Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-15
Charity Bazaar Scandal
StirS London Society
Special Correspondence of The Star.
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VII 1VtI0VII SVOISSy
Special Correspondence of The Star.
LONDON, April 80. 1910.
n FAD for all time is the fashionable |
bazaar-the fantastic fete in which |
troops Of pretty women in gay cos
tunes presided at picturesque booths to
which the public rushed to fling its money
into the laps Of the lovely vendors For
years every summer had it's crop of
bazaars for hospitals or charities in which
the great world was interested. The pub
lie fought for abundance and the joy of
spending money broadcast as it is wont to
fight on first night at the opera to hear
half a dozen stars and. TO see royalty.
Then suddenly the poor. generous, mis-
guided public had its eyes opened BY
SLOW degrees it leaked out that the money
SO generously given went to buy my lady
fantastic costume. Out of her ''takings''
she subtracted all her Expenses" her
lunches. teas, taxiS or the cost OF day s
hire Tor her automobile. "1ney nave had
| my services. Think oil how 1 draw. she
said. Il can't AFFORD To give them my
services for nothing. Why should ~
The Duchess OF Sutherland who has
been exceedingly prominent in philanthrO-
Ply, has been perfectly frank in her deal
lngs with committees. Ii she was in Scot
land and was asked to open a bazaar in
London she wrote and said she would do
SO with pleasure ii her expenses were
paid She certainly was always we'll
worth the $50 check she received both in
regard to prestige ana appearance This
ladyS duke has an income of $4,000 and
palatlai homes dotted all over the king
DOM She is Scotch woman married to
q N
her business capacity. One thing is
to be admitted. she is quite straightfor-
ward In her transactions and she writes
feariessly and openly for the cash she
means to have before she moves. And
all the world says what a noble phiIan-
thrOplst this handsome duchess is.
EVERY one who has been connected with
the experimenting of great bazaars in
LONDON or the country is aware that moth
| ing or this applies to American women,
who are extraordinarily generous at such
functions. Lady Paget. who certainly is
the queen of philanthropists, has collect
ed something like $JUO,UOO for different
| charities. She is a splendid organizer a
most successful beggar and when she did
direct bazaar she always thought of
| something novel and original She was
the first to send animals begging and
their success has been phenomenal
The Duchess of Mariborough's phil
anthropies are also too well known to
need comment. And there are plenty of
others whose generosity is OF the mag
nificent order.
| Some years ago, at a great bazaar at
Olympia. a cash box containing 81 800 dis
| appeared from one of the stalls. The
newspapers, the public and the detectives
were all gulled by graphic descriptions of
bad bold burglar who had decamped
with the money, which really was lying
hard by in a fashionable womans bouoir
waiting to pay much-overdue dress
makers bill. Every one connected with
the bazaar knew where the money had
gone, but the culprit being person of
considerable social importance no one
dared point a finger at her Besides the
authorities of the hospital which was be-
| ing assisted through the fete knew better
! than to make a fuss and estrange some
OF their best supporters.
! News of the cash box incident reached
the late king and queen and from then
on neither was present at a bazaar. The
daring lady In the usual course of events
sent In her application TO appear at court,
out the lord chamberlain intimated that
] the lists for the season were complete 4
proceeding he has resorted to since every
time she requested admittance.
| OF the lottery scandals in which stall
holders and their assistants or relations
won valuable prizes the less said the bet
| Ger. In many cases the winners had
never put a fartning into the rattle and
|
the usual good nature OF the public never
questioned the result, not tor a moment
doubling the fine ladies with their titles
and diamonds.
ing a man to pay her bridge debts or her
dress bills would think nothing at all
about accepting a cneck from him at a
bazaar, though he knew as well she
| hat but fraction of it went to help the
cause This did not leave nasty taste
III her mouth as it would have done mad
he given the money in a different way.
All this explains why the bazaar and
| fancy fair will not be used this season
as a means to raise funds for the numer-
Gus and deserving charities. No self-re-
speeding woman, not to speak OF great So
ciety leaders. can dare TO be associated
with them
! I'VE must raise our funds in some other
way" they all say. I'VE must not toucn
public money ourselves. One of the
reasons why amateur theatricais are at
Or. sent such a popular means of raising
! funds is because those taking part in and
organizing them need not touch any o.
! the money which, as a rule, is collected
in the same way as at an Ordinary the,
atrical performance. Mrs. Willie and
| Mrs Arthur james, who are in the ha bat
of taking companies around in aid OF
charity, never know anything about the
receipts until the performances are over
The manager hands over the check
to those connected with the particular
charity in question.
| Half the philanthropic balls that are
organized don't mean $2o for the objects
! they are supposed to help The Eek |
penses,' more especially the supper. !
swallow up the funds. One asks what is
the object OF organizing them. Simply |
this, as the ball is announced to help
charity hundreds Of people buy tickets !
who would never think of so doing were |
it not in aid OF a charity. Therefore, |
far more successful spree is organized
than could 9th, rwise have been done
were it just the usual subscription affair:
| But people are becoming as wary OF
the charity subscription dance as they
are of the bazaar and fete. At the same |
time philanthropy is not suffering. On
the contrary, money goes through the di-
rect channels and Is duly acknowledged.