. itSelfl Up 10 this time its dG
fancs Of the principles Of accounting for trust fund
has been nearly complete. The dishonesty disco'
cred in the management Of large trust funds in u
last year has led to some rude awakenings IN qusl
tiers where no dishonesty was charged and the var
cannot hope long to Continue in the confidence
the public without which they are from their fon
Of organization deemed to speedy shipWreck, unles
the army viii take the generous public into its cor
fdence.
I believe It is a public service TO be ex
pected Of the secretary of the Associate
Charities to submit the above quotation
for consideration. 1 am one of the man
people who admire the Salvation Arm