The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-12
"What's The News?"
The Weeks Happenings.
BIT CLARENCE H. POE.

Inc Weeks Happenings.
q" FAR THE MOST interesting news item of
K2 the week is that which tells Of the pro-
posed Rockefeller Foundation" philan-
thropc organization greater than the world has
ever before known. to which will probably go the
bulk of John d. Rockefellers enormous fortune
The objects OF the Foundation as set forth In the
proposed charter to be granted by Congress are as
follows:
ITO promote the well-being and to advance
the civilization OF the people of the United
States and its Territories and possessions and
foreign lands, in the acquisition and dissent
nation OF knowledge. In the prevention and
relief OF suffering, and In the promotion Of
any and all the elements OF human progress"
The movement become more significant from
the fact that John d. Rockefeller, Jr., the Oil
Kings only son. has resigned as a director in the
Standard OIL Company and other corporations, and
In association with board OF picked men, will here
after give HIS entire time to handling the colossal
project OF philanthropy now inaugurated. It is
thought that young Rockefeller wishes to become
famous as the worlds greatest philanthropist as
his father was the worlds greatest trust magnate
Already Mr.. Rockefeller (now seventy-three
years old has given $50 .ooo. 900 to the General
Education Board. s25.00o.oo0 to Chicago Univer-
sity. and nearly $50. 900 900 to various other OBJ
jects At first interested chiefly in helping col
leges. universities. and foreign missions. Mr
Rockefeller's ideas have broadened. He has be-
come interested In the movement for better COM
mon schools The vision OF what may be accom-
plished by the prevention OF disease has come to
him. and he has recently given 100000 to
fight hookworm disease In the South. and had
formerly given $4,000, 900 for general medical re-
search. DR.. Knapps cooperative demonstration
work has also interested him. and a considerable
has gone to that. Reformatories
city parks. and the Bureau OF Municipal Research
have also been remembered In his donations
From having been one OF the most unpopular
men In America Mr.. Rockefeller Is now likely to
become famous In his age as a philanthropist as
greatly venerated as Peabody. He won his
wealth wrongly. and in this way he seeks to make
restitution to the people. We honor him for this.
but II should not make us less earnest in seek
ing to prevent such colossal plumber Of the people
in the future The fault not much in Mr.
Rockefeller's selling the opportunities for wealth.
making in the failure OF Congress to pass laws
which would have made such public plumber I'M
possible
We must confess that in the strikes and labor
troubles widespread there seems to be
genuine threat of financial disturbance for the
country at large. The situation takes added
seriousness from the fact that the balance of trade
In favor OF the United States for January was the
smallest in twenty years. Exports were the
smallest In Ave years and imports the largest on
record II Is becoming increasingly evident that
people have been going at too fast pace,
and that only the old-fashioned virtues OF thrift