The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-17
BENEVOLENT MONEY VERY HARD ID GET Some Live News About the
 Churches BAPTISTS ARE ACTIVE Pope Will Not Call Consistory Until Early Next Year-Troubles
 on the Pacific
 Coast
BAPTISTS ARE ACTIVE


 Officers of benevolent organizations re- port this year to be the hardest for the securing of money gifts, small and large, that they have ever known: Some say it surpasses any of the panic years of re- cent times. The income of many benevo- fences is far behind. Development is not thought of, and nine in ten institutions are bending their entire efforts to get funds for absolute necessities. The con- dition came in early last winter. reached bottom at the beginning of summer, and current year at any rate. Most officers of benevolent boards admit that they see no improvement likely for the coming year.
 The difficulty is reported on the Pacific coast, throughout the middle states, and
 Is most acute in the principal cities of the east, where 90 per cent of the benevo- lence of America is garnered. It is also reported in what is not pure benevolence, because it has the religious appeal be- hind it. Missionary societies are feeling it's effects. Just what may be the cause experts in the collection of money'for be- nevolent and religious purposes confess they cannot tell. Replies from givers, as to why they will not give this year as formerly. reveal little. Inquiries put to them, and to expert collectors, bring a variety of explanations.
 On the Pacific coast givers of previous years say they are confronted with per- emptory demands from the projectors of the Panama exposition at San Francisco, who tell them that unless such and such sums are secured by such a date the ex- position will fail In the middle west un- satisfactory crops are given as the cause. Throughout the east, where givers are less inclined to be communicative upon reasons for not sending checks, sthe only explanations secured are the attacks by the government upon the trusts, fear for the future of incomes, and deter imitation to wait and see Several large givers are known personally to have put this plea forward
 One benevolent expert, a man who usually secures $50, coo to s6O,OO0 a year in quite small gifts, S5 to $100 year each, says a few of his subscription books have been returned with explanations that tariff tinkering by Congress has in- terfered with income. One man bluntly stated that he must buy a new auto. The same expert disavowed belief. how ever, fin the theory that expenditures for automobiles are interfering with money sources of hospitals, education and mis- siens, and said that American charity rests upon a flrmer basis. He admits to a falling off of third in his collections this year. however, and says that to get a dollar requires 30 per cent harder work than on any year for the last 10 at least.
 Interests affected by this strngency are far greater than most people imagine. The exact amount of American benevo- | lpnpa 10 ctafp1 TUautU age certain newspapers began to foot up, at the end of each year, the total amount of gifts reported in the public prints for education, for hospitals, and for Chris tan missions. Their figures then reached S50.G00000 to s60,000,O00. Now on some years they total up to sl75,000.000. Yet only very small part of the money gifts are reported in the newspapers. Gifts to foreign missions by Americans total s11 100000 and to home missions s4e000.000 a year The Young Mems Christian associations and allied work, that having the Christian motive behind it. amounts to another s400O0,O00 a year. Some put the amount as high as s60.- 0000 600. There is no reliable data. Be- sides all these are the millions annually needed to maintain existing charities, part coming from private gifts, part by grants from public funds.
 Vast sums are secured each year through mail appeals. Givers are split tins up their contributions, multiplying the number of recipients far faster than the amount. Most benevolences are find- ing the average gifts received by them to be much smaller than formerly, so that to get s10,00O they must see and influence many more persons. Many of these streams of benevolence are quite outside of the reported incomes of religious so- eieties. One, New York benevolent ex- pert, looking over his books and his let ters, said a day or two ago:
 The year 1911 is the hardest one from benevolent point of view that I have known in 15 years at least. I secure small gifts only, but | know the same condition obtains in the large gift field Those who eonfine themselves to large givers tell me so. The cause? I give it up. The Panama exposition is affecting general gifts on sehe coast, and there is some justice in the plea of poor crops In the middle west. but in the east, from whence comes the bulk of benevolence, there is no reason that can see. oniy know that l cannot secure gifts as in former years, and I know that every body else in my line is having the same experience. We have the same need. We aprea to the same givers. eW are work ing far harder. We get less money. We do not allow ourselves to think of new projects. We see no improvement ahead"