The Washington herald., 1908-04-12

No item In the District appropriation
bin has occasioned mere discussion.
either on the floor Of the House or in
the press. than that OF $3.50 for the
equipment of outdoor Fairgrounds. The
friends of the Fairgrounds movement have
given abundant reasons for an increase
in this meager appropriation. and they
have effectively replied 10 sundry crlti-
cisms Of the movement that were made
on the floor Of the House. One OF these
criticisms relating 10 the salaries paid
for supervision of Fairgrounds. deserves
some further attention, as 1t involves a
principle Of wide application in the phil
anthropic work of the day. The House
District Committee. in cutting down the
Fairgrounds appropriation from S,OO0 TO
Sl.50o. has endeavored to establish a policy
Of paying for equipment only out of
public funds, leaving the care and super
vision Of grounds, and OF the use Of
them. TO private enterprise. Some sar-
casm was INDUCED in over the salaries
paid to those in charge OF the play
grounds, and il was hinted that these
salaries went largely to the promoters
Of the Fairgrounds movement, the in
ference being that their benevolence was
inspired 20 a considerable extent by
financial motives. That sort Of thing
happens, Of course, occasionally, though
in the present instance we believe the
insinuation is an unworthy one. But why
should not the supervisor of the play
grounds and his assistants be adequately
paid for their services out of the public
funds?
What is called social service has
brought into existence a number of new
professions in response to the demand
for trained and expert workers in phil
anthTopic endeavor Most of these are
now employed by private enterprise; but
is there any good reason why municipal
and other governments should not have
them on their payroils. as indeed some
Of them have? These men and women
give intelligent direction to the altruistie
forces of the community sympathy
should equip itself with wisdom" says
Prof. Francis G. Peabody; and so there
is need Of expert leadership for those
external manifestations Of the social
conscience which might otherwise expend
themselves in useless or detrimental ways.
The administration Of charity. to quote
Prof. Peabody again, furnishes an apt
example. Il has passed beyond its senti-
mental period, and in the complex life of
our great cities the call for sympathy
is succeeded by the call for expert knoyl-
edge. SentimenCalism in relief may easily
propagate more poverty than it cures:
scientific relief has set before it the
muclR more difficult problem Of harness
ing the forces of compassion within the
mechanism Of economic laws, so as TO
make sympathy effective and pity wise"
So our charitable organizations employ
competent and experienced persons to
administer relief. thus insuring the best
results financially and philanthropieaIy
The manufactures details a social well
fare secretary to look after the comfort
OF his employees; in another sphere Y.
Nj. c. \. men minister TO the moral. men
tai, and physical well-being of members
of their institution, and social settlement
workers combine study OF the lower
stratum Of society with efforts to re-
duee the volume of human misery. A
new judiciary, which may in time revolu-
tionize the administration Of justice, has
been called into being by the conviction
that errins children were unfairly dealt
with by the methods applied TO ordinary
criminals.
In short, these aitruistic forces which
formerly were directed altogether bv
ministers Of religion are now falling