Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-19
CHARITY AGENTS
MENLY SCORED
S0-CALLED MISSIONS UNDER
VIGOROUS CRITICISM
MERCHANTS DUNNED TO DEATH
BY. THEIR SOLICITORS
President of Merchants and Manufac-
turers' Association Passes Caustic
Comment in Address at An
nual Meeting

A sharp pruning knife is suggested
py the Merchants and Manufacturers
association for the charitable institu-
lions of Los Angeles, which were Wig
orously attacked in the address of
President j. NJ. Schneider at the an
nuaI meeting of the association yester-
uay. Mr. Schneider severely con-
oemned the methods of establishing
and maintaining charitable institutions.
referring to them as working severe
lnJustlces on Los Angeles merchants.
and as Initiated to furnish comfortable
homes to the promoters,
Our merchants are daily besieged, -
said MI. Schneider, in presenting his
report to the members of the Mer-
chants and Manufacturers associa-
tfGp, with appeals for financial aid
from charitable and philanthropic in
stltutions. The solicitations have be-
come so insistent that the board of di-
rectors decided to have an expert ac-
countant examine the books and rec
ords of the different institutions in
order to determine, not only the char
acter of the work that is being done
by them, but the general financial man
agement.
L regret that our investigations are
disappointing, SO far as many of the
institutions are concerned that depend
financial support. Too often the word
Charity is being terribly abused. In
Stitutions for the care of children and
missions for the betterment of the
physical and moral condition of the
floating population are increasing at
an alarming rate. The practice is be-
ing frequently INDUCED in by individ-
uals to start institutions under high
sounding name, obtaining a few chill
1icIo IaxTt q crnr
erosity of a few merchants, and then
commencing a systematic canvass for
financial assistance.
Missions in Name Only
1--WE have eighteen institutions for
the care of less than 1000 children, each
of these places having it's quota of
matrons, housekeepers and nurses, who
receive not only a salary, but their
board and lodgings, furnished at the
public expense. Missions have sprung
UP for the work of rescuing the down
trodden that are simply missions in
name only and serve to provide an
easy and comfortable living to the
promoters.
"In order to prove that the people
of Los Angeles literally respond to
the appeals for charity whether right
ly or wrongly, may state that the
investigation of thirty institutions has
shown that the total amount received
by them during the last year was
S275, 900 IN cash and that $252,000 had
been disbursed, while their tangible as
sets are valued at $566, 300. In some OF
these institutions 80 per cent and over
is paid out for salaries"
President Schneider-predicted that
the closing Of books for the past year
in Los Angeles would show business
profits nearly as great as in 1906. He
reported that the wholesale trade par
ticularly observed a marked increase in
business during 1908. 1.-THE next twelve
months,' he said, will be recorded in
the column of the most prosperous
years in this country's history.
The financial statement showed e
balance on hand yesterday of $1789.93
after expenditures in the past year OF
$6332.S0 and receipts amounting tc
S8122.73. Directors for the ensuing yeal
were elected as follows: Frank A
Bowles, Bowles Bros. Fred W. A. Det-
mers, F. w. A. Detmers; M. A. Ham
burger, A Hamburger & Sons; Johr
Kahn, Kahn-Beck Co.; Phineas New
mark, Newmark Bros; c. H. Plum
mer, Anderson & Chanslor Co., and A
w. Redman, Union Tool company.
The largesct festival hall at Levy: