The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1910-05-24
RELATION OF CITY
TO CHARITY WORK
Howard Strong Points out RESPONSE
biIity Upon Central Commercial
Organization Of Cities.

81. LOUIS, MO-, May 81 nc AS-
sponsibility of the central commercial
organization of a city and its relation
to the standards of charity work done
in that community were pointed out
by Howard Strong, assistant secretary
of the Chamber of Commerce of Cleve-
land, Ohio, in an address before the
National Conference of Charities and
Corrections here this morning.
1.-The Cleveland Chamber of Com
merce," said Mr.. Strong, "is concerned
with every movement for the better
ment Of Cleveland, for the uplift Of its
citizens from commercial, civic, or
social standpoint, and it is therefore
as much chamber of citizenship as
it is a chamber of commerce. The
chamber has in its relation to the char
ity of the city assumed as funda-
mental principle that the charity
which receives its support from the
public is in sense public institu-
ton, and that the public has a right,
therefore, to know its methods and to
demand its conformity with an ac-
cepted standard of efficiency. Fully
eighty per cent of the money which
is collected each year for the support
of Cleveland's charitable organizations
is given by the members of the Cham
ber of Commerce or their families. The
chamber in recognition of its RESPONSE
bility, therefore, has assumed super
vision of the charitable organizations
Of Cleveland. Because certain of the
wiser contributors of Cleveland recog-
nized the existence of misconception
of the standards of charity, a commit
tee on Benevolent Associations of the
chamber was appointed. Because mem
bers of this committee discovered the
existence of institutions which would
rather give to an unworthy recipient
d Sunday dinner thousand times over
than let him break the Sabbath day by
working for it, and because they
found organizations which believed in
giving to whomsoever asks and what
ever he asks and leaving it to the
good Lord in heaven to see to it that
it does him good, the committee has
continued its efforts and broadened
the scope of its endeavpr. AS funda-
mental principles for an effective
scheme of municipal charities, the
committee has insisted upon efficiency,
non-duplication, and cooperation. In
order to make effective its principles
and this should obtain in every city
the committee stipulates as far as is
practicable that organizations comply
with the following requirements, be-
fore endorsement is granted:
st. The organization shall fill a
need not already well filled by exist
ing organization, and not capable of
being thus filled.
"2, The need shall be relatively
great enough to warrant the equip
ment and support of separate insti-
tuition
t3, The organization shall agree to
cooperate with other charitable insti-
tutions in promoting efficiency and
economy of administration in the
charities of the city as whole, and
in preventing duplication of effort.
a. The administrative committee
of the organization shall meet at least
quarterly.
Is. All funds shall be collected ac-
cording to method approved by the
committee on benevolent associations
"6. The accounts Of the organiza-
ton shall be regularly audited and a
copy of the annual report shall be filed
with the committee on benevolent as
sociations.
~. The operations of the organiza-
tion and its accounts shall always be
open to the investigation of accredited
representatives Of the committee on
benevolent associations.
A. w. Burnett of Pryor Creek, was