Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-02

IL OSION mas HVueSl hlLie group
X Of men and women who. In a quiet
- way, by devoting their private
fortunes and their time and energy, are
probably doing as much for the uplift-
ing Of civic ideals by philanthropy as
any Of the official charitable institu-
tions in the city.
Very little Is heard OF any of the
members Of this coterie, for each works
In an unassuming manner, which sell
dom brings him into the limellght Of
notoriety, but now and again some
member is actually forced into pub
licty by the sheer Importance of his
own philanthropic activities.
Such q man Is Joseph Lee of 90
Mount Vernon street.
Probably Mr.. Lee has been less talked
about publicly than any other person in
the city who has given and done as
much as he has for the public welfare.
Few men deserve greater recognition.
Since his graduation from the Har-
ward university law school as a young
man, his hobby-and few hobbies are
more real than his-has been that of
spending his money and doing good in
the many ways in which only a devotee
to the cause of public philanthropy
can.
quite wholly his own. Endowed with a
sufficient fortune to enable him to spend
large sums for the causes that he in
terests himself in, he never grapples
with any civic reform movement but
that he makes it a success, even though
he is obliged to finance the whole thing.
Helped Civic Service League
AS an illustration, when the Civic
Service league was formed Mr.. Lee,
who was one of the most active work.
ers in this connection, in order to effect
the assured permanency of the organ
ization, purchased for 5000 the build
ings at and 4 Joy street, provided the
league with offices, and gave the whole
top of the building to be used as town
room, which he personally remodeled
and furnished at great expense.
AS an active worker in all philan-
thropic causes which concern children
Mr.. Lee is best known.
Last year, when the medical inspec-
tion bill went through the Legislature, a
statute providing for a certain amount
of medical inspection among all the
school children in the state, behind the
scenes Mr.. Lee was the active promoter
Of the bill.
When all the public play work Of the
school children, including that of the
Fairgrounds and parks, was placed un-
der the supervision of the superintend-
ent of education, Mr.. Lee was the man
who initiated and carried through the
idea.
He became convinced that play was
q part of the education of the child, and
as a result he set about to have 1t so
supervised. AS a result of this depart
ure he has remained for five years the
principal supporter of the expense of
maintaining the largest public play
ground in the city, that on Columbia
avenue Every year for half decade
Mr. Lee has contributed from his pri-
vate fortune from two to six thousand
dollars for the maintenance of this
gathering place for children.
"Rest assured that there will be all
the money necessary to keep up the
work." is his customary remark con-
cerning the children philanthropic ac-
tivities with which he is identified.
When the Civic Service league was
founded the care of pauper children was
being carried on under the state board
or lunacY and charity, and as so hand
LED it was felt by Mr.. Lee that the child
did not receive enough special atten-
ton.
Changed Methods
AS result he promptly WENT DeIOTe
the Legislature and began a fight to
have this state board divided into two
divisions; one for the care of the insane
and the other devoted to charity. With
his customary energy and determina-
tion he succeeded in effecting the di-
vision and today there is a subdivision
of the state board devoted almost ex-
clsively to the handling of children s
cases.
With the state caring continually for
5000 children and with the best work
being done by private societies, Mr..
Lee is still deeply interested in further
changes which will render the public
minor pauper's interests even better
cared for than they can be at present.
Another of his activities which shows
his deep interest in all social matters
relating to children is the newsboy law
which transferred the licensing of boys
to the school board. it being held by