Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-05

poverty. STARR j. MURPHY,
Chief Counsel of Oil King.
NEW YORK. March 5.-This IL the
length to which John D. Rockefeller has
gone toward indicating the purpose of the
Rockefeller Foundation.
What Mr.. Rockefeller really has in
mind is nothing less than q practical
realization Of the dream OF the al ages-
the abolition of poverty.
Starr ]. Murphy. one OF Mr.. Rookie
feller's chief advisers in methods of
benevolence. in speaking of the oil kings
plans said:
Mr.. Rockefeller in his earlier chari-
ties you must have noticed, goes to rock
bottom. In the General Education Board
he has provided aid to established insti-
tutions for making men fit to succeed
mans powers being the sureet way
toward making one able to do something
with ones self. In the Rockefeller Insti-
tute for Medical Research his purpose is
to get down not merely to remedies for
diseases, but to eliminate diseases.
Wants an End 10 Poverty.
His chief desire now is for the more
equal distribution Of wealth and the re-
moval Of poverty. Not. mind you. the al
deviation of poverty alone. but the re-
moval of poverty"
Mr. Murphy's declaration came toward
the end Of a long chat on the scope OF the
proposed foundation to prevent and re-
lieve suffering" and the promotion OF
any and al M elements Of human as.1 sc
porter. write that as authoritativeY
You may" he answered. But be
sure to say that what he wants is more
equal distribution OF weaith'-not redis-
"Redstribdtion he does not believe
effective. Nor do we who compose his
committee on benevolence-J. D. Roc .e-
Heydt and myself.
1T Is no new thing to US, the purpose
Of this foundation. We have been study
ing charities for Mr.. Rockefeller for
years, and he has been interested In get
ting down to fundamentals.
If man has 100000 year to spend
in phiianthrophy ne might. under plan
Of ,oa redistrib u,.on. give 800 q year to
1000 families Just this side of the border
line of starvation. Yet that 100000 an
nually spent in support Of, say, such a
benevolence as the Medical Research In
benefit quite as much. and then, beyond
them. there would be the benefit bestowed
on multitudes of others No one. for in
stance. con compute the value occom-
plished by Mr.. Rockefeller's Medical In
stitute In discovering how to prevent
and cure cerebro-spinal meningitis.
A Bar on Limitations.
you say the bill to incorporate the
foundation is indefinite. not specific One
Of the most detrimental things in char
tiles is the control exercised by the dead
hand. The will was drawn SO that the
foundation should not be limited or pro-
scribed In it's indeavors to promote we'll
being.
Emergencies. occasions of sudden dis
tress. new discoveries of the causes Of
suffering. might require funds immedi-
ately. We nave to provide for the
unforeseen-the unAnown-in creating this
corporation for the application Of money
toward good causes.
Socialists and philosophers have long
written on the causes Of poverty. What
we need Is actual constructive work and
be done with theories.
while nothing has been determined
regarding the organization Of the staff
of the foundation and will not be till
the bill of Incorporation is passed, 1 sup
pose it will operate somewhat on the
lines OF the Sage Foundation. That you
know, financed the survey of labor and
sociological conditions In Pittsburg.
1t finances separate societies and in
stitutions for special Investigations and
researches. We wish to be enabled to
do that, and anything else that may
come within our purpose.
1T Is fifteen years now since Mr..
Rockefeller retired from business. His
abilities In business surely are beyond
discussion. Well. now. give a man of
such high competence In organization and
administration, who has given fifteen
years to studying how to devote his
riches to permanent beneficial uses, and
what may not be expected?
BOOKSELLERS Personal Work.
Mr.. Rockefeller's keenness for the un-
derlying condition. the basic fact, and
his foresightedness and generally prac-
teal attainments should assure results
when brought to bear on the object OF
the foundation. the promotion Of we'll
being"
Mr.. Murphy was asked what personal
part Mr.. Rockefeller takes In admins
| tering his different charities. His an
swer was:
"Out Of tho s5s 10000 he has given to
the general education board he retains
the absolute direction of only $25, ,0OO. 900
or so. The administration develops upon
the officers Of the general board The
board, by the way. has only about fif-
| teen employees and is an example OF
economic administration. In the new
foundation Mr.. Rockefeller will be one
| Of the body corporate, and will select
other associates besides his son. Mr..
4 Gatox Mr. Hovdf and YnvSe1f w hon thA