The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-22
THE ROCKEFELLER GIFTS.

The gift bv Mr Rockefeller Of Sl1.
100000 10 the Chicago University IL
given out as the last donation he wil
make TO that institution. which ha'
been built up by his generosity # j,
splendid gift. and ono that will prob
ably do more good 10 the worlI thar
any similar sum that has been donated
purpose. For nothing can possibly b,
more useful To humanity than 4 spleu.
did university Mr.. Carnegie 5 gifts
to education have been magnificent
also, but they arc less in the public
eve and less immediately rcsultfuI than
if they had beer applied to founding a
great university
! The benefactions Of these iwo men
have been very grcat-slSO. $1,000
given by Mr.. Carnegie. sI3o.o00.o0O by
! Mr.. Rockefcller-an aggregate Of
! s3lo.000.000. And they really appear
the most and for the most beueficent
purposes.
II Mr. RockcfeIler's plan 10 have
Congress incorporate "Thc Rcckefel.
ler Foundation = prevails. be viii add
By that foundation Sl00,O0o.O0o to the
gifts which he has made As originally
proposed. the Rockefeller foundation
had many Objectionable points. The
amount whicl Nigh, be accumulated
and held in that foundation was left
indefinite. il might even have reached
a billion dollars. possibly more: be
cause the original amount might have
been $500, 900; and the trust was
authorized to receive accretiops in tho
way Of gifts and requests. II was also
10 be in the hands Of self-perpetuat
ing body. without limit OF duration.
and without oversight in the way Of
supervision, appointment of its mem
bers. or control of it's acts. The men
ace TO the Government. or TO any gov.
ernment upon earth. of having such
stupcndous power ready to be hrouga.
to bear at any moment in an irrespon.
sible way, so far as public accounta.
bility is concerned was manifest 1t
was equally manifest that board hav-
iug at its disposal such tremendous
amounts of money. would have an in
flucnce in the world that would event.
ually come to be supreme. All gov,
ernments would bow the knee TO it.
And II could only be broken up by
violence. The three points, the i'm.
mensity OF amounts held in trust. the
on-limitation cf duration. and tho self
perpetuating power of the body in con.
iections TO the Rockefeller foundation
as first proposed
These three objections have now been
met by an amended form. There is a
limitation placed upon the amount to
be held in the foundation. this amount
being placed at sl00,000.000 the in
come To be distributed annually. The
board of trustees are not to be allowed
unlimited -pcrpetuating power
Whenever there is vacancy in the
board Of trustees. the person to fill
that Acancy may be nominated by the
board. but cannot be elected except
on approval of the majority of seven
persons, the President of the United
States. the President Of the United
States Senate, the Speaker OF the Ma.
tional House of Representatives. and
the Presidents of Harvard. Yale. Co.
lumbia. Johns Hopkins. and Chicago
Universities, distinguished persons who
il is supposed would be certain to pro
teet the interests of the people against
any form Of aggression from the power
of this trust, the consent of four out
of the seven TO be necessary in order
TO install anv new trustees.
Then as to the Limitation Of time in
which the distribution of the trust shall
be made ana the foundation ended; it
was Mr.. Rockefeller Is idea to have the
trust perpetual This was met with
absolute and emphatic objection. Ii
was held by many that the benefices
should be distributed in fifty years.
others said hundred. The amendment
on this poin" is compromise. The
foundation is to be terminated BY the
board. on its own initiative. under the
provision that il NAV distribute the
principal, or any part thereof. at any
time after fifty years. and that after
the expiration Of one hundred years
1.-THE said corporation shall distribute
the principal. If so directed to do.
by the Congress of the UDiaed States. 81
That means that unless Congress directs
the distribution Of the money at the
end Of a hundred years. the foundation
may continue with the full 100000 900
in its treasury. The likelihood of Con
gress peremptorilv interfering and
directing the Termination of the trust
is not VERY great The nrnhahiIiiv is